Ryobi’s new Power Source chargers are great, but with one silly flaw

Published Nov 11, 2026, 3:30 PM EST Cory Gunther is a senior author and Newsletter Editor at Valnet, covering cutting-edge tech, Android, and more for How-To Geek. He's covered Android, cars, and technology for over a decade. When he's not reviewing the latest gadget, you can find him off-roading in his Toyota truck, fixing said truck, or doing something outdoors with friends and family. He's covered CES, SEMA, and MWC and reviewed countless phones, TVs, speakers, EVs, e-bikes, and more. Before Valnet, Cory worked for GottaBeMobile. His writing has also appeared on SlashGear, InputMag, and AndroidCentral. He's written over 9,000 articles. Ryobi's latest lineup of Power Source chargers are truly versatile, turning your boring charger into go-anywhere portable power for everything from phones to laptops. And yes, you can charge your tool battery and your phone at the same time. But while they nail utility, a silly design choice keeps them from being an absolute home run. Most DIYers have several Ryobi 18V ONE+ or 40V battery packs sitting around the garage, and an easy way to get the most out of them is to buy one of Ryobi's new chargers. Here's what you need to know. Why you'll love Ryobi's Power Source Chargers Charge your battery or your phone, or use it as emergency backup power Before I start complaining about the design, here's what makes this little accessory my favorite Ryobi purchase this year. There's an 18V ONE+ 200W Power Source and Charger, although I bought the bigger 40V 300W Power Source. And while these have been on Home Depot shelves for years, the two newest models have some important improvements. This one Ryobi battery charger sits on my workbench in the garage and handles all sorts of tasks. It obviously recharges your Ryobi battery packs, but it also has two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, a 120V AC outlet, along with a built-in LED light. When it's plugged in, I'll use it to recharge my Android phone via USB-C, power my Ryobi 7-inch Hybrid fan, and I've started using the USB-A port to charge an old flashlight. It cleaned up the top of my toolbox by giving me one device to recharge batteries and charge gadgets. However, it's also a "power source," as the name implies, and you can unplug the whole thing and take it inside as a portable 300W power bank to charge phones, power lights, fans, or even a small fridge. It's great for an emergency power outage, camping, tailgating, and other times when you'll need on-demand power. When you're not using those battery packs in drills, drivers, leaf blowers, and other tools, take advantage of the power and get one of these gadgets. When the power goes out, use its built-in light and use the ports to power devices. It'll recharge your tool battery like any other charger, but then you can unplug it, take it anywhere, and use that battery as a portable power bank. It's a win-win. Ryobi 40V 300W Charger and Power Source Special features Low Battery Shutdown, Mountable, On Indicator Light, On/Off Switch, Overload Protection, Replaceable Battery, USB Port Tool Type Battery Turn your Ryobi 40V charger into a portable power and charging station with this 300W accessory. More USB-C ports or a dedicated power cable One frustrating design choice I do have one complaint about the overall design of these accessories, and while it's a nitpick and I understand the reasoning, it's still frustrating. See, these power source chargers do not have their own power cable like every other Ryobi charger. Instead, the way you power the unit (and recharge your tool batteries) is through the 100W USB-C port on the front. It doesn't come with a wall plug, either, so you'll need to provide your own high-output USB-C wall plug, like this Anker model on Amazon. I was really looking forward to using that 100W USB-C port while my batteries are charging, or while it's sitting on my workbench, but that's not possible. That port powers everything, and you can only use the 100W USB-C port when you're using it as a power source, since power is coming from the battery itself, not your wall. However, a better choice would be for Ryobi to add a dedicated yet removable power cable to the back. That way, it's still portable when you want to use it as a power source, yet you can still use both USB-C ports on the front of the device in charge mode. It would also clean up an unnecessary cable running from the front of the charger around the back and down my wall. Even a rear-mounted USB-C input would be fine, but I'd prefer its own power cable. An accessory worth buying That little complaint aside, and that you'll have to buy a wall charger if you don't have a high-enough-wattage model already, are the only downsides to what's an otherwise excellent accessory. If you can find a Ryobi power source charger on sale, or better yet, get it as a free BOGO during holiday deals, it's a versatile item every Ryobi owner should have.