Can You Charge An 18V Ryobi Battery Via USB-C?

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Ryobi may not be the power tool maker that invented Rechargeable lithium-ion battery technology, but the manufacturer is leveraging that tech as well as any company in the game. If nothing else, Ryobi has outpaced many of the other major players in the power tool arena in terms of the sheer volume of Lithium-Ion-powered devices, with the numbers well into the hundreds between its 40V and 18V lineups alone.

Those numbers are likely to swell if gas-powered small engine bans like the one in California continue to be enacted in the U.S. and beyond, though with more than 300 devices already outfitted with 18V power, one has to wonder how many more Ryobi could feasibly add to its lineup. Of course, one of the highlights of Ryobi's 18V line is that its battery packs are interchangeable with other 18V devices. Despite that welcome cost-saving convenience, you will still need to sort out ways to keep those Lithium-Ion Batteries charged and ready for action.

Ryobi does, in fact, manufacture several different chargers for its 18V power sources, and often even includes one with many device kits that come with a battery pack. Apart from those standard chargers, Ryobi also makes a handful of special devices suitable for charging 18V batteries when you're in need. One of them is even equipped to allow charging via a USB-C cable. Per its Ryobi product page, that device can charge a 1.5 Ah battery in under an hour.   

We should be clear that most of Ryobi's 18V battery chargers are not equipped with any sort of USB-C capability. As of this writing, there appears to only be one device among Ryobi's offerings that does, the One+ 150-Watt Battery Power Source. As that name implies, the device is not strictly a battery charger. Rather, it is a portable power source that allows you to carry 150 extra Watts of power to any worksite you need. The device allows users to either charge or power others by plugging directly in through a standard 3-prong plug or a USB-C cable. 

Yes, that USB-C port will make it easy to charge your shiny new mobile device using the 150-watt power source. And if you purchase the kit, it actually comes with an 18V battery, as well as a USB-C cable and wall adapter. Per the device's specs, you can charge an 18V battery using either the fully-charged power source on its own or by plugging the USB-C connector into the wall and pulling from an outlet. If you find yourself in a pinch, you can even charge it through a power outlet in your car, which might come in handy if you're camping or working off the grid.   

You can purchase one through Amazon for $99.99. However, it does not appear to be available directly through any official Ryobi sales front, and there are a few reasons you should think twice about buying Ryobi products from third-party sellers on the site. Consider yourself warned.