Why not just use one of these? Readily available at all the big box stores, and seems to be the same price, if not less.

Got one, won't fit.

It's a cute idea, they have a similar product with a night light or something as well. As long as the springs are tight enough to provide a good pressure connection to the screws it should be OK. Remember these USB ports are only about 10W. We're talking only about a tenth of an amp.

Actually Ron, it looks like the SnapPower charger is 1 amp. But it's still something to take into consideration. If you are trying to charge a phone, this is probably fine but a tablet will take more than twice the normal time (because I think modern tablets want to use 2.1 amps).

polingbill,

Is the sleek design the thing that's drawing you to these devices? Because a plug-in is so much cheaper! And you can get ones that have both regular outlets and USB outlets so it's not like you are preventing the outlet from being used normally.

Some will even screw into the faceplate for a semi-permanent solution.

Here's an example (I know nothing about the quality of this specific item or company):

Plug in type

Won't fit? What doesn't fit? The device into the box, and if that's the case, why won't it fit?

Most of the USB charger/receptacles are thicker like a GFI size. Some boxes just don't have the room.

The SNAP charger is 1A at 5V. The part that is touching the 120V isn't going to draw a tenth of that.

I'm aware of that, Ron, I've installed plenty of them. Unless the box is a handy box or the wire fill is excessive, it shouldn't be an issue if the wires are arranged neatly. Just curious why it "won't fit".

The device I was asking about uses prongs on the back of the cover plate to engage the terminal screws. Ron seems to think this approach is ok as long as they grip tightly. Does anybody have any actual experience with these?

No, sorry, no experience with them. Does look like an interesting idea. Looking at the manufacturer's video about them it's clear that they're aimed at the homeowner as an easy alternative to the plug/USB combination. Amazon has many reviews, mixed but leaning towards favorable. The main complaints about them seem to be the quality of the construction, slowness of charging, and not making good contact with the terminal screws on the receptacle. Seems like it'd be worth a try.

https://www.amazon.com/SnapPower-USB-Charger-Outlet-Coverplate/dp/B01BX83E0U

Yep, as someone else previously mentioned a 5W (1A) charger is OK for a phone, but your tablets will be slow to forever to charge with one.

The SNAP charger is 1A at 5V. The part that is touching the 120V isn't going to draw a tenth of that.

Ahh. Sorry Ron, I was thinking you were talking about the fact that the performance of the SnapPower might be crap because it isn't supplying enough juice to the device. But you were actually saying that the connecting method it uses is probably fine because it only requires a trickle of electricity. I misinterpreted what you were saying and didn't think it through.

Yeah, I think we're dancing around two different issues:

1. This thing probably is a bad idea if you're charging a tablet or something that wants a 2A (10W) charger.

2. The current flow through the clips is probably minimal enough not to be a fire hazard.