How should a co-working space allocate wireless and wired charging points?

Main answer · Wecent Editorial Team

Short answer: Prioritise wired power at every desk, since most members need laptop and phone charging, and add USB-C ports for convenience. Use wireless pads as a supplement in lounges, meeting rooms and phone areas, where people leave phones on a table. Plan by use, not by trend, and survey members after a few months.

Start with how people work

Most members use a laptop and a phone. Laptops need real power at the desk. Phones can use USB-C ports or wireless pads. Different spaces have different needs.

Desks

• A standard socket within reach of each seat.
• USB-C power ports for phones, tablets and some laptops.
• Clear cable routing, so cables do not sprawl.

Lounges and cafe areas

• Sockets and USB-C ports at tables and sofas.
• A few wireless pads where people sit with just a phone.

Meeting rooms

• Power for laptops at the table.
• Wireless pads or ports for visitors’ phones.

Phone booths and quiet areas

• A socket and a USB-C port.
• A pad for short calls, where the phone sits on the table.

What to avoid

• Relying only on wireless. It is slower and not for laptops.
• Long chains of power strips.
• Unlabelled ports of mixed quality.

Cost and maintenance

Wired ports are simple and robust. Wireless pads need correct placement, and users may have cases that do not work. Offer both, and keep spares.

Guide members

Put a small sign at each area describing what is available, and that thick cases may block wireless charging.

Measure use

Check how often each type is used, and add more of what is popular.

Quick summary

Wired at every desk, wireless as a supplement in shared areas, with signs and regular checks.

Sample allocation

For a floor with a hundred desks, put sockets and two USB-C ports at every desk, add a power-and-USB bank at each lounge table and place one or two wireless pads at each sofa group and in each phone booth. Review the use after three months, then move or add points where demand shows up.

Plan for growth

Run spare conduit or leave space in furniture for more ports, since laptops and phones change quickly. Retrofitting later is far more costly than adding capacity during the first build, and members notice quickly when they cannot find power.

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