Let’s face it: the price of high-capacity battery banks can be prohibitive, remembering to keep them charged can be a chore, and some brands simply don’t live up to their promised capacity or longevity. DeWalt is the manufacturer of some of the most-popular battery-powered power tools in the world, with millions of owners across the United States alone. With the release of the DCB094K 20V USB Charging kit, DeWalt is making it unnecessary for DeWalt tool owners to own separate USB-C battery banks.
The charging kit provides a single USB-A port, and a single USB-C port that supports normal USB-C charging, as well as USB-C PD (Power Delivery), allowing it to charge nearly any modern device, including mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. One could even power a Raspberry Pi or similar single-board computer.
What’s In the Box?
The DeWalt Charging Kit ships with a battery adapter, wall wart, USB-C cable, and even a belt hook. These items all come in traditional DeWalt colors, all the way down to the braided USB-C cable. The wall charger chargers up to 65W, and allows users to recharge DeWalt batteries, which saves a considerable amount of space when compared to DeWalt’s traditional chargers.
The braided USB-C cable feels particularly durable, and the included belt clip allows you to use the charger while mobile, which well… is conventient since I’m not sure I own a pocket that any DeWalt battery would fit in.
DCB094K’s Specifications
The charging kit is compatible with nearly any 20V DeWalt battery, and will probably work with aftermarket batteries as well. The USB-A port is rated at 12W (2.4A @ 5V), and and the USB-C PD port is rated at 3A @ 5-15V and 5A @ 20V. The battery port input and output are rated at 6A @ 20V.
The USB-C PD port supports Power Delivery 3.0, Qualcomm QC3.0/2.0, Samsung AFC, and BC 1.2. Meanwhile, the USB-A port supports BC 1.2, Apple FastCharge, and Samsung FastCharge (AFC).
The included USB-C cable is rated for up to 100W, and the charging kit will support charging from 100W AC chargers.
Charging DeWalt Batteries with the DCB094K, and Charging Devices with DeWalt Batteries
DeWalt’s DCB094K Charging Kit provides clear and concise LED indicators with unique light patterns convey charging status and operational state. A battery capacity gauge is missing, so it’s advisable to use battery packs with built-in indicators. All DeWalt 20V Max batteries, except for the 1.3Ah and 1.5Ah models, feature built-in charge indicators.
Charging Stage 1: A flashing red light signifies that the connected DeWalt 20V Max battery is currently charging.
Charging Stage 2: A solid red light on the left and a flashing red light on the right indicate that the connected Dewalt 20V Max battery has reached at least 80% charge.
When both LEDs are solid red, the connected battery is fully charged. Charging a 5Ah battery with the included AC charger took roughly 90 minutes, and upgrading to a 100W AC charger dropped the time down to about an hour.
With the same DeWalt 5Ah battery loaded in and fully charged, I was able to charge my Steam Deck roughly twice over with the included USB-C cable. Similarly, a recharged battery also charged my Pixel 8 Pro twice and still had a little juice left over.
It’s certainly enough to power the 8.8″ Ultrawide Display from MScreen.
Find it on Amazon
Final Thoughts
Most DeWalt power tool owners, like myself, tend to own more than a single DeWalt battery, and also own several batteries that are no longer useful in powering said power tools. In either case, these batteries tend to sit idle or (incorrectly) on a charger for long periods of time. The DCB094K Charging Kit opens a new use for DeWalt batteries by allowing users to power or charge their mobile devices, portable speakers, and more — even single-board computers.
DeWalt includes a belt clip with the charging kit, making it easy to use the batteries while staying mobile. I’m not sure how I’d feel with a 15Ah battery dangling from my belt, but at least they make it possible.
While the included AC charger only provides 65W charging, the DCB094K is capable of 100W charging using other chargers. The DeWalt-branded USB-C cable is rated for the full 100W the charging kit is capable of, but it is limited to being a meter in length. A longer cable would have been a welcome addition, but at least the included one feels quite durable.
Charging DeWalt batteries with the DCB094K is also a slight improvement over DeWalt’s traditional battery chargers in that the setup uses less surface space and provides additional methods of charging the batteries than from an AC outlet. The DCB094K can charge DeWalt batteries from other USB-C PD devices, but the fastest method is going to be upgrading to a 100W AC charger.
Overall, it’s easy to recommend this to DeWalt power tool owners. For anyone else, it’s a tough purchase unless they’re planning on purchasing a DeWalt tool in the future or were able to pick up a DeWalt battery on the cheap during a sale
DeWalt DCB094K 20V USB-C PD Charging Kit
DeWalt DCB094K Charging Kit-
Compatability10/10 The best
-
Features7/10 Good
-
Ease-of-use10/10 The best
-
Aesthetics7/10 Good
The Good
- Works with all DeWalt 20V batteries
- USB-C Cable and Charger Included
- Belt clip for mobility
- Can charge or power nearly any USB device
- That sweet DeWalt branding we all love
The Bad
- Could be slimmer
- USB-C cable is limited to 1 meter in length
- Missing a built-in charge meter