USB-C to USB-A Adapters

Older plugs into a USB-C laptop

A new laptop with only USB-C ports still has to take the memory stick, the mouse receiver, the printer cable and the phone lead you already own, all with the older, larger USB-A plug. A USB-C to USB-A adapter is the small answer: a USB-C plug on one end, a USB-A socket on the other. Listings often call them OTG adapters, a name from phones, but they work the same way in a laptop.

The kinds here

• Plain adapters in aluminium, in several colours, many sold in packs of two to five so one can stay in each bag.
• Right-angled adapters that turn the plugged-in device along the side of the laptop instead of sticking straight out.
• Adapters with a charging socket, listed up to 100W, so you can use a USB-A device and charge the laptop from one port.
• The other way round: a USB-A plug with a USB-C socket, for putting a USB-C cable or stick into an older laptop.
• An eight-piece set of adapters for USB-C, USB-A and the older phone plugs.

How to choose

Check the direction first. For a USB-C laptop you want the USB-C plug (male) and the USB-A socket (female), which listings write as "C male to A female". The reverse ones are for older laptops.

Then check the speed. The adapters here are listed as USB 2.0, 5Gbps or 10Gbps. A USB link runs at the slowest speed every part shares, so a fast memory stick through a USB 2.0 adapter is slow. For a mouse or keyboard receiver, any of them will do. For drives, choose 5Gbps or 10Gbps.

Questions people ask about USB-C to USB-A adapters

One adapter or a hub?

One adapter suits one plug, and stays in the port without getting in the way. For three or four USB-A devices, a USB-C hub or a USB-A hub with a USB-C plug is tidier.

My wireless mouse is jumpy through an adapter. Why?

USB 3 ports and devices give off radio noise in the 2.4 GHz band many mouse receivers use. Try another port, or move the receiver away with a USB extension cable.

Can I charge my laptop through one?

Only through the ones with a USB-C charging socket. The rest carry data and power for small devices.

Will it work with my phone too?

Many listings name phones and tablets as well, which is where the OTG name comes from: a phone that supports it can read a memory stick through one. Check your phone supports USB accessories.

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives.

More to look at

• USB-C hubs
• USB-A hubs
• USB extension cables
• USB-C laptop accessories
• USB-A laptop accessories
• Guide: How to choose a USB-C hub or docking station
• Guide: USB-C explained: ports, cables, power and video