How to choose the perfect portable charging solution for your workplace

As offices evolve into more fluid, activity-based environments, organisations are asking a simple but critical question: how do we ensure our people can stay powered wherever they choose to work?

The power paradox

Blue-chip firms and big institutions like libraries and colleges face an ongoing challenge:

• They want freedom and adaptability for the people who use their spaces
• But power remains a rigid, expensive legacy constraint.

Is your business leading the charge?

The traditional approach to extending power reach through underfloor cabling and floor boxes is increasingly at odds with how modern work happens.

Whether in touchdown zones, project spaces, café-style breakout areas, or flex desks, today’s workforce expects seamless access to the digital tools they need.

But power infrastructure hasn’t caught up. And this is now a genuine blocker to employee’s freedoms, productivity and (even) safety in the workplace.

The age of hybrid demands mobility

Activity-based-working drives engagement

Wellbeing depends on workplace flexibility

This issue is more than an irritation. It’s affecting many companies’ ability to deliver on core promises around wellbeing and support for neurodiversity. 

It seems that forcing workers with different needs and sensitivities to stay in a single office location all day can impact wellness, productivity, and worker retention.

So, how are your workforce solving their power problems?

Workers often try to solve these problems themselves by bringing their own power banks to the office or stringing power cables across spaces to where they want to work. 

But consumer-grade power packs often can’t charge the number of power-hungry devices we need to keep alive, and DIY wiring hacks can be a health and safety nightmare.

A more permanent solution is needed, but moving around power infrastructure is expensive for businesses and may be practically impossible in older or listed buildings. 

The risks: what’s holding businesses back?

Companies may be thinking about supplying charger packs to their workers, but until recently corporate options have been limited. Bulk buying options from online retailers isn’t a sustainable option and without proper management, expensive assets may deteriorate quickly or start going missing.

• Safety and compliance: Consumer-grade devices can be inadequate and pose fire risks due to poor battery management systems or faulty firmware.
• Asset management: Tracking expensive chargers across a large workforce, especially in hybrid settings, can be a challenge. Preventing loss and theft is a major consideration.
• Cost control: Questions around ROI, replacement cycles, and long-term management often stall procurement.

Changing the charging conversation

Luckily, companies like Omnicharge are changing the charging conversation for corporates. 

Omni Power Station 40C+

Our enterprise-grade power bays let employees simply pick up a fully charged pack at the start of the day and drop them back off before they leave.  No tethering or scrambling for outlets required.

Power packs are lightweight enough to carry around the office and compact enough to sit next to your laptop at a counter, in a booth or as you spread out on a larger table in a work café.

With multiple outlets USB-C, USB-A, AC sockets (and HDMI for docking) one Omni 40C+ unit (with its 142 Wh capacity) can power two laptops simultaneously.  It can also charge phones, tablets, or watches at the same time, and even mirror your laptop screen to a monitor. 

Omni 40C+

Depending on which pack you choose, you can achieve up to two full laptop charges before needing a recharge, giving you confidence that you won’t lose access to power at crucial moments during your day. 

In fact, Omnicharge is the power pack of choice for the US Navy SEALs and Air Force One so you can be guaranteed the highest level of reliability!

Consider a Power as a Service (PAAS) solution

But once you’ve invested in portable chargers, how do you maintain oversight? 

By adopting a Power as a Service solution, you can gain full control.

Omnicharge's solution features an intuitive app for employees to check packs in and out (similar to a Lime Bike system). Meanwhile, facilities or IT teams can monitor inventories through software, automatically sending alerts for overdue returns.

For co-working spaces or shared offices, you can even configure rental fees or define usage tiers within the platform. 

10 must-have features for your power pack partnership

Whoever you choose to help power your charging partnership, there are a few key criteria you’ll want to consider before committing to a solution.

1. Enterprise-grade safety

Prioritise mobile power units built with rigorous battery management systems (BMS) and industry-standard certifications (e.g. UL, CE). Enterprise-grade devices incorporate multi-layer protection overcharge, over-discharge, short-circuit, and overcurrent safeguards that prevent thermal runaway or catastrophic failure. By contrast, low-cost, consumer-grade packs often cut corners on safety hardware and firmware, making them unreliable under continuous, high-demand use.

2. Smart firmware with thermal protection

Look for solutions whose firmware constantly monitors internal temperatures and automatically throttles or cuts off output if heat thresholds are exceeded. Advanced systems also allow for remote diagnostics and firmware updates, ensuring any potential issues are resolved before they impact operations. Warranty-backed safeguards such as auto-reset after a safe cooldown period should provide additional peace of mind in fast-paced environments.

3. Charging bays over stackable designs

Charging bays with individual docked slots offer instant visual feedback: every pack returns to its own station, so users can immediately see which units are charged, which are in use, and which need servicing. Stackable “blind pick” towers force users to grab from the top layer, often resulting in drained packs buried underneath. Bays eliminate guesswork and streamline the replenishment workflow.

4. Integrated asset management tools

If you’re supplying portable charging solutions within a larger organisation, you should consider a Power as Service (PAAS) solution.

These should include a companion app and web portal that tracks:

• Check-ins and check-outs.
• Timestamps usage.
• Notification on overdue units.

This digital ledger should help facilities or IT teams monitor inventory levels, predict replacement needs, and integrate with broader room-booking or workspace-management platforms. In shared or coworking environments, these features become indispensable for accountability and cost allocation.

5. Built-in theft deterrents

In shared environments with frequent device usage for multiple users, offering a structured platform checkout system,  can help reduce loss.

By requiring users to check out devices individually, responsibility is assigned at the time of use, which naturally discourages theft or misplacement. Simple administrative controls and usage tracking through these systems can act as effective deterrents.

6, Fast charging turnaround

Look for packs that can recharge from 0% to 80% within two to three hours (or faster). A quick turnaround is crucial for hot-desking or agile teams rotating through common areas; it ensures that a pool of ready-to-use packs remains available throughout the day. Slower-charging solutions create bottlenecks: as packs trickle back into the bay. In these cases demand can outpace replenishment, leaving workers scrambling for power.

7. Multiple ports with sufficient wattage

Modern professionals often juggle laptops, tablets, smartphones, and wearable devices simultaneously. Select units that offer a mix of USB-C (Power Delivery), USB-A (Quick Charge), and AC outlets, delivering at least 65–100 W total output. You should look for enough power to keep two laptops topped up at once. This flexibility lets users charge everything from high-wattage MacBook to low-power IoT gadgets without resorting to dongles or additional adapters.

8. Detailed digital readouts

Replace ambiguous LED-bar indicators with precise digital interfaces that show remaining runtime (in hours and minutes) as well as exact battery percentage. Busy mobile workers need actionable data. Knowing “50 minutes left” is far more useful than “three bars flashing.” Clear readouts empower users to plan meetings or relocate workstations without risking a sudden power loss mid-presentation.

9. Practical portability

Even the most powerful battery pack will remain unused if no one wants to carry it across the office. Evaluate weight, dimensions, and ergonomics: packs should be slim enough to slip into a backpack yet rugged enough to withstand daily handling. Consider built-in handles or rubberised grips.

A well-balanced design will encourage consistent use. Even if it holds more charge, a bulky brick simply may end up gathering dust.

10. Furniture integration potential

As activity-based and hybrid workplaces evolve, look for mobile power solutions designed to dock seamlessly into modular furniture such as height-adjustable desks, AV trolleys, or café-style tables.

Quick-release C-clamp mounts or embedded wireless charging pads can turn any workstation into a self-powered hub. This level of integration eliminates trailing cables, reduces clutter, and allows teams to reconfigure spaces on the fly without sacrificing access to reliable power.

Staying charged; powering a sliding scale of wellbeing

The Leesman Index for Workplace Satisfaction shows that the more flexibility and freedom you give your teams to work where they want -  the more they thrive.

Ultimately, bringing “power to the people” isn’t just about batteries and cables; it’s about empowering your employees to work how and where they perform best. When a workplace’s power strategy aligns with its activity-based vision, no one needs to feel drained, no matter where the day takes them.

If you're looking to liberate your people to work where they want, talk to IE about agile workplace design and an integrated charging solution with Omnicharge.