With the exception of the Surface Book 2 and Surface Go, Microsoft's device lineup is devoid of USB-C ports. That leaves you with a problem if your Surface Connect charger happens to stop working for some reason. And while Microsoft has shipped its own Surface Connect to USB-C adapter, it's a tad on the expensive side. But if you simply need to charge your Surface, there's now a cheaper option on the block.
Coming in at a scant $20, the BETOP Surface Connect to USB-C charging cable can be used to get your Surface charging up with a USB-C power brick (via Reddit). There are a couple of caveats, however. First, you'll need to use the cable with a brick that can supply the proper voltage. According to BETOP, the breakdown goes as follows:
- 12V or 15V output is must
- 29W or greater for Surface go
- 36W or greater for Surface pro and Surface laptop, 45W or 60W is recommended.
Notably absent from that list are the Surface Book and Surface Book 2, both of which require beefier power supplies that aren't as easy to get your hands on. It's also worth noting that the cable works for power only; you won't be able to use BETOP's option to power something like a display via the Surface Connect port.
Still, if you need a quick, cheap replacement for charging your Surface, this looks like a decent option, presuming it works well enough. We have one on order and plan to give it a quick review in the future.
As an alternative, BETOP also has a dongle that can accept the glut of USB-C cables you may already have on hand, but it's currently unavailable.
If you're interested, the Surface Connect to USB-C charging cable is available now for $20. But if you'd rather wait, we'll have a review coming up to go in detail on its performance.
