Best Phone Chargers 2023: Best wall & desktop USB chargers

16 Nov.,2023

 

Phones are capable of increasingly fast charging, but it’s rare that a charger that can support these top speeds is supplied in the box with the phone. That’s if a charger is supplied at all, and many of us are still using old 5W chargers that are painfully slow.

It doesn’t have to be this way. The likelihood is your phone can be charged at a much faster rate than you even realise, and all that’s missing is a decent charger. We’ve rounded up a bunch of single- and multiple-port USB chargers that offer fast charging for your phone (or tablet or small laptop, too) at up to 45W.

Wall chargers plug directly into a power socket. If they boast multiple ports they are extremely convenient if you have more than one device to charge at the same time, freeing up power sockets in your home and doing away with the need to carry multiple adaptors. (And if you know someone who doesn’t already have one of these, it will make a great gift.)

Desktop chargers plug into the socket via a separate cable, and usually lie flat on the surface, able to charge multiple phones or other devices at the same time.

Most of the USB adaptors tested here are not powerful enough to charge a laptop and some games consoles, however. For that you need a Quick Charge 4/4+ or Power Delivery charger, which can output up to 240W over USB-C. We’ve rounded up the best laptop chargers in a separate article. That said, a compatible 45W phone charger is enough for a small laptop such as a MacBook Air or other 13-inch notebook.

You don’t need to worry too much about how much power your phone or tablet can accept, since it will draw only the amount of power it requires. Buying a fast charger now will offer you some level of future-proofing for when you later upgrade to a new model that supports faster charging. That’s why we prefer at least a 30W phone charger as the latest phones can suck up power at well over 20W.

While officially iPhones charge with a maximum of 20 watts, tests prove that the iPhone 13 and 14 Pro Max models can charge at up to 29W, and the iPhone 14 at up to 25W—so a power supply with at least 30W could offer more than the official 20W charger from Apple. Samsung’s S23 Ultra can benefit for 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0.

Most of the phone chargers reviewed here are built using Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology that means you get incredible charging power in a very small device.

Fast charging a phone

Any charger that supports the BC 1.2 charging standard can power a device at 7.5W, but there are much faster charging standards, depending on the make and model of your phone.

Apple and Google phones use the USB-PD standard for fast charging from 18W. USB-PD kicks in when battery capacity is between 0% and 79% but stops when it reaches 80%. This is to preserve battery health—generally you should try to keep a phone’s battery charged between 30% and 80%. See How to Properly Charge a Phone Battery.

Apple’s Fast Charge can power from 0% to 50% in around 30 minutes using USB-PD. See: The fastest way to charge an iPhone.

Qualcomm’s Quick Charge is one of the most widely implemented charging standards. Look for at least Quick Charge 3.0, which can provide up to 18W of power. Quick Charge 4.0 is good for 27W and supports USB-PD.

For Samsung Galaxy phones, Adaptive Fast Charging can power up to 18W, its Super Fast Charging from 25W, and Super Fast Charging 2.0 to 45W.

Huawei’s Fast Charge Protocol is divided into FCP (Fast Charge Protocol) and SCP (Super Charge Protocol), the latter supporting up to 40W.

Coming soon: 240W phone charging! This is a massive step up for phone charging, barely seen even on laptops. The forthcoming Realme GT 3 can fully charge in under 10 minutes and requires a 240W charger and special 12A cable, both of which will be included with the phone.

Safe phone charging

There are hundreds of cheap phone chargers on the market but we seriously recommend you buy from a trusted brand such as the manufacturers listed here, which you can expect to have engineered short-circuit and high-voltage protection, as well as temperature control to safeguard not just your phone but your house from damage.

Best Phone & Tablet USB Charger reviews

1. Anker 313 Charger (Ace, 45W) – Best overall phone charger

Pros

  • Small and light
  • Fast 45W charger
  • Supports Samsung Super Fast Charging 2.0
  • Foldable prongs on US model

Cons

  • UK model's prongs don't fold back

Price When Reviewed:

$29.99

Best Prices Today:

Port: 45W

Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple); Quick Charge 4.0; Samsung Super Fast Charging 2.0; FCP/SCP

This new USB-C charger from Anker is more powerful than most reviewed here, and it supports the latest 45W Super Fast Charging 2.0 for the newest Samsung phones, from the Galaxy S22 series to latest S23 Ultra phones.

It is also compatible with fast charging for other types of phone, from Apple’s iPhone to Huawei. Its 45W is more than the iPhone requires for fast charging but it won’t harm it through being so powerful, and it will even charge a MacBook Air or other small laptops.

Built using GaN technology, the Anker 313 Ace 45W Charger is super powerful, but still very small. The US version weighs 71g (the second lightest on test here) and measures 38-×-35-×-41mm, while the Type G UK plug model weighs a little more at 80g, and measures 48.5-×-44-×-42.55mm (excluding prongs).

The US model features foldable prongs so it can slip comfortably into a pocket, and, while the UK model has a fixed plug, it is still tiny for what you get in terms of power.

At 45W it’s even powerful enough to charge a small laptop, so you might not need to carry more than one charger with you between home and office or on your travels.

2. Anker 30W Nano Charger – Smallest, lightest USB-C Phone charger

Pros

  • Small and super light
  • Fast-charge iPhone
  • Foldable prongs
  • Color options

Cons

  • Doesn't support 45W SFC 2.0

Price When Reviewed:

$19.99

Best Prices Today:

Port: 30W

Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple); Quick Charge 4.0; Samsung Super Fast Charging 1.0; FCP/SCP

Another charger from specialist Anker, this GaN charger is lightweight and easily portable, and so it won’t be much bother to keep it to hand, ready for emergency top-ups.

The US model is ludicrously lightweight at just 36g (1.3oz) and measures just 28-x-28-x-35mm. It’s the lightest that we have tested!

Its 30W power is enough to fast-charge an iPhone (from iPhone 8 on), but it doesn’t support Samsung Super Fast Charging 2.0 as it’s not rated at 45W. It does, however, support 25W Samsung Super Fast Charging 1.0.

It’s available in five pastel colors: Aorora White, Phantom Black, Misty Blue, Lilac Purple, and Natural Green.

3. Ugreen Nexode 30W USB-C GaN Charger

Pros

  • Small and super light
  • Fast charger for most phones
  • Foldable prongs

Cons

  • Doesn't support 45W SFC 2.0

Price When Reviewed:

$19.99

Best Prices Today:

Port: 30W

Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple); Quick Charge 4.0; Samsung Super Fast Charging 1.0; FCP/SCP

This GaN USB-C Charger is small and made even more compact with both the US and UK models featuring foldable prongs, which makes them comfortable to pop into your pocket.

The US model weighs an incredible 48g and measures just 32-x-32-x-40mm. Only the 30W Anker Nano, reviewed above, is smaller and lighter.

It supports PD 3.0/2.0 QC 4.0/3.0/2.0 PPS and BC 1.2 fast charge protocols, and supports 25W Samsung Super Fast Charging.

We recommend it for iPhone users specifically because it offers as fast charging as iPhones allow at a slightly cheaper price than the Anker 313 Ace 45W Charger reviewed above. However, it’s also a great choice for Android phones. It offers Samsung Super Fast Charging but not Super Fast Charging 2.0 as it maxes out at 30W.

4. Anker PowerPort III 20W Phone Charger Twin Pack – Best value budget phone charger

Pros

  • Small and super light
  • Value pack
  • Foldable prongs

Cons

  • Only 20W

Price When Reviewed:

$23

Best Prices Today:

Port: 20W

Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple); Quick Charge 4.0; Samsung Super Fast Charging 1.0; FCP/SCP

This twin-pack of older Anker phone chargers is still available in the US and Canada and is great value for two dinky chargers.

Yes, they are rated at just 20W but that’s fine for fast-charging an iPhone and offers pretty decent Android charging—although certainly not the swiftest.

It’s a tiny GaN charger, measuring just 31-x-32-x-33mm.

5. Ugreen 100W USB-C Desktop Charger – Best desktop phone USB-C charger

Pros

  • Charge up to 4 phones at once
  • Charges laptop and phone
  • Supports Samsung Super Fast Charging 2.0

Cons

  • Not as portable as a wall charger

Price When Reviewed:

$99.99

Best Prices Today:

Ports: 2x 100W, 2x 22.5W

Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple); Quick Charge 4.0; Samsung Super Fast Charging; FCP/SCP

This slim desktop phone charger is perfect for setting up ready for multiple phones to be plugged in and charged at the same time. Its 100W USB-C ports mean it can charge even a large laptop, or a medium-sized laptop and three phones simultaneously.

There are three USB-C ports (2x 100W and one 22.5W) and one USB-A (22.5W).

While it’s not as readily portable as a wall charger that has its plug built-in, it’s easy enough to carry this and its power cable around with you—and you can swap out the power cable (figure of 8 type) for another country’s plug if travelling.

6. Minix 66W NEO P1 Turbo Wall Charger – Best USB-A/USB-A multiport and travel phone charger

Pros

  • Three ports
  • Fast charger for most phones
  • Travel adapters

Cons

  • Larger than single-port chargers

Price When Reviewed:

$39.99

Best Prices Today:

Ports: 2x 65W, 1x 36W

Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple); Quick Charge 3.0; Samsung Super Fast Charging; FCP

With 66W of power to play with, this USB charger boasts two USB-C (supporting Power Delivery 3.0) and one USB-A (supporting Quick Charge 3.0) ports, so you can simultaneously charge your mid-sized laptop, smartphone, and another USB device all at the same time.

Using two ports at the same time it supports two 30W feeds or one 45W and one 18W. Using all three supports 30W and 2x 18W charges.

It also comes with UK and EU adapters that slip onto the foldable US prongs, so is the perfect travel companion.

While it’s larger than single-port chargers, it’s not gigantic

7. SyncWire 40W Dual Type-C Convertible Plugs Type Charger – Best budget travel charger

Pros

  • Two ports
  • Travel adapters

Cons

  • Doesn't support Quick Charge or Samsung Fast Charging

Price When Reviewed:

$24.99

Best Prices Today:

Ports: 2x 20W

Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple)

This SyncWire USB-C charger features two 20W outputs and interchangeable adaptors for the US, UK and Europe.

This compact charger is well-sized for travel, with those adaptors lending it extra convenience. (Do note that it cannot be used in Australia, South Africa or India.)

This is a PD charger that does not support Quick Charge, but does support a maximum 20W on each of its two USB-C outputs. You will need to supply your own charging cable.

When plugged in a thin LED ring surrounding each port glows brightly, making it easy to plug in your devices in a darkened room.

8. Alogic Rapid Power 30W Mini Car Charger – Best car phone charger

Pros

  • Compact

Price When Reviewed:

$19.99

Best Prices Today:

Ports: 1x 30W (2x 12W)

Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple)

Using your phone while driving is a big no-no, but it’s a great chance to catch up on charging it before you step onto the pavement.

Alogic has a couple of USB phone car chargers. There are two version of the Rapid Power 30W Mini Car Charger. The one shown here has two modern USB-C ports. The other features both USB-C and USB-A ports, which is handy if your charging cable has the old rectangular connector.

Fast-charge using just one port (USB-C), or charge two devices with each port delivering 12W of power.

9. Anker PowerPort +1 – Best Value USB-A Charger

Pros

  • USB-A

Cons

  • Not USB-C
  • No iPhone Fast Charge

Price When Reviewed:

$12.99

Best Prices Today:

Ports: 1x 18W

Fast charging: Quick Charge 3.0

This 18W Quick Charge adaptor hails from one of the best known names in charging tech, and offers very good value. It will charge non-Quick Charge devices at up to 12W.

The PowerPort +1 has an ultra-slim design, but with more squared-off corners than some. We like it.

We’ve put together a range of articles to help you choose the best charging tech for the mobile devices you carry everywhere. You’ll also like:

For more information cell phone charger manufacturer, please get in touch with us!