The best wall chargers: A buyer’s guide

Manufacturers ditching wall chargers seems to be all the rage these days whenever you pick up a new phone. The problem is that the older options you have lying around your house may not be up to snuff with today’s fast charging options. Of course, OEMs will tell you to grab a first-party wall charger, but is that really your best option? In some cases, yes, but there are so many more third-party options to choose from.

We’re here to highlight some of the best wall chargers you can buy, including both first- and third-party options. Some offer multiple ports while others offer impressive fast charging options, and some pack the best of both worlds. What are you waiting for? Let’s get your battery back to a full charge.

See also: The best phone charging accessories you can buy

Buying the right wall charger for your needs

There’s a lot to look for as you shop for a wall charger, and it all starts with a trustworthy brand. We highly recommend Anker, but there are plenty of good options out there. We do our best to ensure that all of these choices balance price, quality, and reputation.

Once you’ve settled on a solid brand, it’s time for more specific questions. The best place to start is with how many ports you need. Many wall chargers include some mix of USB-A and USB-C ports, and you can occasionally find options with multiples of each. Of course, the more devices you plan to charge, the larger a wall charger you’ll need. This adds weight and may make for a worse travel companion.

The third point to research is how fast your wall charger will actually deliver its juice. Fast charging is generally a standard feature these days, but not all fast charging is created equal. You’re not as likely to find a third-party charger that can handle top speeds like VOOC technology. It’s also important to know if your devices can handle Qualcomm’s Quick Charge or USB-PD (Power Delivery) to tap into the highest speeds.

Anker’s PowerPort lineup offers something for just about everyone, but there’s one wall charger that rises above the rest. The PowerPort III 25W is our pick for the best wall charger that you can buy right now, and our review says just as much. This single-port charger earned a rare five-star review for its impressive mix of size and power.

No matter what device you’re carrying, there’s a good chance that the Anker PowerPort III 25W can fast charge it from the single USB-C port. It offers support for USB Power Delivery PPS, Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+, and a whole list of legacy standards like Apple 2.4A and Quick Charge 3.0. However, the 25W limit means that you may not want to rely on the PowerPort III to charge your laptop unless you’re in dire straits.

Anker’s compact design means that you can take this wall charger with you on the go, and interchangeable plugs make it a great pick for international travel. At just $19.99, the Anker PowerPort III 25W won’t break the bank, and at just 63 grams, you can carry it just about anywhere you need power.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Anker PowerPort III 25W.

Looking for other recommendations? While the Anker PowerPort III 25W is our top recommendation, keep reading for other choices worth considering.

Other products worth considering

The best wall chargers

• ElecJet X21 GaN Pro: It packs blistering 65W charging speeds and a trio of ports to choose from, all wrapped in a compact GaN design.
• Anker PowerPort III Pod: Anker’s larger PowerPort III Pod brings fast 65W speeds to the table and makes a great option for laptops, though you only get one set of prongs.
• Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2: This wall charger offers a pair of USB-C ports to keep the fast charge flowing. It tops out at 60W in a single port, or 30W speeds if you need both at once.
• Spigen PowerArc ArcStation Pro: Spigen’s GaN wall charger offers solid 20W speeds and is one of the smallest options you’ll find.
• RavPower PD Pioneer 65W: This charging hub packs four total ports and enough power to get you back on your feet quickly. It plugs in with an AC cable to keep your devices close at hand.
• ElecJet 45W Super Fast Charger: It’s not easy to find third-party chargers for Samsung’s Super Fast Charge, but this is a great option. The 45W speeds and PD PPS should handle most devices with ease.
• Anker PowerPort III Nano: If you want an ultra-portable plug, the PowerPort III Nano won’t let you down. It may not pack the latest protocols, but you can take it just about anywhere.
• OnePlus Warp Charge 65: There’s no other way to go if you have a new OnePlus device. It offers blistering 65W speeds and USB PD PPS for all other devices.
• Samsung 45W SuperFast Travel Adapter: Samsung’s proprietary SuperFast adapter is a natural partner for the latest Galaxy devices with a small, travel-ready footprint but a relatively expensive price.

If we had the chance to name a second-favorite wall charger, this would be it. The ElecJet X21 GaN Pro simply covers all of the bases, and it offers impressive speeds while doing so. It packs three total ports, as you can see above, which means you can get all your devices back up and running simultaneously. ElecJet’s X21 GaN Pro is a bit more expensive at £44.99, though it opens a door to far more flexibility.

See also: The best multi-port USB wall chargers you can get

This wall charger tops out at 65W, which makes it a great option for everything from smartphones to laptops. The duo of USB-C ports come USB Power Delivery PPS ready, and the interchangeable prongs are key for travel. We managed great speeds when using two of the three ports, though tapping into all three can slightly limit your output.

Check out our full review to learn more about the ElecJet X21 GaN Pro.

We’re right back to Anker’s remarkable PowerPort lineup for another excellent wall charger. This time, the PowerPort III Pod comes laptop-ready with 65W speeds, and it offers USB PD PPS support to boot. It’s quite a bit more expensive than our favorite PowerPort III 25W, but that’s the price you have to pay for high-end speeds. Unfortunately, Anker also ditched the interchangeable prongs this time around.

The good news is that the US-version packs foldable prongs for easier travel, and the better news is that this wall charger handled everything we threw at it. It’s even one of the few third-party chargers that can tap into Samsung’s super-fast charging for the Galaxy S21 series. At $39.99, the Anker PowerPort III Pod is expensive for a single-port charger, and we did notice it occasionally having trouble reaching top speeds.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Anker PowerPort III Pod.

You might be sick of seeing Anker on the list at this point, but the company knows how to build a great wall charger. The PowerPort Atom PD 2 offers a pair of USB-C ports, and it’s aimed at devices launched in the last few years. Either port can offer you up to 60W of power, which is great for a laptop, phone, or just about anything else. However, the PowerPort Atom PD 2 limits each USB-C port to 30W when both are in use.

You won’t find USB Power Delivery PPS onboard, which means that this wall charger won’t charge the latest Samsung Galaxy devices at top speed. That said, it’s still a powerful option that offers plenty of punch at its $45.99 price point. Like many of Anker’s products, you won’t find a charging cable in the box, and you can’t swap the plugs for traveling.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Anker PowerPort Atom PD 2.

Spigen may be known first and foremost for its portfolio of phone cases, but it’s not a one-trick pony. This is one of the most compact GaN wall chargers you can get, and it just goes to show how little size truly matters. It packs a single USB-C port with Power Delivery 3.0 and up to 20W speeds. The Spigen PowerArc ArcStation Pro retails at $29.99, though it’s frequently on sale for around $20.

While you’re probably not going to rush out for the ArcStation Pro to charge all of your devices at once, the tiny footprint is the key selling point. It’s easy to cram into a pocket, and the prongs fold for easier storage. Spigen’s GaN construction also helps to keep the ArcStation Pro running cool while you get back to full strength. We managed just about full charging speeds from the Google Pixel 5, Apple iPhone 12 Pro, and Nintendo Switch, though 20W speeds won’t be enough for your trusty laptop.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Spigen PowerArc ArcStation Pro.

We’ve touched on quite a few single-port and dual-port options so far, but RavPower is hoping to charge all of your devices at once. This is one of our favorite four-port wall chargers, and it comes with a pair of USB-A and USB-C options, as seen above. While it’s relatively expensive at $53.99, the GaN construction keeps RavPower’s PD Pioneer running cool with up to 65W of output. It doesn’t actually plug directly into the wall, but rather it serves as a hub on your desk to keep devices charging close by.

RavPower’s USB-C ports both support USB PD, which is good enough to charge most laptops nowadays. The USB-A ports top out at 18W, with support for a host of older charging protocols like Quick Charge and Samsung Adaptive Fast Charge. Unfortunately, it can be tough to tell how much power each device gets if you use multiple ports, and it greatly limits the charging efficiency.

Check out our full review to learn more about the RavPower PD Pioneer 65W.

It’s not always easy to hunt down a wall charger that can handle Samsung’s 45W Super Fast Charge technology. This pick from ElecJet is one such charger, and it bundles plenty of extras to go with the single USB-C port. You get North American prongs fixed to the back, along with interchangeable European and UK adapters. ElecJet includes a one-meter USB-C to USB-C cable for good measure, in case you’ve left yours behind.

You shouldn’t have much trouble reaching peak 45W speeds, as ElecJet’s wall charger supports both USB PD and USB PD PPS standards. At just about $30, this charger is on par with Samsung’s 25W option, yet it achieves much greater speeds. If you want an affordable wall charger that doesn’t skimp on top speeds, this might be your best bet.

Check out our full review to learn more about the ElecJet 45W Super Fast Charger.

We’re dipping into the Anker PowerPort family one last time for the smallest, most affordable wall charger of the bunch. The PowerPort III Nano was designed with portability in mind and measures less than 40mm on any one side. It offers a single USB-C port — not that Anker could fit any more on the tiny body. The PowerPort III Nano supports Power Delivery 3.0 as well as older standards like Quick Charge and Apple Fast Charging.

Anker’s tiny size is the main selling point here, especially as 20W charging isn’t fast enough for heftier devices like laptops. However, some devices like the Google Pixel 5 can reach their 18W maximum without any issues. We also saw slower speeds of around 14W reaching our Samsung Galaxy S21 during testing.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Anker PowerPort III Nano.

If you have a recent OnePlus device, there’s a good chance you already have the Warp Charge 65 charger floating around. OnePlus hasn’t followed Apple and Samsung in ditching the wall charger quite yet, but you can always buy an extra or two. After all, the main draw here is the proprietary 65W Warp Charge for the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9 series. You can tap into Warp Charge 30 with the OnePlus 7 series and fast charge with some of the older models, too.

See also: How fast is OnePlus’ Warp Charge 30 Wireless?

While OnePlus devices will see the best speeds, you can still take advantage of USB PD PPS and Power Delivery for other devices. That means the latest Samsung devices can enjoy their full 25W speeds without issue. Unfortunately, the Warp Charge 65 doesn’t offer its highest speeds to laptops, so you may have to spend extra time at an outlet. You won’t get one of OnePlus’ sweet red cables, either.

Check out our full review to learn more about the OnePlus Warp Charge 65.

Our last pick is a great option for anyone with a recent Samsung Galaxy device. It packs 45W of charging power into a small, plastic body, and you get a selection of interchangeable adapters to take on your next trip. Samsung also bundled a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box in case you leave yours behind.

See also: Here are the best Samsung Galaxy chargers

While the single USB-C port can be limiting, Samsung packed plenty of advanced standards into its portable wall charger. It comes ready for USB PD PPS and USB Power Delivery 3.0, which means it can handle iPhones and other devices without issue. You may want another charger for your laptop though, as the 45W limit takes a bit longer than a 65W option would. At $50, it’s one of the more expensive single-port options out there but otherwise makes for a great Samsung option.

Check out our full review to learn more about the Samsung 45W Travel Adapter.