I have a very particular set of skills, skills that I have developed over a long career. Skills that make me a dream for people like you.
While I’ve been a tech writer for nearly a decade, the last seven years especially have been almost entirely focused on sniffing out the best products in every Android-related category you could imagine. Some categories, such as phone cases, don’t change very much from year to year; other categories are constantly changing, with pitfalls hiding in every new hallway. Chargers, especiallyPPS chargersand wireless chargers, have a lot of potential incompatibilities to consider and minute details that need consideration beyond just looking for the highest wattage and your phone’s name in the compatibility list.
As much as I love researching and testing these technological toys, I passionately hate seeing people waste money. Deals that aren’t actually discounts, old or inferior products having the same sale prices as the latest generation, and buying weak and easy-to-break tech that you’ll have to replace in short order all drive me absolutely insane, and is part of why I have a love-hate relationship withCyber Monday. I’ve buried myself in charger discounts of every size, shape, color, and function, and these are the seven that I either own and adore or seriously want to buy myself.
Spigen ArcStation Pro GaN 452
This fantastic baby blue charger is my personal travel charger and works fantastically well. 65W of power split between the two ports makes it easy to recharge my laptop and smartphone, or my phone and my Galaxy Watch while looking stylish, wonderfully compact, and durable enough to throw in my bag when I go out.
Anker Nano Power Bank (Type-C)
While only the black colorway of this charger is on sale for Cyber Monday, this 10,000mAh power bank is capable of 30W, meaning that it can recharge phones, tablets, and even slow-charge some laptops. The built-in cable means never being without a way to charge, and it doubles as a carry strap. (Just don’t go yanking it.)
Ugreen 30W Nexode Mini GaN charger
This ultra-compact charger is as small as a ping-pong ball but will still charge just about every major U.S. smartphone at top speed. Most chargers this size have fixed prongs on the AC plug in order to save space, but Ugreen’s Nexode has folding prongs for easier storage and safer transportation.
Baseus USB Car Charger 60W (30W+30W)
Yes, many cars have built-in chargers these days, but they’re often low-power charging and USB-A while we’re living in a USB-C world. This all-in-one charger from Baseus hides its cable when you’re not using it so that it’s not cluttering up your mess of a car — hey, mine’s a mess, too — and can charge two devices at 30W, so you can fast-charge two phones and then recharge the kids' tablet on that long drive to grandma’s.
Zendure SuperMini Portable Charger
I have multiple Superminis and loan them out to friends and family all the time. Its footprint is the size of a credit card and it’s smaller than a deck of cards. This 10,000mAh battery pack will completely recharge most phones twice before needing a top-off itself. Available in eight colors including a lovely Lavender, Mint Green, and this metallic candy-apple Red that’s perfect for stocking stuffers, the Supermini is a gift they’ll use all year long.
Anker 523 Charger (Nano 3, 47W)
When you’re only using one port, you can get the full 45W charging to recharge your laptop, and when you need to top off multiple items, this charger will split the power 27W and 20W. This may sound trivial, but it avoids the classic multi-port charger quandary of having one device getting significantly more than another when charging two phones or tablets.
AOHI 30W USB-C GaN+ Charger
Who else is bored of all these boring black or white chargers? I am! That’s why Aohi’s MagColorful charger is such a breath of fresh air, allowing you to spice things up with different color plates that magnetically snap onto the charger’s front. So this charger can be swapped to match the color of your setup, or if you have multiple kids, you could buy two or more and then let each get a color so no one can accuse the others of stealing it.
I have twenty USB-C chargers kicking around my apartment — and nearly as many power banks — and yet that Aohi is so sorely tempting me to no end with those adorable blue and purple plates and the ability to theme to my current setup, bringing me one step closer to color-coordination perfection. I’ve felt the same delight with the Zendure Supermini’s various colors. I cycle through those year-round according to the season and my mood. They are extra-durable for just keeping in my backpack at all times, so I can’t forget it at home when I head out to spend the afternoon writing from Epcot.
You may have noticed I didnotrecommend anyamazing wireless chargersthis Cyber Monday. This is because big changes are just on the horizon for Android. Announced at CES back at the beginning of the year,Qi2 wireless chargingis the next evolution of wireless charging with a standard Qi2 Magnetic Power Profile. This profile and the standards for the magnet alignment and shape essentially bring MagSafe to Android, and while the best Android phones of 2013 missed out, 2024’s best phones likely will have it.
Magnetic wireless chargers and standard wireless chargers are not really compatible — non-magnetic chargers can cause heat buildup and damage to MagSafe phones, and non-MagSafe phones have a hard time staying aligned on MagSafe chargers. So, if you plan to upgrade next year, hold off until you’re sure your next phone will be Qi2. Or until you find a quality MagSafe case for your phone that will allow you touse MagSafe/Qi2 chargers anyway, which is what I’ve done all year.
We’re a month out from the next CES, where an obscene number of chargers and phone accessories launch every year, and the next generation of Qi2/MagSafe products will inevitably be launching. So, for wired chargers, now is the time to buy, but for wireless, you should really, really consider waiting.
