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.)
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.
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
Fast 45W charger
Foldable prongs on US model
Cons
UK model’s prongs don’t fold back
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 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. Ugreen AceCube 30W USB-C GaN Charger – Best iPhone charger
Pros
Small
Fast charger for most phones
Foldable prongs
Cons
Doesn’t support 45W SFC 2.0
Port: 30W
Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple); Quick Charge 4.0; Samsung Super Fast Charging; 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.
It weighs 82g and measures 32.5-x-31.5-x-39.6mm, so it is slightly heavier and larger than the Anker 711 reviewed below—but nothing you’d really notice.
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. 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.
The US version is available in either black or white. The UK model comes in a fetching silvery gray color.
3. Anker 511 20W Charger (Nano Pro) – Best value USB-C iPhone charger
Pros
Small
Fast-charge iPhone
Color options
Cons
No Samsung Super Fast Charging
Prongs don’t fold back
Port: 20W
Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple); Quick Charge 4.0; Samsung Adaptive Fast Charging
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.
Its 20W power is enough to fast-charge an iPhone (from iPhone 8 on), but it doesn’t support Samsung Super Fast Charging for Galaxy S20, S21, or Note 10/10+/20/20 Ultra.
The UK version looks like Apple’s old 5W charger but is far more able.
It’s available in four colors: Arctic White, Black Ice, Glacier Blue, and Cool Lavender
4. Minix 66W NEO P1 Turbo Wall Charger – Best USB-A/USB-A multiport and travel charger
Pros
Three ports
Fast charger for most phones
Travel adapters
Cons
Larger than single-port chargers
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
5. Anker 711 Nano II 30W Fast Charger – Tiny USB-C charger
Pros
Small
Fast charger for most phones
Port: 30W
Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple); Quick Charge 4.0; Samsung Super Fast Charging; FCP/SCP
Anker’s ultra-compact single-port 30W charger uses the latest generation Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology that means it’s a fraction of the size of silicon-based models.
The Nano II family of Anker chargers transmit energy more efficiently and operates at twice the frequency of the first generation of GaN.
The 30W model (711 in Anker’s catalog) is the smallest we’ve seen at this level of power. It weighs just 73g and measures 31.5-x-30.4-x-37.9mm, making it a (very) little smaller than the Ugreen 30W charger reviewed above.
It supports Power Delivery, Quick Charge and Anker’s own PowerIQ smart charging, plus PPS. This means it can fast-charge smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S20 that require the Super Fast Charging protocol for their proprietary charging standards.
The prongs aren’t foldable, which would have made it even more compact, but it’s still a very portable charger that can be recommended for all phones.
6. 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
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.
7. Spigen PowerArc 20W ArcStation Pro
Pros
Small
Fast charge iPhone
Foldable prongs on US model
Cons
No Quick Charge or Samsung Fast Charging
No foldable prongs on UK model
Port: 20W
Fast charging: PD 3.0 (Apple)
This GaN USB-C charger is one of the smallest we tested (39.4-x-34.5-x-27.7mm) and is affordable. Its 20W charging capacity is enough to fast charge most modern phones, and it supports PD 3.0 but not Quick Charge or Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charging.
The US model features folding plug prongs, but this is not the case on the UK model.
8. Anker PowerPort +1 – Best Value USB-A Charger
Cons
Not USB-C
No iPhone Fast Charge
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:
