We cant ask much more than that. Good USB-A chargers can charge more than twice as fast (12 watts), and the latest USB-C chargers can charge modern smartphones at 18 to 20 watts as long as you use a cable that plugs into the smaller port instead of the USB-A cable that probably came with your device. It adheres to USB-C fast-charging standards and includes a quality cable. (Some popular laptop models, including the 13- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, can draw 60 W or even 96 W, so they wont charge as fast as they can with their included wall chargers.) Being able to charge your phone and tablet is great, but what about all your other gear? The stand is highly adjustable, letting you change the length via the telescoping pole or move the bottom section of the mounting tray to accommodate phones of all sizes. When you get to your destination, you can retrieve your phone with a quick tap of one of the release buttons on the side. Charging speed is the most important factor when youre choosing a car charger, and in our tests the Nekteck PD 45W model performed as expected. *At the time of publishing, the price was $25. AmazonBasicss Dual-Port USB Car Charger, Ankers PowerDrive 2, Aukeys CC-S7, and Scosches ReVolt all perform identically to one another. The body of the Nekteck PD 45W combines glossy black plastic and matte metal elements. Its otherwise a good choice if you prefer the aesthetics of the glowing blue ring around the charging face. Sure enough, I got close to 30W when charging my laptop from the USB C port, and up to 20W when charging my phone, along with the coveted charging rapidly message. As with all Anker gear, youll get an 18-month warranty and easy replacement if something goes wrong. Still, if you have one of the few phones that supports 15W Qi charging, youll want a wireless charger that can provide that much power. The Qi wireless standard supports up to 15W of power output, but most smartphones dont try to hit that limit. Not enough items available. Nick Guy is a former senior staff writer covering Apple and accessories at Wirecutter. Although in our evaluation we paid attention to each chargers size and fit in a cars dashboard, we concluded that the smallest car charger isnt always the best choice. If youre in the market for something slightly different, weve also put together several other recommendations for the best portable jump starters. Thats where this Aikenuo charger comes in, with its 96W output and six separate USB sockets. Ourprivacy policyexplains how we handle your personal information. When it comes to wired charging, 20 W chargers arent any faster than 18 W chargers for iPhones. And the Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger provides the best of both worlds. But the PowerCruise C2 has a slight edge because its the rare charger that supports Qualcomms Quick Charge 3.0 charging technology on both ports (if you have a compatible phone), and it has the most aesthetically pleasing design in the category. But most of the car chargers available arent even worth considering because they dont have enough power to simultaneously charge two devices at faster speeds, something even very inexpensive models can now do. You can find hundreds of USB car chargers that plug into your cars accessory-power jack. There are a few devices out there that wont fast-charge using either standard, but even those will still charge at normal speed. Ive reviewed car chargers for Wirecutter since 2014, monitoring every noteworthy new model. He has been reviewing iPhones, iPads, and related tech since 2011and stopped counting after he tested his 1,000th case. The price includes one of the companys high-speed USB chargers, the Anker PowerDrive Speed 2 we recommended above, to plug into the accessory socket. It comes with an appropriate USB charger to plug into the vehicle accessory port, and a micro-USB cable to connect the two. A wireless charging mount lets you safely use a phone while driving and keep it juiced up along the way. The PowerVolt PD40 is one of the most affordable dualUSB-C chargers available from a company we trust, and during testing it stayed firmly in place in our car charging port. The inclusion of that cable helps make this charger a good value option for a wide range of fast-charging needs. Thats where car chargers come in. This compact, inexpensive charger has a pair of USB-A ports that can both put out up to 2.4 amps/12W of power (24W total.) He once had the bright idea to build and burn down a room to test fireproof safes. Its easy to find car chargers with one or two USB ports. Learn more. The device hooks onto the vehicle battery via a pair of detachable alligator clips, with a screen showing the battery voltage and alerting of any problems. Each port supports 20-watt charging speeds, even when you use them at the same time, and the device overall is about the same size as the tiny Nekteck 45-watt charger but not much more expensive. Weve found the customer support to be helpful, both in response speed and in addressing our concerns. Other USB-C car chargers with 18 W outputwe tested four otherscan charge a phone just as quickly, but few pair that capability with a quality USB-A port, and none do so for such a good price. Even though its a different kind of car charger to others on this list, the HULKMAN Alpha85 combination power bank deserves a mention simply because it deals with both problems. In our testing, the PowerVolt PD40 charged an iPhone 13 plugged in with a USB-CtoLightning cable from zero to about 53% in 30 minutes and to 83% in an hour. Some models are shorter than others and end up looking like theyre part of your car when installed, and some have glowing ports that make it easier for you to plug in a cable when its dark. The answer, based on our discussions and our hands-on testing: Yes, some chargers are so small, theyre hard to remove from a cars outlet when you need to. certified by the USB Implementers Forum (PDF), dual-port USB-A charger from a reputable brand, Spigens SteadiBoost USB-C PD3.0 Car Charger, Spigens ArcStation PD3.0 Car Charger PC2000, Ugreens 40W Universal Dual PD Fast-Charging Car Charger, Scosches PowerVolt Power Delivery Dual 18W USB-C Car Charger (CPDC8C8), Tools and Emergency Supplies to Keep in the Car for Winter Driving, The Best Wireless Charging Phone Mounts for Cars. 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, The best car charger with two USB-C ports, ZMI PowerCruise C2 36-Watt Dual USB Car Charger with QC 3.0, ZMIs PowerCruise C2 36-Watt Dual USB Car Charger with QC 3.0. If you need to charge up to four devices with various charging standards in a car, the iXCC 50W 4 Port Car Charger is a great option. Spotify or Apple Music let you stream your favorite tunes. Founder and editor of Too Many Adapters, Dave has been a traveler for 25 years, and a geek for even longer. Although we dont think you should buy the PowerCruise C2 only because it supports QC 3.0most phones these days will charge just as fast or faster on a USB-C chargerthe fact that it offers that support, for the same price as non-QC chargers, adds extra value and makes it the best USB-A option for a larger variety of phones. Whereas most car chargers are plastic, the PowerCruise C2 is made of silver-toned brass. This car charger is suitable for iPhones and iPads, most Android devices, and many other USB gadgets. We dont recommend the AmazonBasics 4-Port USB Car Charger because it required us to unplug and reconnect our test iPads a few times to get the proper 2.4-amp power draw from each port. If youre running an app such as Google Maps or Waze, for example, your cars USB port may not charge your phone faster than your phone uses power, so you can end up at your destination with the same battery level on your phone as when you got into the car. We didnt test Scosches PowerVolt QC38 because its USB-C port tops out at 20 watts, its total combined output is only 38 watts, it doesnt come with a cable, and it costs more than the Nekteck. Get our regular email updates with the latest travel tech news, tips, and articles. All of the chargers below put out at least 10W. You can find no shortage of small, $10-ish, dual-port USB-A chargers from reputable brands. Spigens ArcStation PD3.0 Car Charger PC2000 looks like a contender for the best dual-USB-C charger on paper, but its performance in testing disappointed us. *At the time of publishing, the price was $10. The 45-watt port displayed errors in the Total Phase Data Center, which we generally consider to be a red flag when it comes to long-term reliability. If youre just after a simple, low-cost car charger from a reliable brand, this is the one to go for. After testing more than 60 models, weve determined that the best car charger is the dual-port Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger. Compared with the familiar USB-A port, the smaller USB-C port can charge most modern phones faster (if youre using the right cable) and can even charge tablets and laptops. Port one: Quick Charge 3.0 USB-APort two: Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A. Subscribe now for unlimited access. Its no fashion piece, but it does look pretty good next to the cheaper designs of some competitors. Who said a car charger was only any good for topping up your phone or tablet? Thanks to the USB-C ports 45-watt output, itll charge almost anything at top speed, so youll never have to worry about your phone running out of power while youre using it to navigate, and you can even juice up your laptop on the go. If yours doesnt have them, or you want to guarantee you can keep the backseat drivers quiet in your rental car, take a look at the Joyroom 5-in-1. Satechis 40W Dual USB-C PD Car Charger was inconsistent in our tests, frequently resetting its signal and not delivering the necessary 9 volts needed for its top charging speed. Ankers PowerDrive III Duo is a previous upgrade pick. But it has a larger charging face, usually sells for a few dollars more, and doesnt support 20-watt charging for MagSafe. Scosches PowerVolt Power Delivery Dual 18W USB-C Car Charger (CPDC8C8) is a good alternative to the PowerVolt PD40, as it performed equally well in our tests. Should you get a car charger (or upgrade one you already have)? The PowerVolt PD40 also performed as expected when we ran it through the Total Phase test, showing the proper power rates and no errors, so it should be compatible with any device that charges on the USB-C standard. (Especially when there are comparable chargers available, were more comfortable recommending models that dont produce errors than those that do.) When youre using a USB-CtoLightning cable, the chargers USB-C port can charge an iPhone about three times faster (at 18 watts) than the USB-A wall charger that Apple used to package with its phones; your phone can charge from empty to 54% in just half an hour while youre sitting in traffic, say, or running errands around town. 5 W USB-A charger (such as an iPhone power brick). A five-foot cable runs between them, long enough for most cars, and the box can clip onto a seat pocket to keep it secure and out of the way. Thats because the built-in USB ports in most cars put out only 5 watts, which isnt enough to charge a tablet or even newer smartphones at full speed. Weve added a few new models to the Competition. This Nekteck chargers 45-watt output and included USB-CtoC cable also support the maximum charge rate on Android phones (such as the Samsung Galaxy S10), the 2018 and 2020 iPad Pros, and even many laptops. Only [max] left. It sticks out 1.4 inches from the outlet, and its face is an oval 1.6 inches tall and 1.1 inches wide with a blue LED to indicate when its plugged in. Although the Nekteck PD 45W is compact and unobtrusive, it isnt so short that its difficult to remove, as some other car chargers are. A pair of legs on the vent side of the mount gives your phone extra support, and provides more stability than most other vent mounts. The tray also fully rotates, letting you switch quickly between portrait and landscape mode. Like the Nekteck PD 45W car charger, the PowerVolt PD40 has USB-IF certification, which means an independent lab has verified that it meets a set of criteria for safety and performance. Fortunately, a few models (like our pick, the Anker PowerDrive Speed 2) combine different standards to give you a better chance of charging whatever device youre using at high speed. This is a premium wireless car charger thats made to last, and the price reflects that to some extent. As the name suggests, the iOttie Auto Sense detects when you hold your phone close to it, and automatically clamps onto the sides to hold it steady and start charging. Its one of the most affordable dualUSB-C car chargers you can get from an accessory maker we trust, and unlike cheaper options, it stays snugly in place to ensure your phone continues charging. By Dave Dean Vehicle TechJuly 18, 2022No Comments. The second USB port remains available for charging other devices as needed. That may be useful if youre trying to top off a tablet or laptop more quickly, but we dont think that feature is worth the extra cost for most people. Theres a USB-A port that can also put out up to 30W, ideal for powering older devices. Its larger, and it offers more power on one of its USB-C ports30 watts instead of 18 watts. Whether youre using your phone for navigation or the kids are endlessly watching their favorite shows on the iPad, road trips can drain your devices battery surprisingly fast. Google Maps, Waze, and several other good navigation apps help get you where youre going. The chargers foot helps keep the phone steady, and can be adjusted into one of three positions to suit the size of your device. These two chargers can do that and more, letting you jump-start a flat vehicle or power anything from a laptop to an air compressor. Best USB-A Car Charger: Anker PowerDrive Speed 2, Best for Fast Charging: UGreen 30W USB C PD Car Charger, Best for Big Groups: Aikenuo 6 Port Car Adapter, Best for Backseat Drivers: Joyroom 5-in-1 USB C Car Charger, Best for Flat Batteries of All Kinds: HULKMAN Alpha85 Car Jump Starter and Power Bank, Best for Charging Everything: BESTEK Car Inverter with Dual 110v and USB, Best for Vent Mounting: Anker PowerWave Wireless Car Charger, Best for Windscreen or Dashboard Mounting: iOttie Auto Sense Wireless Car Charger, Best for Fast Charging: ZeeHoo 15W Wireless Car Charger, Best for Fast Charging: Ugreen USB C PD Car Charger, Best Portable Jump Starter: HULKMAN Alpha85 Jump Starter. I used this particular car charger for a few weeks, and took the time to confirm the output with an electrical tester. Thats the same speed as the Nekteck charger achieved, and its roughly 15% more battery life than your phone would get from a standard 12-watt USB-A charger. This Bestek model does the job cheaply and well, sporting a pair of earthed 110v North American sockets that can handle anything up to 300W of continuous power, and 700W peak. Note that if youre looking to connect your iPhone to this charger, its easy to do: just pick up a high-quality USB C to Lightning cable if you dont already have a spare one lying around. Using the bundled 65W wall charger, you can fast-charge the Alpha85 from flat in 90 minutes, with enough juice for a single jump start in five minutes. Certain types are better for certain uses, and some are just terrible no matter what you want to do with them. Sign up for exclusive discounts and RadioShack news by email. Most smartphones charge at 15 to 18 watts, so this chargers 45-watt USB-C port is more than powerful enough to charge any smartphone at its fastest rate. Like the iOttie above, the clamp automatically closes when a phone is placed inside it, and releases at the tap of a button on the side. This makes it the best car outlet adapter for most smaller appliances, including laptops. Theres also a pair of USB sockets for charging smaller gadgets, each one rated up to 2.4 amps (12w). If youre attaching the mount to your windscreen, its easy to attach and detach as needed, with a quick wash of the suction cup restoring the sticky surface if it gets dirty The dashboard pad is a one-time thing, however: once attached, it isnt designed to be moved around. The charger can put out up to 39W of power from its two USB-A ports, using either Qualcomm QuickCharge 3.0 or Ankers own PowerIQ. The Nektecks 12-watt USB-A port, on the other hand, brought the iPhone to about 42% and 75% in those respective periods of time. Although we didnt rely on USB-IF certification in making our recommendations for this guide, that stamp of approval makes us even more comfortable with our picks. Satechis 72W Type-C PD Car Charger provides more power than any other model we tested, with 60 watts on the USB-C port (enough to charge a 13-inch MacBook Pro at full speed) and 12 watts on the USB-A port. (Theres no risk of your device drawing too much power, so you can safely use higher-rated chargers without causing damage to the phone or worrying about anything overheating.). Whether youre driving across the country or just across the city, these are 10 of the best car chargers you can buy right now. Android phones, including the Google Pixel family and the latest generations of the Samsung Galaxy line, would see similar gains compared with using USB-A chargers. When youre traveling with a whole bunch of gadgets, however, even four ports wont be enough to keep everything charging at the same time. It doesnt have Power Delivery or QC 3.0 support, so you may not get the absolute fastest charging speeds, but itll still charge your smartphone or tablet pretty quickly regardless. Most phones and tablets support one or the other. These days, a good USB charger for the car should offer the following: For our latest update, we tested another 20 chargers, including some with only USB-A ports, some with just USB-C ports, and some with both. If you dont want to wait several hours for them to get back to 100%, the power output of your car charger is important. When he's not playing with the latest tech toy or working out how to keep his phone charged for just a few more minutes, he can probably be found sitting in a broken-down bus in some obscure corner of the planet. At a time when were relying on our mobile devices for pretty much everything, its no surprise that theyre getting more in-car use than ever before. Thats enough to fast-charge several mobile devices at once, as long as they support either USB C Power Delivery (PD) or QC 3.0. All rights reserved. You can keep this cable in your car to charge your Android phone, computer, or iPad Pro without having to buy a separate accessory. Relatively light and compact for what it offers, its a useful addition for anyone whose road trip power needs extend well beyond their smartphone. It also sports a glowing ring between the charging stem and the 0.8-inch-tall head, though the ports themselves arent lit. Once we had these results, the Wirecutter team had a spirited discussion about the pros and cons of different physical sizes: Is smaller always better, or can a charger be too small? From there, you simply wait for the ready prompt, turn the key or press the ignition switch, and all going well, youre up and running in a few seconds. This iOttie model attaches easily to a wide range of flat or slightly curved surfaces, thanks to the combination of a dashboard pad and sticky suction cup. You can fast-charge phones, tablets, and laptops on its USB-C port and simultaneously charge a second phone on its USB-A port. If youre looking for a car charger for your laptop or most other 110v equipment that usually needs a wall outlet, youll need an inverter to do it with. But they all work fine, and any of them is a decent buy if you find a great sale or its easier to pick up one of these over the ZMI PowerCruise C2. It has a substantial heft (something that makes it feel premium) and a clean look. Its impossible for him not to mentally catalog any case he sees. Whether youre on a budget or traveling with a large group, want the fastest possible charging speeds or want to make sure the kids can power up their iPads in the back seat, theres a very wide range of USB car chargers out there. It also charged the iPhone 13 a bit slower in our tests45% in half an hour compared to the Nektecks 56%, and 79% in an hour compared to 85%. If you already have a Quick Charge 2.0/3.0 car USB fast charger youre happy with, though, you can save money by buying the Powerwave by itself. (These are our favorite cables for iPhones.). Even though they cant charge as fast as a good wired version, wireless car chargers are still very popular. Our pick: Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger, Budget pick: ZMI PowerCruise C2 36-Watt Dual USB Car Charger with QC 3.0. Additionally, Ive tested hundreds of other charging accessories, researching and writing our guides to USB wall chargers, USB-C laptop chargers, and USB-C accessories, among others. Title image via Skitterphoto, other images via Amazon. Despite its very similar name, Ankers PowerDrive+ III Duo differs a little from the PowerDrive III Duo in looks and function. Ugreen includes a high-quality braided USB C to USB C cable in the box, an unusual but welcome move. With two 18-watt USB-C ports, its still a good option for fast-charging two phones at once, but it doesnt support full-speed MagSafe charging, and the price is now much higher than it was when we first recommended this model. Here are the essentialand nonessentialitems to carry in your car during winter driving to ensure you get to your destination. To find the top options in each category, we put the finalists through a number of tests. The main limitation of the Powerwave is only being able to mount it on your vehicles air vents. It works with the majority of vent designs, and through phone cases up to 5mm thick. You can still use this charger with older phones, such as an iPhone 7 or earlierthey just wont charge any faster than they would on a USB-A charger. The Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger is the right model for any vehicle, any phone, and almost any device you might want to charge while driving. Wed have liked to see the full 45W available from the front USB C port, but alas, not to be. While its easy enough to charge a USB C phone from any old USB port as long as you've got the right cable, there are definite advantages to having a proper USB C car charger like this UGreen 30W model. The larger iPad reached 33% charge in half an hour and 65% in one hour. It doesnt ship with a cigarette lighter to USB adapter, so if you dont already have one that can output at 15W, youll need to pick up something like this as well. This Qi wireless car charger can output up to 10W of power to Android devices, and 7.5W to iPhones. All in all, its a versatile car charger that has a range of uses for everyone in the vehicle, at a very reasonable price. Ankers PowerDrive Speed+ Duo has a 30-watt USB-C port (as opposed to the Nektecks 45-watt port), doesnt come with a cable, and generally sells for a few dollars more than the Nekteck. With all of that, however, comes a problem: keeping everything charged. Unlike some chargers, the Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger doesnt have illuminated USB ports, which would make plugging in cables in a dark car a little easier. If the vent design or position in your vehicle makes it difficult to mount a wireless charger on them, put it on the windscreen or dashboard instead. Available in a wide range of wired and wireless versions, with extra features that let you do everything from jump-start your vehicle to charge your laptop, theres a car charger out there for every need, budget, and trip. InventrKits Flash Sale Get The InventrKits Adventure Kit For Only $49.99 With Code PLM45X, Subscribe to our newsletter and get 10% off your first purchase. The 20000mAh capacity and 2000A max output mean the Alpha85 is rated to start anything with an engine up to 8.5 liters (gasoline) or 6.0 liters (diesel.) After a new round of testing, we stand by our picks. Any two-port, 24-watt USB-A charger from a reputable company in this price range works just as well as any other, but unlike similar models we tested, the PowerCruise C2 stands out because it supports Quick Charge 3.0 on both ports, offering slightly faster speeds to devices that support that standard. Wirecutter staffers who have taken advantage of the companys warranty have reported a fast and pleasant experience. Anker is regularly our top pick for electronic accessories of all kinds, and offers an 18-month warranty even on budget models like this. The 30W maximum output of the USB C port is more than youll get from most other car chargers, and means you can recharge smartphones, tablets, and even some laptops at full speed. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. If you need a wireless dashboard or windscreen mount instead, check out the iOttie version below. What about cheap dual-port 12-watt chargers? Ankers PowerDrive 2 ticks all of the boxes. The Nekteck also comes with a USB-CtoUSB-C cable, making this low-priced model an even better value. *At the time of publishing, the price was $20. With a bit more effort, its not hard to find them with three or four ports either. Theres a confusing mess of specifications out there, which means the best fast car charger for your needs depends on the devices you own.
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