Wireless charging is cool. There's no getting around it. Setting your phone, tablet, or headphones down and just having them suddenly start charging is wild. Many of the best smartphones support wireless charging, so there's good reason for you to have one or two hanging around your work or home.
In many cases, the technology behind a wireless charger will be fairly simple. That means there's no shortage of affordable wireless chargers to choose from. But, there are plenty of differences to be aware of. Charging speeds can vary considerably, and rarely do wireless charges offer the rapid charging speeds of their wired counterparts. Many wireless charging pads even require you to have a wall charger in order to plug in the pad, and the wireless charging speeds can then vary depending on the output of your wall charger.
We'll guide you through our top picks and keep you informed about the key specs, so you can be sure of how well it can perform with your devices.
TL;DR – These are the Best Wireless Chargers:
- Anker PowerWave II Pad
- Anker PowerWave Pad
- Yootech Wireless Charger
- Insignia 20 W Qi Dual Wireless Charging Pad
- Belkin BoostCharge
- Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K
- iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2
- Nomad Base Station Pro
- Apple MagSafe Charger
- OnePlus Warp Charge 50 Wireless Charger
1. Anker PowerWave II Pad
Best Wireless Charger
There’s nothing wrong with simple and straightforward when it comes to a wireless charger. The Qi wireless charging standard ensures a decent amount of compatibility between devices, and the Anker PowerWave II Pad provides a handy way to take advantage of that standard at a fantastically affordable price. It even goes the extra distance by including a 24W power adapter so you have everything you need right out of the box to make the most of it.
The Anker PowerWave II Pad can provide fast charging speeds up to 15W on compatible devices, letting you enjoy quicker charging times on a host of Android phones. Most Samsung phones with wireless charging will let you hit 10W speeds, and iPhones should support 7.5W. For everything else, you should see 5W. The pad has non-slip silicone padding around the edge, so once you set your phone down, you don’t have to worry about it shifting around and losing alignment with the charger.
2. Anker PowerWave Pad
Best Budget Wireless Charger
Anker continues to deliver on its strong value propositions with the PowerWave Pad. This affordable charger comes in at just a touch over $10 and it can deliver up to 10W of wireless charging when paired with a strong enough charging brick. Despite its low price, it still has smart considerations like temperature control and foreign object detection. The kit includes a four-foot USB cable, so you can easily set up the charger where you need it.
3. Yootech Wireless Charger
Best Ultra Cheap Wireless Charger
The Yootech Wireless Charger is a great wireless charger that costs only $14, half as much as our top pick if you don't mind it's few drawbacks. This wireless charger is much cheaper, but it can only supply a maximum of 7.5W—which again will only bother Android phone—and it doesn't come with an AC adapter.
If you already have a few power bricks lying around, or just plan to use the one that came with your phone, so this won’t be a big deal. All you need is something a plug that's rated for five volts and 2 amps.
4. Insignia 20 W Qi Dual Wireless Charging Pad
Fastest Wireless Charger
Wireless charging often lags behind its wired counterparts when it comes to speed. The Insignia 20 W Qi Dual Wireless Charging Pad changes that. Your phone will be back to full at a rate that beats many wired charging bricks. Plus, this pad allows you to juice up two of your devices at 10W for a 20W total. You won’t be waiting around forever to get your devices back to 100. And since it offers two chargers in one, you don't have to pick and chose between devices that need a boost.
The Insignia 20 W Qi Dual Wireless Charging Pad supports Qi wireless charging, so you can use it with phones, tablets, watches, and a whole lot more. It’s also super low profile allowing you to place the charger anywhere. And with LEDs onboard, it’s easy to indicate when your device is done fueling up.
5. Belkin BoostCharge
Best Wireless Charging Stand
If you like to be able to use your phone a little bit while it's wirelessly charging, then you'll want a stand rather than a pad. Belkin's BoostCharge wireless charging stand is a strong option that can deliver a fast rate of charge while giving you some flexibility for how you use it.
The BoostCharge stand can deliver a maximum charging rate of up to 15W on Qi-compatible devices. And, to help ensure you get the max charging speeds, Belkin includes a 24W Quick Charge 3.0 power supply in the box. The wireless charging stand can hold your phone in the vertical orientation to charge, or if you want to throw it in landscape so you can watch TV or a movie, the stand will support wireless charging in that orientation as well.
6. Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K Magnetic Wireless Portable Charger
Wireless Qi Charger Plus Power Bank
Anker's battery packs are helpful little sidekicks to keep on hand throughout the day when you think you might need a top-up. But, it can be a bit cumbersome trying to hold onto a battery pack, your phone, and the cable you've got running between them. With the Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K magnetic wireless portable charger, that situation gets a lot simpler, and that goes double for iPhone 12 owners.
The Anker PowerCore Magnetic 5K puts a 5,000mAh battery into a case that has the necessary magnets to latch onto the MagSafe magnets in the iPhone 12 series of smartphones. Once attached, you don't have to use a cable to charge either, since this pack supports wireless charging. It may not be the fastest charging, but it's simple and convenient.
7. iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2
Best Wireless Charger For Your Car
A basic wireless charger is great for home use, but when you’re on the road, you’ll want something a little more specialized. The iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 is the charger to get for your car whether you’re planning to charge up an iPhone or an Android. iOttie also includes a power adapter that plugs into your car’s auxiliary power outlet and offers a cable to power the charger as well as an extra USB for other devices.
This wireless charging cradle will hold your phone in place while you’re driving so that it sits in proper alignment with the Qi wireless charging coil. With everything aligned right, you’ll get better charging rates, letting you take advantage of the 10W charging available for Pixel phones or 7.5W charging for many recent iPhones. iOttie even makes it easy to mount your phone as there’s a button to automatically shut the cradle once your phone is set down. The cradle comes on an adjustable, telescopic arm, so you can get your view just right. And it can stick to your dashboard or suction to your windshield for lots of placement flexibility.
8. Nomad Base Station Pro
Best Wireless Charger for Multiple Devices
If you've got a lot of devices to charge and want to get them all charged wirelessly, then the Nomad Base Station Pro is just what you'll want. As far as wireless chargers go, this one is as close to magic as they get. It has a specially designed array of charging coils inside that let you place up to three devices almost anywhere on the pad and have them charged.
The Nomad Base Station Pro can charge your devices at up to 7.5 watts, which should fill them up at a decent clip. And, its placement flexibility will make it easy to ensure you're getting optimal charging every time you use it. This product does come at a considerable premium, but it also does what few other devices can. And, it has a premium design, with a metal base and leather surface, to ensure you're getting your money's worth. It even includes the 30W charging brick you need to run it, so there's no extra expense on top of the pad itself.
9. Apple MagSafe Charger
Best MagSafe Charger
The latest iPhone 13 and other devices in that series have come with a revival of Apple's MagSafe branding. This comes in the form of a ring of magnets that helps hold the iPhone to accessories, including wireless charging pads. So, if you want to have an easy time charging your new iPhone with a charger that will ensure you get the device lined up for the most effective wireless power delivery, you'll want the Apple MagSafe Charger.
This charger will line right up with the MagSafe magnets in your iPhone. This allows it to deliver up to 15W of charging power. You can use the Apple MagSafe Charger with any USB-C power brick, but to get the maximum charging speeds, you should use a 20W power brick. Don't worry about needing to have a bunch of different wireless chargers in the house either, as this pad still supports Qi wireless charging for a wide variety of devices, including all iPhones back to the iPhone 8.
10. OnePlus Warp Charge 50 Wireless Charger
Best Wireless Warp Charger
If you've gotten your hands on the OnePlus 9 Pro, then you've got one of the fastest charging phones you can find. And, OnePlus wasn't content to leave it at just fast wired charging, as this phone can support up to 50W wireless charging. To do that, you'll need the OnePlus Warp Charge 50 Wireless Charger.
This charging stand works with your OnePlus 9 Pro's charging brick to deliver such a fast wireless charge that it can refill your phone's battery in 43 minutes. Charging that fast can create some heat, so it has to use a built-in fan to stay cool. But, OnePlus has made some smart considerations here, offering a Silent Mode that can dial it down to 15W if you're not in a hurry, and the charger can also be set to turn off during set hours. So, you might choose to only have it come on 45 minutes before you plan to wake up, giving your phone's battery the top up it needs right before you start your day. Though OnePlus's Warp Charge is proprietary, this stand also supports up to 15W charging for other Qi-compatible devices.
What to look for in a Wireless Charger
Technically, Qi isn’t the only wireless charging standard on the market, but with other standards like PMA and A4WP dwindling in influence, your phone most likely supports Qi charging, so that’s what we've focused in on with this guide.
In addition, it’s important to mention that wireless charging is hardly the fastest way to recharge your phone. Sure, it’s awfully convenient to just plop your phone down on a pad at the end of the day. But wireless charging is just plain slower than the wired fast charging options.
Some folks also have problems with needing to find the right “sweet spot” for their phone on the mat (hence lots of Amazon reviews claiming a given charger is unreliable). I personally love wireless charging, but you may find the speed and reliability of wired charging preferable to the convenience of wireless—it’s all about personal preference.
Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam
Mark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
