The best USB-C chargers restore your device’s battery quickly and efficiently. When searching for your next charger, make sure to take into account reliability, watts, and ports. USB-C connectors are becoming increasingly common, and while it may be frustrating at first to switch away from the standard USB ports we’re used to (also known as USB-A and B), there are actually a lot of advantages to this new kind of connection.
USB-C cords are capable of transferring both power and data faster than their older counterparts; if you’ve recently upgraded to a phone with a USB-C connection, you may have noticed that it charges faster (or charges a longer-lasting battery in the same amount of time). As this speedier cable becomes more popular, you may run into issues where you have a USB-C cord and a USB-A port without any way to connect them. When that happens, a USB-C adapter can help bridge the gap.
When it comes to laptop charging, you’re going to want power and that’s exactly what the Anker Premium 5-Port USB Type-C charger brings to the table. With a single USB-C port for powering devices up to 30W each time, there are an additional four PowerIQ ports that can intelligently charge your devices up to 2.4A per port. All of these ports combine for simultaneous charging of up to five devices at a time from a single wall outlet. Anker’s smart charging via USB has shown that it can take a 2016 and later MacBook and deliver a charge from 1 to 100 percent in under two hours. Included safety features help detect and deliver surge protection and temperature control. It measures 3.3 x 2.6 x 1.1 inches.
Best for Laptops
Anker Premium 5-Port USB Type-C Charger
Plenty of USB ports for charging multiple devices
Stays cool when under load
No quickcharge
Charging Speed: 60W | Compatability: Android and iOS | Ports: 5
With a whopping 72W of power available, the Cable Matters 4-port USB-C charger is an excellent choice for sticking into a wall outlet and powering four devices simultaneously. Besides the USB-C input that delivers 60W of total power, the three additional USB inputs can deliver up to 3A of power for 5V to 20V devices through the 12W USB-A charging ports. Devices including the iPhone X, iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8, and Nintendo Switch can be charged side-by-side with a laptop, including Apple, Lenovo, and other USB-C friendly manufacturers.
Best Wall Charging
Cable Matters 4-Port USB-C
Affordable
Plenty of ports for charging multiple devices
Charging can be a bit slow
Beyond power, Cable Matters added overcurrent, overvoltage, and short-circuit protection to prevent all of your devices from overcharging. Measuring 6.6 x 4.3 x 1.5 inches and weighing 13.3 ounces, the Cable Matters USB-C model is beefy compared to the similarly priced competition, but given its price-to-performance ratio, it’s hard to overlook.
Charging Speed: 72W | Compatability: Android and iOS | Ports: 4
While some USB-C chargers plug directly into a wall, others bring the wall to you as is the case with Anker’s PowerCore+ 26800 30W Power Delivery charger. With more than 26800mAhs of power onboard, the Anker can deliver seven full charge cycles to most smartphones and at least two full charges for iPad and comparably sized Android tablets. According to our reviewer’s testing, the battery itself took around four hours to charge with the included 30W USB wall charger and USB-C cable.
Best Powerbank
Anker PowerCore+ 26800 Battery Pack
Double USB-A ports
Quick charging
Exceptional battery capacity
Cant charge other devices while being charged
Travel-friendly, the PowerCore+ measures a backpack-friendly 6.5 x 3.1 x 0.9 inches in size and weighs 1.3 pounds. Fortunately, the PowerCore+ doesn’t take too long to recharge on its own courtesy of the 30W USB-C wall charger that can refill the entire battery in just over four hours.
Charging Speed: 45W | Compatability: Android and iOS | Ports: 3
“From zero percent battery life, the PowerCore+ 26800 charged to 100% in four hours flat, both in our initial test and our eight additional battery cycles, with only ten or fifteen-minute variances.” — Gannon Burgett, Product Tester
Aukey is a well-known brand in the electronic accessories space and their chargers have a great reputation. The PA-B4 wall charger has two USB-C ports for dual charging — the top port, which is marked with an icon of a computer, can deliver up to 65W of power when used on its own. This makes it a great option for larger devices like laptops and tablets that can otherwise be slow to charge. If you need to power up two devices at once, then it can deliver 45W simultaneously from both ports.
Best Compact
Aukey PA-B4 65W USB-C Fast Charger
Delivers up to 65W of power
Fast charging
Lightweight
Only USB-C ports
Like other Aukey chargers, the PA-B4 can automatically detect and adjust to the optimal power output for whatever device you plug in, and it has built-in safeguards to prevent overheating and overcharging. It’s also designed to be smaller and lighter than the last generation of chargers, which can make a big difference if you’re carrying it to class or to work every day.
Charging Speed: 65W | Compatability: Android and iOS | Ports: 2
About Our Trusted Experts
Emmeline Kaser has spent years in the eCommerce space, researching the best new products out there with a specialty in consumer tech. Before writing for Lifewire, she worked as an editor on their tech product round-ups.
While there isn’t a tremendous amount of difference between our top models, we like the Anker Premium USB Type-C Charger for laptops and the Cable Matters 4-Port USB-C for wall charging.
Gannon Burgett is passionate about photography and writing and brings together his decade of experience in both fields to give real-world insights from someone who doesn’t just write about photography, but is also out in the field actually taking photos. He reviews photography-related products for Lifewire, like chargers, cameras, printers, and more.
What to Look for in USB-C Chargers
Reliability
The newer USB-C standard can deliver a more significant amount of electricity than its past counterparts. As a result, it’s extremely important to purchase your chargers from a reliable and well-known manufacturer. Inexpensive USB-C chargers can quite literally destroy expensive electronics. If you’re getting a charger for Apple products, be sure to look for MiFi certification.
- What’s the difference between USB-A and USB-C?
- The most recognizable difference between the two USB standards is that A has a rectangular connector that can only be inserted into a port in one direction, while C’s connector is a flat oval that’s completely reversible. Also, the USB PD standard that USB-C supports allows for a much higher wattage ceiling that USB-A, which means faster charging (C also permits faster data transfers, as well).
- Do Apple devices use USB-C?
- Apple largely still clings to its proprietary Lightning standard, though they have moved to USB-C on the iPad Pro and iPad Air 4. That said, a Lightning to USB-C adapter cable will allow you to charge virtually any recent Apple device with one of the chargers on our list.
- Are all USB-C cables the same?
- No, cables differ both in terms of data transfer speed and power as well as protocol support. Some USB-C cables only support the older USB 2.0 standard, while modern cables can take advantage of USB 3.2, the latest and fastest standard (until 4.0 releases). Some cables can only carry 20V 3A power, while others carry 20V 5A, sufficient to power devices like laptops and monitors. You should always check which type of cable you’re using before plugging it into a device, particularly if it’s aftermarket or you bought it from a third party.
The most recognizable difference between the two USB standards is that A has a rectangular connector that can only be inserted into a port in one direction, while C’s connector is a flat oval that’s completely reversible. Also, the USB PD standard that USB-C supports allows for a much higher wattage ceiling that USB-A, which means faster charging (C also permits faster data transfers, as well).
Apple largely still clings to its proprietary Lightning standard, though they have moved to USB-C on the iPad Pro and iPad Air 4. That said, a Lightning to USB-C adapter cable will allow you to charge virtually any recent Apple device with one of the chargers on our list.
No, cables differ both in terms of data transfer speed and power as well as protocol support. Some USB-C cables only support the older USB 2.0 standard, while modern cables can take advantage of USB 3.2, the latest and fastest standard (until 4.0 releases). Some cables can only carry 20V 3A power, while others carry 20V 5A, sufficient to power devices like laptops and monitors. You should always check which type of cable you’re using before plugging it into a device, particularly if it’s aftermarket or you bought it from a third party.
Wattage
Find out the wattage needed for the device you own before purchasing a charger. While most USB-C chargers will be able to accommodate smartphones and tablets, those looking to charge compatible USB-C laptops will need to ensure that their charger has enough juice for the job. A mid-range wattage is around 45W, while on the higher end you can get output of 72W or more. The Power Delivery standard (PD) also indicates the type of high-power devices that can be supported.
Ports
Are you merely charging a single device or do you want to charge multiple USB-C devices at one time? Some chargers offer the ability to charge more than one device at a time, which can be an excellent feature if you don’t want to be bogged down by a travel bag full of chargers. A nice option is that some chargers will have a mix of USB-A and USB-C ports, giving you the best of both worlds when it comes to charging devices that may not have USB-C ports.
