The Best Wireless Chargers of 2023

Wireless charging is a popular way to charge smartphones and other mobile devices, and for good reason—they’re easy and convenient to use. With so many options out there, though, we’ve picked out the best ones to buy

What to Look for in a Wireless Charger in 2023

A wireless charger is an incredibly convenient device. It helps you avoid a clutter of wires by offering a single spot to juice up most high-end phones and other devices like earbuds. However, you need to keep a couple of things in mind to ensure that you buy the best wireless charger.

Fortunately, unlike the early years of wireless charging, there are no longer multiple wireless charging standards for phones. Instead, each smartphone supports Qi charging, so you can pick any Qi charger and it will charge your device.

That said, to offer faster wireless charging, smartphone manufacturers have developed their own technologies to use on top of the Qi standard, which makes picking a wireless charger slightly tricky.

While any Qi charger will at least charge your phone at 5W, a charger supporting your phone manufacturer’s proprietary wireless charging technology will juice it up faster. So if you want the fastest possible wireless charging speed, make sure to buy a charger that supports your phone’s fast wireless charging technology. For example, Apple has MagSafe and Samsung has Fast Wireless Charging 2.0.

Besides the charging speed of your device, you also have to consider the type of wireless charger you want—a pad or a stand. Stands typically allow you to interact with the device while charging, whereas it’s harder to do with the pad-type chargers. Pad-type chargers, on the other hand, are easier to pack away for travel and are typically less expensive.

For a more in-depth look into what makes one wireless charger different from the other, we recommend reading our complete guide to buying a wireless charger.

With the basics out of the way, now it’s time to dive into our recommendations.

Anker makes some of the best mobile accessories, and its PowerWave II Stand is no exception. As its name suggests, it’s a stand-type charger, which will allow you to watch movies or attend video calls while the phone is still charging.

The charger can deliver up to 15W of power, and it supports fast wireless charging for Apple, Google, LG, and Samsung phones. That said, the iPhone 12 and 13 models will get even quicker wireless charging via the Apple MagSafe Charger. The same is true for the flagship Samsung phones and the company’s Wireless Fast Charger Stand.

The devices that don’t support fast wireless charging or whose fast charging mode is not available on the Anker charger will receive 5W of power as a part of the standard charge mode. Still, if you need a single wireless charger that can offer reasonably good charging speeds on various smartphones, the PowerWave II Stand is your best bet.

This wireless charger also comes with two charging coils, allowing you to place the phone in vertical or horizontal orientations. Additionally, there are a host of safety systems to ensure worry-free charging.

Lastly, unlike many wireless chargers on the market, Anker bundles a wall adapter to power the charger. But unfortunately, it uses a proprietary barrel-style charging plug rather than Micro-USB or USB Type-C, so it will be harder to replace it if the original gets damaged or misplaced.

Anker PowerWave II Stand

Best Wireless Charger Overall

Thanks to its fast charging support and the bundled power supply, Anker’s PowerWave II Stand is the best stand-type wireless charger on the market.

Spending less on products, particularly electrical products, can often mean settling for lower quality materials and fewer features. That is not the case with the TOZO W1 Wireless Charger, a pad-style charger that is both great value and well made.

The pad itself is extremely thin and sleek at just 5mm thick. Unlike most similarly-priced charging pads, the TOZO W1 is made from aviation-quality aluminum with a soft silicone disc on top. The metal body is not only designed to dissipate heat better than other materials but also to reduce charging time.

Just like the Anker PowerWave II Stand, it automatically detects the charge level required by the device. It will switch between the 7.5W needed by many iPhones and the 10W to fast charge most Samsung phones. Unfortunately, it won’t fast charge some newer iPhone models that use 10W.

The TOZO W1 has all the safety features you should expect, including protection against over-charging, over-heating, and short circuits. It will also detect if any metallic objects are touching the pad and then cut the power.

The slightly disappointing thing is the lack of supplied AC adapter. You probably already have several adapters in a drawer, but if not, you should figure that extra cost into your budget.

TOZO W1 Wireless Charger

Best Budget Wireless Charger

$14 $20 Save $6

TOZO’s budget charger is a thin and sleek wireless pad, which combines high-quality construction with great safety features.

Anker’s PowerWave II Pad is our pick for the best wireless charging pad thanks to its simplistic design and versatile charging tech. The pad can charge compatible devices at up to 15W, including Pixel phones. Unfortunately, Samsung phones won’t be able to take advantage of that, but you’ll still get 10W charging which is still snappy for Qi.

Speeds aside, this pad will charge any device compatible with Qi, and it bundles a USB cable and power adapter in the box for easy setup. It also has advanced temperature control so it doesn’t overheat while recharging your devices, and it can juice your phone up even if you have a 5mm-thick case on.

The pad isn’t the cheapest on the market at $30, but all in all, it’s a really solid option if you prefer a flat pad for wireless charging your phone or earbuds.

Anker PowerWave II Pad

Best Wireless Charging Pad

As far as wireless charging pads go, Anker’s PowerWave II Pad is one of the best on the market with 15W charging support, advanced heat protection, and a simple design.

The iOttie iON Wireless Duo is a fantastic wireless charger to juice up two devices simultaneously. You can use it to charge two phones, a phone and a pair of earbuds, or any combination of two wireless charging-friendly devices.

This particular charger has a modern and sleek design that looks great. In addition, you get both stand-type and pad-type form factors in a single charger. The fabric-wrapped stand features two coils to support charging in vertical as well as horizontal orientations, and the pad has a single coil.

The iON Wireless Duo can deliver up to 7.5W power for iPhones and up to 10W to Android devices in terms of charging speeds.

iOttie also bundles a power adapter with the wireless charger. Unfortunately, it uses a proprietary barrel-style plug that may be difficult to replace should it break.

If you also own an Apple Watch, you may want to consider the ZENS Dual Aluminum Wireless Charger. It can charge up to three devices simultaneously, including your Apple Watch. In addition, it supports 7.5W charging for iPhones and up to 10W for Samsung phones.

iOttie iON Wireless Duo

Best Wireless Charging Station

iOttie iOn Wireless Duo is perfect for charging two devices simultaneously. It can deliver up to 10 watts of power.

Apart from being our pick for the best wireless charger overall, the Anker PowerWave II Stand is the best stand-type wireless charger you can buy. It can deliver respectable wireless charging speeds to most common smartphones and the standard 5W charging to the rest of the devices. For example, it can charge Samsung phones at up to 10W and iPhones at 7.5W.

Anker has packed two coils in the charger that enable the charging of smaller devices like earbuds and allow you to put the phone in vertical and landscape orientations.

The company also bundles a power adapter with the charger, something that’s not very common among wireless chargers. Moreover, there are multiple safety protections to give you peace of mind.

Unfortunately, unlike some stand-type wireless chargers that can fold flat for travel, the PowerWave II Stand has a fixed shape. Additionally, Anker uses a barrel-style charging plug for the power adapter instead of a USB Type-C or Micro-USB port.

Anker PowerWave II Stand

Best Wireless Charging Stand

Thanks to its fast charging support and the bundled power supply, Anker’s PowerWave II Stand is the best stand-type wireless charger on the market.

The iOttie Auto Sense can make charging your phone in a car incredibly convenient. It’s a wireless charger that you can mount on your dashboard or windshield. Like most of our wireless charger recommendations, it supports 7.5W wireless charging speeds for iPhones and can charge Android devices at up to 10W.

The highlight of the iOttie Auto Sense is its auto-clamping arms that automatically open when you reach to put the phone in. Once the phone is placed, the arms close automatically. These tension arms are very reliable and keep the phone securely in place. You also get a pair of buttons on each side of the mount for manual release.

The mount also gives you several options for setup and positioning. For example, you can change its angle, extend its neck, or change the height of the cradle to suit your needs. Additionally, the iOttie Auto Sense uses a Micro-USB connector for power and bundles a 12-volt power supply so you can start using it immediately.

iOttie Auto Sense

Best Wireless Car Charger

$54 $60 Save $6

iOttie Auto Sense is a no-brainer if you want a wireless charger for your car. It can fast-charge your phone while keeping it mounted securely.

The Apple MagSafe Charger is the fastest way to charge the iPhone 12 and 13 series models wirelessly. While the best Qi-compatible wireless chargers will only deliver up to 7.5W power, the MagSafe charger can provide up to 15W.

It’s minimal, simple, and easy to use. The charger snaps automatically into place and is held by magnets. Basically, you don’t have to worry about lining it up just right. And since the MagSafe Charger is attaching itself to the back of the phone, you can use the device easily while charging, unlike many other wireless chargers on the market.

However, Apple doesn’t include a power brick with the charger. So unless you have a wall adapter lying around, you’ll have to buy one separately.

If you have an iPhone older than the 12 series, the MagSafe charger will work like any other Qi wireless charger on the market. It won’t attach to the back of your phone or provide 15W charging. So for older iPhones, you are better off saving a few bucks and grabbing our best wireless charger stand or pad recommendations.

Apple MagSafe Charger

Best Wireless Charger for iPhone

$29 $39 Save $10

There is no better wireless charger for the newer iPhone models than the Apple MagSafe Charger. It’s very effective at what it does, and matches the Apple aesthetic well.

FAQ

How do I know if my phone has wireless charging?

There are a few ways you can check whether your smartphone has wireless charging. The easiest way is to set it on a wireless charger and see if it starts juicing up. You can also run a quick Google search with your phone’s make and model with “wireless charging” to see if it’s equipped with the necessary coils. In addition, oftentimes, companies will print on the packaging or manuals for their phones with information on whether they support wireless charging.

Which iPhone models have wireless charging?

Apple has included Qi wireless charging with every iPhone since the iPhone 8 debuted in 2017. So, if your iPhone is an iPhone 8 or newer, you can charge back up without having to plug in your Lightning cable.

Is wireless charging bad for the phone’s battery?

Technically, wireless charging isn’t any worse for your battery than standard wired charging, regardless of how frequently you do it. However, wireless charging generates a lot more heat than wired, which isn’t good for the battery over the long term. Some wireless chargers have extra protection like fans built in to mitigate excessive heat, so if you plan to primarily recharge your smartphone using wireless charging, be sure to shop around for a charger tat offers some level of heat protection.

Can you wirelessly charge Apple AirPods?

Yes! Nowadays, every pair of Apple’s AirPods support Qi charging. However, some versions of the second-generation AirPods shipped with cases that only support charging over Lightning, so be sure to double check which AirPods you have before buying a wireless charger for them.

How do I turn on wireless charging?

Here’s the best part of wireless charging: it takes zero effort to use it. There’s no toggle or setting you need to flick on to use it. Simple place your phone on a compatible wireless charger, and watch your battery start to juice back up. Of course, there’s an exception for reverse wireless charging (a.k.a. the ability to charge other devices using the back of your phone). That feature requires you to turn it on in the settings app on your phone.