April 04, 2020
mobile charger
If you’ve ever scrambled out the door with your phone’s battery
in the red, you know that power is precious, and the faster you can get it, the better. Anker’s PowerPort III Nano and Aukey’s Minima 18W PD Charger (PA-Y18) are the best options for charging any phone fast: They’re tiny and inexpensive, and they’ll get a fully drained phone battery up to 50 percent in half an hour.
in the red, you know that power is precious, and the faster you can get it, the better. Anker’s PowerPort III Nano and Aukey’s Minima 18W PD Charger (PA-Y18) are the best options for charging any phone fast: They’re tiny and inexpensive, and they’ll get a fully drained phone battery up to 50 percent in half an hour.
If you have an iPhone 8 or later, you need to buy a USB-C–to–Lightning cable to take advantage of the faster charging that the USB-C port offers. (The iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max come with a USB-C–to–Lightning cable, while every other iPhone continues to ship with a USB-A–to–Lightning cable.) If you have an Android phone and a USB-C cable already, you don’t need to buy anything extra to fast-charge with our USB-C picks.
Our pick
Anker PowerPort III Nano
The best USB phone charger
This is the smallest charger that will fast-charge any phone, including iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, and Google Pixel handsets. But it has only one port.
Aukey Minima 18W PD Charger (PA-Y18)
The best USB phone charger
Aukey’s charger offers full-speed charging and folding prongs at an affordable price.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $16.
If you want the smallest power brick available that’ll charge your phone at the fastest speeds, we recommend the single-port Anker PowerPort III Nano or Aukey Minima 18W PD Charger (PA-Y18). The PowerPort III Nano is the same size as Apple’s ubiquitous 5-watt charger (the one that Apple has included in the box with every iPhone except the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max), and it’s the one to choose if you value size above all else. The PA-Y18 is just a bit larger but usually sells for a little less. Both models supply 18 watts over USB-C. Whether you have an iPhone, a Samsung Galaxy model, a Google Pixel handset, or some other Android phone with fast charging, that’s enough power to charge most phones about halfway in just 30 minutes.
Anker PowerPort III Nano
Port one: 18 W USB-C
Dimensions: 1.2 by 1.1 by 1.1 inches
Aukey PA-Y18
Port one: 18 W USB-C
Dimensions: 1.2 by 1.4 by 1.4 inches
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Also great
Aukey Focus Duo 30W Dual-Port PD Charger (PA-D1)
The best dual-port phone charger
This model has fast-charging USB-C and USB-A ports that’ll provide maximum power no matter what cable you use, together in one small and reliable charger.
Aukey’s Focus Duo 30W Dual-Port PD Charger (PA-D1) is more powerful than the smaller Anker PowerPort III Nano and Aukey PA-Y18. Its USB-C port can charge at up to 30 watts, so in addition to charging smartphones, it can even power small laptops and tablets. And it has a second port, in the form of the classic USB-A, that allows you to charge a second device at the same time at up to 12 watts (though the USB-C port drops to 18 watts if you’re using both).
Port one: 30 W USB-C (18 W USB-C when both ports are in use)
Port two: 12 W USB-A
Dimensions: 2.4 by 2.2 by 1.1 inches
Upgrade pick
Aukey Focus Duo 36W Dual-Port PD Charger (PA-D2)
The best charger with two USB-C ports
If you want to get the fastest charge possible to two modern devices at once, this charger is the best of the few options available. But you need to bring your own USB-C cables.
The Aukey Focus Duo 36W Dual-Port PD Charger (PA-D2) is what you should get if you want to take advantage of fast USB-C with multiple devices. When a single port is in use, it charges at up to 30 watts. Both of its USB-C ports support full 18-watt charging when you use them at the same time, meaning you can charge two phones at top speed—an iPhone’s battery will go from 0 to around 50 percent charged in a half hour, whereas in the same amount of time on the charger it comes with, it would be at less than 20 percent. This dual–USB-C setup is still pretty rare, and the PA-D2 offers the best execution of it.
Port one: 30 W USB-C (18 W USB-C when both ports are in use)
Port two: 30 W USB-C (18 W USB-C when both ports are in use)
Dimensions: 2.5 by 2.3 by 1.1 inches
Budget pick
Anker PowerPort II
A great, inexpensive charger
Only a little bigger than Apple’s own iPad charger, Anker’s 24-watt wall adapter gives you two full-speed USB-A ports at a lower price.
The Anker PowerPort II doesn’t support USB-C, which means it can’t offer the maximum charging speed on the latest phones. But it’s still a good choice if you just want the smallest and least expensive high-quality USB-A charger—each port is still powerful enough to charge devices at 12 watts at the same time.
Port one: 12 W USB-A
Port two: 12 W USB-A
Dimensions: 2.2 by 2.1 by 1.2 inches
Also great
Anker PowerPort 4
Best for charging lots of gear
Affordable, fast, and compact, this charger can provide fast power to up to four devices at once, although not at the maximum speeds USB-C offers.
The Anker PowerPort 4 is the model to choose if you carry a lot of gear—say, a phone, a smartwatch, a power bank, and Bluetooth headphones—or if you’re traveling with companions. Each of its four ports supports 12-watt power draw, as fast a charge as you can get from standard USB-A. No other reliable four-port charger packs that kind of power into such a diminutive size and at such a low price.
Port one: 12 W USB-A
Port two: 12 W USB-A
Port three: 12 W USB-A
Port four: 12 W USB-A
Dimensions: 2.6 by 2.6 by 1.1 inches
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