The best wireless chargers: A buyer's guide

There are few things as convenient as dropping your phone on a wireless charging pad or placing it on a stand to top it off. The convenience of picking up the phone, answering a call, and plopping it back to charge without fiddling with cables can’t be overstated. Luckily, you can get a wide variety of wireless chargers and charging accessories for your phone.

Don’t forget to also check out our guides for all the phone accessories you can get, as well as even more charging accessory options.

What to look for when buying a wireless charger

As is the case with any accessory, there are a few factors to consider before buying a wireless charger.

• What type of charger do you need? The two most common types of wireless chargers available now are pads or stands. A pad might be the better option for a nightstand, while a stand will be great on a work desk.
• How fast does it charge? A standard Qi charging pad may take a long time to charge a device fully. To get the fastest charging possible, a first-party charger is definitely the better way to go. Some third-party chargers offer fast charging capabilities, but that’s mainly for Samsung flagships and iPhones.
• How many devices do you need to charge wirelessly? Smartphones aren’t the only devices that can be charged wirelessly. You can also drop accessories like wireless earphones and smartwatches on a wireless charging pad to ensure they don’t run out of juice. Instead of getting multiple charging pads, you can opt for dual or trio pads that let you simultaneously charge two or three devices.

OEM vs third-party wireless chargers

Third-party phone accessories usually offer a better deal in terms of features or price. Things are different with wireless chargers, though. An OEM wireless charger will likely provide the best experience. This is particularly true for devices that support fast wireless charging. For example, you will only get OnePlus’ fantastic Warp Charge 50 speeds with the OnePlus charger and fast wireless charging for the Pixel 7 series with the new version of the Pixel Stand. If you own a Samsung phone that can charge at 15W, you’ll likely want to get a Samsung wireless charger, which features an active cooling fan to keep your device from overheating.

Third-party wireless chargers are playing catch up, so it won’t be long before many more options are available. For example, some accessory makers have already released chargers that support Samsung’s fast wireless charging feature, and a few provide good charging speeds for Pixels and iPhones.

Even if the charging isn’t the fastest, a third-party accessory will probably have the price advantage. However, it’s essential to be extra careful when buying a charging accessory in particular. A lousy charger could cause irreparable damage to your device.

Things to look for when buying third-party accessories

Before you buy an accessory from a brand you’re not familiar with, just be sure to check for the following:

• Look through owner-submitted reviews via sites like Amazon. Do these short reviews look legitimate? For example, they may be paid or sponsored submissions if they are vague and poorly written.
• Look for oddities. Sometimes product reviews aren’t actually for the product you are looking at! This surprisingly happens a lot with 3rd party charging accessories from obscure brands. A 5-star review of a foot massager is not what you want to see when trying to buy a portable power bank.
• Familiarize yourself with the return policy of the product. While many products have return periods, some might only have a replacement window, in which case a refund won’t be possible.

Samsung wireless chargers

Samsung DUO Pad

The Samsung Duo Pad is as good as it gets with wireless charging pads. As the name suggests, the pad can charge two devices simultaneously. However, the Samsung wireless charger Duo Pad takes it a step further by including fast charging support. This means you can charge compatible Samsung phones at up to 15W while charging an additional phone or perhaps your wireless earphones on the second pad.

If you have even more devices, you can get the Samsung Pad Trio, which only gives you 9W charging. Of course, there’s also the 15W Wireless Charger Single, for those who don’t need to charge many devices at once and would prefer to save some cash.

Samsung Super Fast 25W Portable Wireless Charger

Samsung’s 10,000mAh Super Fast 25W Portable Wireless Charger is unique thanks to its wireless charging pad placed right on top. It can fast-charge a compatible Samsung phone up to 7.5W in wireless mode and 25W when connected via a USB cable. The device is Qi-compatible, so you should also have no issue using this with other phones. It’s a bit slow compared to other wireless chargers, but it has an integrated battery, which means you can carry it around wherever you go.

In our review, we mention the build quality is excellent, and it has plenty of charging power for most mobile users. The unit can be a bit heavy, though. Not to mention it’s a bit pricey.

OnePlus wireless charger

OnePlus Warp Charge 50 wireless charger

The OnePlus 8 Pro was the first phone from the company to come with wireless charging, and both devices in the OnePlus 9 series, the OnePlus 10 Pro, and the OnePlus 11 have this feature as well. OnePlus updated its wireless charger to allow 50W charging with the OnePlus 9 phones, with the aptly named Warp Charge 50 wireless charger. You can wirelessly charge the phone at speeds that are only slightly slower than what you’d get with a regular wall charger.

Related: The best phones with wireless charging capabilities

The wireless stand can fully charge your OnePlus 9 Pro in just 43 minutes. This fast charging is bound to create some heat, so the stand comes with an excellent built-in fan. Since you’ll only get 5W or 7.5W charging with third-party options, the Warp Charge 50 wireless charger is undoubtedly the best way to go for OnePlus owners.

Google Pixel wireless charger

Pixel Stand (2nd Gen)

The Pixel Stand is the best option if you’re looking for a wireless charger for the Pixel 7, Pixel 6, Pixel 5, Pixel 4, or Pixel 3 series. You’ll get 10W charging with the Pixel Stand with other devices, but up to 23W with the Pixel 7 Pro or 20W with the Pixel 7. It’s not the fastest charger out there, but your phone will essentially work as a Google Home device once placed on the stand.

Xiaomi wireless charger

Xiaomi 50W Wireless Charging Stand

Of course, Xiaomi doesn’t fall behind when it comes to uber-fast wireless charging. Some of its devices, including the Xiaomi 13 series, can handle 50W wireless charging as long as you get yourself a Xiaomi 50W Wireless Charging Stand. Like Xiaomi devices, this charger is hard to find outside China, but you can find it imported if you dig enough.

By the way, this charger is one of the best-designed ones in the industry. It looks sleek and elegant. The black and golden accents provide a great contrasting look. It also helps that it’s a quality charger with an integrated cooling fan to keep your device as cool as possible.

The best third-party wireless chargers

Anker 313 Wireless Charger

The Anker 313 Wireless Charger is similar to other affordable wireless charging pad offerings with one key difference. The pad sits at an angle and lets you view the phone’s display while charging. It’ll charge compatible devices at up to 10W. It’s no powerhouse, but it is among the most affordable third-party wireless chargers out there, and it’s pretty decent for the price.

Belkin BoostCharge 15W Fast Wireless Charger Pad

The Belkin wireless charging pad is designed to offer up to 15W of fast charging. It’s a no-hassles charging pad with a simple, yet solid design. It has a status light and is even said to work with a case on.

Star Wars Millennium Falcon Wireless Charge Pad

We just had to add this one. I mean, look at it! It’s a Millennium Falcon replica any Star Wars fan will love to have. It will look fantastic, and the thrusters light up when your phone is charged. It is easily one of the coolest wireless chargers around.

VersionTECH Wireless Charger with Cooling Fan

If you’ve ever used a wireless charger, you have noticed that you don’t need much wattage to get phones toasty. I’ve seen phones getting too hot with 10W chargers, so adding a fan is still helpful. The VersionTECH wireless charger has a fan, helping your devices stay cooler, and the battery healthier.

That said, this charger isn’t the fastest. It can juice up Samsung devices at up to 10W, but you’ll have to settle with 7.5W charging if you own any other phone.

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