The best wireless chargers for your iPhone 8, iPhone X, or Android phone
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Apple's new iPhone 8 and iPhone X have joined the dozens of Android phones that already support wireless charging. These are the best wireless chargers you can buy for your new phone.
One of the biggest annoyances of daily life is charging your phone. You always have to have your charging cable and outlet adapter with you in case you need to juice up on the go, and finding an available outlet in public is a huge pain. Heck, it's annoying enough to struggle with all those wires at home where outlets are plentiful (hopefully). Wireless charging aims to solve your charging woes by eliminating all those cables.
Many Android phones have had wireless charging for years, but the technology still isn't as widespread as it should be. Tech geeks everywhere have been waiting for the moment when wireless charging becomes the norm, and that day is fast approaching now that Qi wireless charging has come to the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.
Apple is generally regarded as a leader in the smartphone industry. When Apple adopts a new technology, many other companies follow suit. You're all but guaranteed to see wireless charging become more popular. Wireless charging stations could start popping up at cafes, hotels, airports, and other public venues.
With that in mind, we've rounded up the very best wireless chargers you can buy that will juice up any smartphone that supports the Qi standard. This includes the new iPhones and many Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8. Read on to see which of our top picks best suits your needs. You can also jump to our explainer on how wireless charging works and what devices support it here.
Editor's Note: Wireless chargers are selling out quickly, so if your top pick is out of stock, check out our many other options. You can also check back, as items are being restocked frequently.
It's hard to choose one 'best' wireless charger because they come in all different shapes and sizes, so we've put together the 10 best wireless chargers we've researched and tested.
The best wireless charger for fast charging
Why you'll love it: The RAVPower Fast Wireless Charger can juice up your iPhone 8, iPhone X, or Android phone fast for less than $40.
The RAVPower Fast Wireless Charger is specially made to support the new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. It also works with any Qi Compatible Android phone. The charger can output 7.5 Watts of power to charge your iPhone 50% faster than older 3.5 to 4 Watt wireless chargers.
The wireless charging pad comes also with a great Quick Charge 3.0 capable outlet adapter so you can funnel 10 Watts of power to Quick Charge compatible phones like Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, and Galaxy Note 8. It's important to note that many cheaper fast charging pads don't include the correct outlet adapter, so the $40 price tag is actually really great.
In case you're worried about wireless charging not being totally safe, RAVPower paid special attention to safety. Its charger has built-in over-current, over-voltage, and over-temperature protection systems to ensure that your device gets the proper amount of power.
RAVPower's charger looks like most other wireless chargers. It's a simple round disc with a rubberized coating to ensure that your phone doesn't slide off while it's charging and go crash on the floor. The charging pad measures 3.5 by 3.5 inches, so it shouldn't take up too much space on your nightstand. We'll give you an update on how it works in our tests in the coming weeks.
Pros: Fast wireless charging, includes outlet adapter, affordable, non-slip surface, works with iPhone or Android
Cons: Not the most beautiful charger
Buy the RAVPower Fast Wireless Charger on Amazon for $39.99 (previously $79.99)
The best wireless charger for $20
Why you'll love it: The Anker Fast Wireless Charger Charging Pad can charge your iPhone 8, iPhone X, or compatible Android phone faster with 10 Watts of power.
Anker is known for its excellent, affordable tech accessories. The company makes our favorite lightning and Micro USB cables, excellent battery packs, and really great wireless chargers. Our favorite is the Anker Fast Wireless Charging Pad, which can charge any Qi compatible device with up to 10 Watts of power.
For less than $20, you can get wireless charging in your home. The Anker pad is very simple with its black design and 3.35 by 3.35-inch charging space. This single coil charger comes with a power cord, but you have to buy the wall adapter. Be sure to buy one that supports the fast charging tech and delivers enough power to the pad.
Although Anker recommends you use the wireless charging pad without a case, most phones will charge so long as they're wearing a thin case. Most buyers recommend the charging pad, though some complain that it doesn't work well with thicker cases or that it works better with some phones and not others.
Regardless, it's a great budget option, especially when you consider that most of the wireless chargers in our guide cost more than double the price.
Pros: Affordable, small, charges fast with right adapter, works with all Qi compatible devices
Cons: Outlet adapter not included, may not charge when case is on
Buy the Anker Fast Wireless Charger Charging Pad on Amazon for $21.99 (originally $69.99)
Buy the Anker Quick Charge 3.0 18W USB Wall Charger on Amazon for $15.99
The best wireless charging stand with quick charge
Why you'll love it: The Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Charging Stand props your phone up while it charges quickly wire-free.
Samsung first supported wireless charging in 2013 with the Galaxy S4, so it has years on experience in wireless charging. Its wireless chargers are among the very best on the market. One of our favorites is the Fast Charge Wireless Charging Stand because it juices up your phone quickly without wires and it holds your phone up while it charges.
This charger looks simple and sleek on your nightstand or desk. It's a circular disc with a lip on the front to hold your phone up. It has a rubbery ring in the center to hold your slippery device in place while it charges. You can keep your phone case on while you charge, too, though you may run into problems if your case is super bulky.
I've used this charging pad in the past with Galaxy phones, and it works very well. Samsung says its charging stand only offers fast charging to compatible Galaxy phones, but your speeds may vary based on which phone you have. It comes with the outlet adapter, so you will get fast charging out of the box if you have a Galaxy that supports it.
Since it's Qi compatible, this pad should theoretically work with any wireless charging Android phone, the iPhone 8, or the iPhone X. We will let you know how it goes in practice when we start testing.
Pros: Attractive, holds phone up while charging, non-slip mat, fast charges some phones, comes with outlet adapter
Cons: Not super cheap
Buy the Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Charging Stand on Amazon for $31.17 and up (price varies by color)
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