Charging output: 100 W AC

Total capacity: 22,000 mAh, or roughly 81 Wh

Weight: 26.7 ounces (756 grams)

Dimensions: 7.5 by 4.5 by 1.1 inches (19 by 11.4 by 2.8 centimeters)

The RAVPower 27000 is the most affordable charger we tested and has power on par with the Mophie, but it feels less refined overall. The RAVPower feels much bulkier and has a more finicky interface, and its unwieldy charging cord and power brick are a chore to haul around. It’s also about a quarter of a pound heavier, and its grippy rubber finish collects fingerprints. These details aside, the RAVPower offers great performance for its price. Its maximum power output is just 4 watts lower than that of our pick, and it can fully recharge a MacBook Air once. It has the same output-port options as our pick too, plus an extra USB-A port. It’s the one we’d get if we needed one of these in a pinch and the Mophie wasn’t available.

Charging output: 70 W AC

Total capacity: 27,000 mAh, or roughly 100 Wh

Weight: 29.9 ounces (848 grams)

Dimensions: 6.9 by 1.4 by 5.3 inches (17.5 by 13.5 by 3.6 centimeters)

Why you should trust us

Before working at Wirecutter, I was a science writer and fact checker for over four years. At Wirecutter, I’ve reported on the best USB-C cables, portable solar battery packs, and more. I spent 56 hours researching and testing portable laptop chargers for this guide alone. The editor of this guide, Mark Smirniotis, has written about batteries and charging for Wirecutter for over three years.

We also consulted with Lee Johnson, an electrical engineer with more than 10 years of experience designing and testing electronics. Sterling Robison, engineering supervisor at Goal Zero, provided some helpful context about the product-development side of the industry.

Who this is for

Portable laptop chargers aren’t just for laptops. They are power banks with AC outlets that can provide on-the-go power for a long list of devices—from phones and tablets to breast pumps and baby monitors. But since most people who buy these are mainly looking to charge their laptop, we wrote this guide with them in mind. (If you really only need USB-C and USB-A ports, our favorite USB-C power banks are powerful enough to charge a MacBook Pro, Dell XPS 13, and other laptops that charge via USB-C.)

If you work remotely, you may not have consistent access to a wall outlet. Competition for outlets can be stiff at coffee shops, libraries, and coworking spaces. And if you have a long commute, travel frequently, or regularly attend off-site meetings and conferences, an alternative source of power like one of our picks can relieve charge anxiety. This is especially true if your laptop is near the end of its lifespan or if you run a lot of apps and programs at once.

Even someone who is rarely away from their desk might want a portable laptop charger in case of a blackout or other emergency. Ready.gov recommends keeping “a back-up power source on hand to recharge your phone so that you can stay connected even during an extended power outage.” You could always use one of our favorite USB-A or USB-C power banks for this, but a portable laptop charger gives you more types of output ports and, in most cases, more power.

This guide doesn’t cover larger portable power stations, which weigh as much as 50 pounds and can output hundreds of watts—the type of thing you’d want for off-grid living, car camping, or fieldwork. You can read about those in our separate guide.

How we picked

Photo: Sarah Kobos

To find the most popular power banks that include AC outlets, we scanned the top results on Amazon, Google Shopping, and major retailers like Target and REI. We also considered models recommended by news outlets like the Verge, Popular Science, Forbes, and Lifewire.

We catalogued a range of features for each model we found, and narrowed our search with these requirements:

• An output rating of at least 65 watts: Most MacBooks (except for the 15-inch MacBook Pro) need about 60 watts to charge at full speed, so we set our minimum limit at 65 watts just to be safe.
• Capacity between 60 and 100 watt-hours: Per FAA and TSA regulations, you need airline approval to transport “spare” or “loose” lithium-ion batteries exceeding 100 watt-hours. Even then, you are limited to two batteries and can only bring them in a carry-on bag; lithium-ion batteries of all capacities are banned from checked luggage. Since some people like to work (or watch movies) on their laptop on long flights, we capped our capacity limit at 100 watt-hours. On the lower end, we set our minimum at 60 watt-hours because that’s equivalent to running a 60-watt device (like a 13-inch MacBook Pro) for one hour; most of the models we considered are rated for 75 watt-hours or more.
• Light and compact enough to fit in a briefcase, backpack, or laptop bag: Although we didn’t set strict size and weight requirements, we wanted something small and lightweight so it would as easy to bring to a coffee shop as it would be take on a plane. We didn’t end up testing anything heavier than 2 pounds (like a hardcover novel) or bigger than 60 inches in volume (about the size of a standard brick).
• At least a one-year warranty and readily available customer support: If you’re spending upwards of $300 on something and relying on it in tight situations, you want to know that the manufacturer is reachable in case something goes wrong.
• At least one USB-C port: USB-C ports are starting to replace older USB-A ports, in part because the new standard is capable of transmitting roughly eight times the amount of power—up to 100 W for compatible devices. Since a portable laptop charger is an expensive investment, we think a fast-charging USB-C connection is key to future-proofing the purchase so it still works great with the new devices you’re likely to get in coming years.
• At least one USB-A port with at least 12-watt charging per port: Even though USB-C is becoming more common, most of us still have standard USB-A charging cables, so we insisted that our picks had at least one USB-A port—handy for charging smaller devices like smartphones, e-readers, and wireless headphones.
• At least one AC outlet compatible with three-prong plugs: Even though not all power cords have the third ground prong, power cords with the brick in the middle generally require it since it’s safer. A three-prong outlet on a portable laptop charger makes it much more versatile since it can power any device, not just ones with two-prong cords.
• A cost of no more than $300: Based on the range of prices we saw, this is what we think someone would reasonably want to spend on a work-related expense.

This left us with the following five models to test:

How we tested

Over the course of a week, we spent 41 hours testing all five portable laptop chargers. As the writer for this guide, I got to know them better than some people I’ve dated. We tested the performance of each charger in key areas, including:

• How many times each charger could recharge a laptop: To test the useful capacity of each charger, we started with a fully dead 2015 13-inch MacBook Air and a fully charged portable laptop charger. Once we plugged the MacBook Air’s wall charger into the AC port of the portable charger and it could power on, we turned the screen brightness all the way up and started playing a loop of Harry Potter movies on iTunes. We let it run until the portable charger died or the laptop became fully charged—whichever came first. If the portable charger died first, we recorded how much the laptop had been charged at that point. If the laptop reached 100 percent before the portable charger died, we shut everything down, fully drained the laptop by streaming hours-long 4K videos on YouTube, then repeated the test with the partially charged portable charger to get a combined number of recharges greater than 100 percent.

• Noise: If you turn on your portable charger in a library or quiet meeting, you don’t want the fans or electrical whine to be so loud as to distract everyone in the room. To test loudness, we placed an RC Professional Decibel Meter next to the cooling fan of each portable charger and used an array of halogen light bulbs to make sure the power draw was high enough for the cooling fans to kick in. We recorded the maximum sound level of each, and we also made subjective notes about which chargers made more noticeable—or more annoying—sounds.

• Maximum power output: If you try to power something that needs more than a portable power outlet can provide, the whole unit will shut down to protect itself. To test the maximum power output of each model, we connected each one to a Kill A Watt power meter and an array of light-bulb sockets. We powered 20-watt halogen bulbs one by one until they overloaded the portable charger and caused it to shut down, then recorded the maximum wattage reading on the power meter.

We carried each portable charger around in backpacks and laptop bags to see if it’d be convenient to carry every day. Photo: Sarah Kobos

• Look and feel: We picked them up, stuffed them into a crammed backpack, and carried them around throughout our testing period to see how well they’d fit into our everyday lives.

• Electrical and inverter quality: We used a BitScope oscilloscope to visualize the electrical waveforms of each charger and make relative comparisons with the help of electrical engineer Lee Johnson. Every charger we tested contains a modified sine-wave inverter that converts the battery’s DC, or direct current, power into AC, or alternating current, power—which is needed to charge most devices. The best modified sine-wave inverters can produce waveforms that are clear and well-defined enough to be used by most devices with a household plug, albeit choppier than the pure sine-wave power that comes from your home outlets. A smoother, clearer waveform represents a consistent flow of power that will allow your devices to run efficiently.

Our pick: Mophie Powerstation AC

Photo: Sarah Kobos

Mophie’s Powerstation AC is the portable laptop charger we’d buy ourselves. With enough power output to keep a 15-inch laptop running, it charged our MacBook Air to nearly full even with the screen brightness up and video playing. But even with the extra power, it’s the smallest we tested and one of the lightest, too. It’s stylish and professional-looking, yet well-protected from dings and scratches, and its slim shape makes it easy to slip into a backpack pocket or briefcase. Plus, it has some surprisingly useful features—from appropriately spaced ports that make it easy to plug in multiple devices at once to a protective rubber flap covering the AC outlet and keeping out lint and crumbs.

Our pick, the Mophie Powerstation AC, charges via a USB-C port. Photo: Sarah Kobos

In our peak power tests, The Powerstation AC got up to 123 watts before shutting down—outperforming all but one model, the Goal Zero Sherpa 100 AC. With that much power, the Powerstation can charge small devices like a phone, wireless headphone, or vaporizer, or larger ones like a high-powered laptop.

When we charged an empty MacBook Air, the Powerstation AC brought it up to 81 percent with the screen at full brightness, Wi-Fi on, and an HD movie streaming. That may not seem ideal, but even the highest-capacity charger we tested—our runner-up pick from RAVPower—only charged the laptop fully once under such conditions, with a little reserve left. When we considered that a power bank like this is primarily used to provide backup power between access to wall outlets, we felt that the extra portability of the Powerstation AC was worth the slightly lower capacity.

The Powerstation measures 4.5 inches wide, 7.5 inches tall, and 1.1 inches thick (about the size of a paperback novel) and it weighs 1.7 pounds, which is a few ounces heavier than the newest iPads. It’s flatter and smaller overall than the Jackery, about three ounces lighter than the RAVPower. It’s encased in a dark gray, twill fabric that looks and feels nicer than plastic. The fabric seems like it would improve durability, too, by protecting the exterior from cracks and scratches.

Of all the chargers we tested, the Powerstation is one of the easiest to use. Its interface is straightforward: You hold down the power button until a little green light turns on to boot up the AC power, and you hold it down again to turn it off. You can also press a smaller button in the corner that contains the three ports—USB-A, USB-C, and AC—to illuminate a row of lights showing how much juice the charger has left.

A waveform from the Mophie’s modified sine-wave inverter.

We especially liked the rubber flap over the AC port, which prevents dust and other debris from getting into the port when getting jostled about in a backpack or laptop bag. A magnet keeps the flap securely in place, which is a nice touch that we didn’t see in any of the other models. The other ports are positioned such that you can fit a fat, three-prong AC plug on one side, plus your USB-C and USB-A cables around the corner, without interference—only the Jackery PowerBar had a layout as generous.

For a modified sine-wave inverter, the Mophie produced a relatively smooth and consistent waveform in our oscilloscope testing. Lee Johnson, the electrical engineer who analyzed the waveforms for us, determined that all of the models performed similarly.

A waveform from the RAVPower’s modified sine-wave inverter had similar performance, with slightly more electrical noise, but our engineer thought it would have little practical effect.

The Powerstation is made by a brand we trust (Mophie has been making power accessories for over a decade) with reliable customer support (we called the main number anonymously and got through to someone within seconds who was happy to answer our questions about the Powerstation), and its two-year warranty is as long as any we found. Plus, it’s widely available from a variety of retailers.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Mophie Powerstation AC doesn’t include a wall charger but comes with two USB cables—one of them USB-C–to–USB-C, the other USB-A–to–USB-C. We love that USB charging means you don’t need to carry a bulky wall charger and power brick—any USB port you have handy for other devices can do double duty and charge the Powerstation AC. But if you only have USB-A ports, they might charge painfully slow. If you’re looking for a new USB-C charger for the fastest recharge times, we’d get the Anker PowerPort II PD because it’s small and portable, fairly inexpensive, and allows you to charge at top USB Power Delivery speeds.

While the Powerstation met our minimum requirements (offering at least one USB-A and USB-C port), it was the only model we tested that had one, not two, USB-A ports. It would be great if the Powerstation had more than one of each port. Its cooling fan was the second-noisiest we tested, but the tone wasn’t as bothersome in a quiet room as some others.

Budget pick: RAVPower 27000

Photo: Sarah Kobos

If you don’t want to spend quite as much—and you don’t mind a bulkier, not-so-sleek charger—the RAVPower 27000 is a good option. It has almost the same power output and capacity as our top pick, but it feels a lot larger, and the clunky wall charger and power brick make it cumbersome to pack up for trips. Even though it offers similar utility, we found our top pick was a better experience overall that is worth the price.

The RAVPower’s peak-power performance, 119 watts, was roughly the same as our main pick’s maximum of 123 watts. It was able to charge small devices as well a 15-inch MacBook Pro without a problem. When we tested its capacity, it was able to charge a depleted MacBook Air about once from zero to 100 percent with its screen at max brightness while streaming an HD video.

That was the highest capacity of any we tested, besting the competition by anywhere from 3 percent (basically a rounding error) to about 20 percent.

It’s a little heavier than our main pick—1.9 pounds to the Mophie’s 1.7 pounds. But the larger size and a little bit of extra weight makes it feel much clunkier than our top pick, and it’s just not as stylish overall: The gap splitting the charger into two sections is an odd, visually jarring design choice, as it doesn’t seem to serve a purpose. The rubbery exterior of the RAVPower looks good and feels pleasantly grippy and durable, but it does tend to show fingerprints and oils easily.

Even when the RAVPower’s cooling fan kicked in, it was one of the quietest models we tested. It barely moved the needle on our decibel meter, and we wouldn’t be embarrassed to turn it on in a meeting, lecture hall, or some other place where a noisy fan would be distracting.

The Mophie (top) is slimmer and lighter than RAVPower’s (bottom) portable laptop charger. Photo: Sarah Kobos

The RAVPower has a USB-C port, an AC port, and two 2.4-amp USB-A ports (one more than our main pick), giving you plenty of charging options. You might have trouble using all of them at once, though, especially if your plugs are wide or oddly shaped, since all of the ports are on the same side.

Its warranty (18 months) is slightly shorter than Mophie’s, but RAVPower is a brand we trust in terms of build quality, customer support, and availability.

The RAVPower 27000 has a few major downsides. Our biggest complaint is its size. It’s the second-biggest model we tested (after the Naztech) at 5.31 by 6.89 by 1.38 inches, plus its AC/DC charger is the most unwieldy. It’s nice that it comes with a zip-up hardshell case, but the whole setup is just not as portable as our main pick. Anyone carefully packing their bag to commute on public transit or keeping track of every cubic inch of carry-on space for regular business trips will have a much easier time with our top pick.

The RAVPower 27000 comes with an AC/DC wall charger, two Micro-USB cables, and a hardshell case. Photo: Sarah Kobos

In addition to its extra bulk, the RAVPower offers a slightly worse user experience than our main pick. To get the AC output to turn on, you have to hold down the power button for several seconds, and it turns off quickly if not plugged into something.

The RAVPower comes with two USB-A–to–Micro-USB cables, which is nice, but it’s not much of a bonus. If you’re someone who needs to charge Micro-USB devices, you probably already have plenty of those lying around.

The competition

Renogy Phoenix 100: This charger has the same brick-like shape (and roughly the same size and weight) as the Jackery PowerBar, making it less portable than thinner, book-like options that fit better in laptop bags and backpacks. It also costs about the same as the Jackery and has one fewer USB-A port. It has an additional input option (Micro-USB) that none of the other models we tested offer—but since it’ll charge painfully slow over that port, we don’t think that feature offers much of a benefit.

ChargeTech Portable AC Outlet: This was our runner-up pick in a former version of this guide, but we decided not to consider it for this round of testing because it doesn’t have a USB-C port and it has a low wattage rating (85 watts) for the price.

Goal Zero Sherpa 100 AC: This charger is fairly compact, is enjoyable to use, and has an informative OLED screen. It had the highest peak-power output (160 watts) in our testing, and it charged the MacBook Air 0.95 times on a single charge. But it’s also the most expensive model we tested, retailing for around $300 at the time of this writing. It’s also the heaviest (2 pounds, tied with the Naztech) and noisiest model we tested, and its one-year warranty is the shortest we’ve seen.

Jackery PowerBar 23200: Our former top pick, the Jackery PowerBar 20800, is being discontinued and replaced with the PowerBar 23200. It’s the lightest model we tested (1.5 pounds), its two-year warranty is as good as any we’ve seen, and it’s one of the most inexpensive models we tested. The Jackery looks nice and seems well-built, but its brick-shaped design isn’t as sleek or portable as the others—it’s a lot tougher to slip into a briefcase than the book-shaped ones, and multiple Wirecutter staffers said they’d prefer a slimmer design. Also, its fan wasn’t the absolute loudest we tested, but unlike the others, it becomes audible as soon as you turn on the AC output and was much more distracting in a quiet room.

Naztech Volt Power Station AC Outlet 14149: This charger has one of the best warranties (2 years) and costs the least of those we tested. It shares some aspects of both our picks, with a clean, simple look and good capacity. However, it’s the heaviest charger we tested, along with the Goal Zero, at 2 pounds. It’s also the biggest, measuring 5.3 by 1.4 by 6.9 inches, and its AC/DC charger is a bit bulky. It had the lowest peak-power output (95.1 watts) in our testing, and it’s one of the most finicky ones to control when it comes to turning the power—or even the flashlight—on and off. Lastly, we’ve had little experience with Naztech and the Volt brand, and when we contacted the company’s customer support, it took 17 days to get a response, which doesn’t bode well for customers if something goes wrong.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

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Port 1: 60 W USB-C

Dimensions: 2.9 by 2.5 by 1.2 inches

USB-C cable: 6-foot, detachable

Almost all computers that charge via USB-C have a maximum charge speed of 60 watts—the 15-inch MacBook Pro can charge at up to 87 watts, and that’s about it. But if you need the extra power, the best options are the near-identical Insignia Type-C Wall Charger, or the Nekteck USB-IF Certified 90W Type-C Wall Charger, whichever is cheaper. Both 90-watt models are perfect for the job. They’re just a bit larger than Apple’s own charger, but they include built-in USB-C charge cables. Not having a removable cable is a sacrifice, but it’s worth it for a charger that’s less than half the price of what a full replacement set would cost from Apple. Plus, the Insignia is readily available in Best Buy stores across the country, making it an easy pick if you need to grab something today.

Port 1: 90 W USB-C (permanently attached cable)

Dimensions: 3.3 by 3.3 by 1.2 inches

USB-C cable: Insignia: 5-foot, attached; Nekteck: 6-foot, attached

RAVPower’s 61W Type-C PD 3.0 Power Adapter (RP-PC105) charges at the same speeds as the Nekteck 60W charger when you’re only using the USB-C port, but it also has a USB-A port. The combination of two powerful ports in a small package makes it a great value for anyone who wants a single, travel-size charger for a laptop and a phone or other device. When using both ports, the USB-C charging speed does drop, but to a still-respectable 45-watt level that will charge most computers, just more slowly. If you’re willing to spend a little bit more, have your own cables, and need to charge more than just your computer, this is the one to get.

Port 1: 61 W USB-C (45 W when USB-A is in use)

Port 2: 12 W USB-A

Dimensions: 2.6 by 2.6 by 1.2 inches

USB-C cable: not included

Nekteck’s 5-Port 111W USB Wall Charger is a powerhouse if you’re handling multiple devices. It not only provides up to 87-watt charging from its USB-C port—suitable even for power-hungry laptops like the 15-inch MacBook Pro—but it also has four USB-A ports for all your other devices and accessories like your phone, headphones, or a power bank. It comes with a USB-C charging cable, which makes it an even better value. But the weight and large size make it best suited for a permanent position on your desk.

Port 1: 87 W USB-C

Port 2: 12 W USB-A

Port 3: 12 W USB-A

Port 4: 12 W USB-A

Port 5: 12 W USB-A

Dimensions: 6.3 by 3 by 1.1 inches

USB-C cable: 3-foot, detachable

Why you should trust us

I’ve been covering power accessories here at Wirecutter, including several previous iterations of this guide, and earlier versions of our Lightning cable, Micro-USB cable, and power bank guides. Before that, I was the accessories editor at iLounge for a little more than three years. During my tenure, I reviewed more than 1,000 products, including numerous charging solutions.

We relied on professional-level tools in addition to years of experience to make our picks, including Total Phase’s USB Power Delivery Analyzer and its Data Center Software. These tools allow us to get more-granular, precise data than we might’ve otherwise and to be confident in our picks’ performance.

Who this is for

This guide covers chargers for laptops that get power via a USB-C connection and specifically use USB Power Delivery (USB PD), a technology that lets USB-C transmit the high power required to charge a laptop. Most modern laptops, including almost all of Apple’s current lineup, charge using USB-C; cheap Windows laptops and gaming computers are the major exceptions.

USB-C democratizes charging. You no longer have to rely on your device’s manufacturer to be the only source of a safe charger. Every computer comes with a charger, but at times you might need or want an extra: Some people like to have one charger that they leave on their desk and another to toss in their bag; others like to have a charger in every place they work. And, of course, sometimes chargers get lost or broken, so you need a replacement.

Charger speeds of popular notebook computers

Device	Included-charger wattage
MacBook Pro (13-inch)	61 W
MacBook Pro (15-inch)	87 W
MacBook Air (2018)	30 W
Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA	45 W
Samsung Chromebook Pro	30 W
Dell XPS (9380)	45 W
iPad Pro (2018)	18 W*

Larger laptops often need more powerful chargers to fill up their batteries at top speeds*The iPad Pro comes with an 18-watt charger but can actually charge at 45 watts.

Some tablets, most notably the 2018 iPad Pro lineup, also charge over USB-C, and our picks will allow you to charge them much faster than you can with the power brick that comes in the box. The 18-watt charger Apple includes with the 12.9-inch iPad Pro will get it to 18 percent after 30 minutes and 35 percent in an hour. A 45-watt charger almost doubles that, providing 33 percent charge in half an hour and 65 percent in one hour.

Thankfully, USB-C charging is starting to become cheaper and more accessible. You can also charge any USB-C tablet or smartphone with one of these chargers, though most phones won’t benefit from higher USB PD rates—if you aren’t regularly charging a laptop, you can save a good amount of money by getting a lower-powered USB-C charger made for phones.

How we picked and tested

The fact that so many companies can make similar USB-C laptop chargers—as opposed to the old days when you mostly just bought a charger from the company that made your computer—means it can be difficult to find the best solutions among hundreds of options. Chargers are something of a commodity (you can get a great one for a low price) so there’s not a good reason to go with an unproven brand. To that end, we pored through the USB charging catalogs of Amazon, Anker, Apple, Aukey, Google, iClever, Nekteck, RAVPower, Satechi, Scosche, and ZMI.

From there, we whittled the list down based on a number of criteria:

• USB-C ports with 45-watt or higher output: While a few of the smallest Chromebooks and Apple laptops come with 30-watt chargers, many more—including the iPad Pro—charge at 45 watts, so that’s the minimum figure we considered for the chargers we tested. Anything lower than that will still charge your device but won’t do so at the maximum rate. We also tested faster 60-watt and 87-to-90-watt chargers, which are capable of charging more powerful computers faster.
• USB-A ports with 12-watt or QuickCharge 3.0 output (if applicable): USB-A charging maxes out at 12 watts (5 volts, 2.4 amps) for Apple devices and many Android phones, while some of the latter can charge faster with Qualcomm’s QuickCharge 3.0 standard. For our picks with both USB-C and USB-A ports, we only considered chargers capable of this output. With the generally low prices of these chargers, you won’t find significant savings by choosing a slower charger.
• Power-to-dollar value: Simply put, we considered how good of a value the charger is for the total power it can put out across its ports. We used this as a comparative figure, allowing us to rule out models that were more expensive but didn’t otherwise offer anything more.
• USB-IF certification: While not required for our picks, certification by the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) means an independent third party has tested the charger to make sure it adheres to specifications and is safe. While we test every charger we recommend, certification helps bolster the credentials of a charger, signaling that it’s well-made and that the company behind it has invested in its reputation. Given two identical chargers, we’d choose the one with the certification.

We were left with 14 models to test, including some with just USB-C ports and some with both USB-A and USB-C. To find the top options in each category, we put the finalists through a number of tests.

• USB-C ports: USB-C uses digital communication between devices to verify charging speeds in a way that USB-A doesn’t; with the right tools, you can observe and record what’s going on in the communication between the charger and the device you’ve plugged in. We used Total Phase’s USB Power Delivery Analyzer and its Data Center Software to measure and record this data, including the power rates the chargers make available to connected devices, the actual power output observed when connected, and if there were any errors in charging.
• USB-A ports: We tested the maximum power draw from each port by mimicking what happens when a phone is plugged in and determining whether or not it matched the advertised rate. To do this, we plugged in a variable power load and an ammeter, which allowed us to finely control the power flow. We started with the power load set to zero amps, and then turned it up until it matched the promised amperage, ensuring the voltage stayed within 4.75 volts to 5.25 volts. Then we repeated that test on each charger’s other ports, ensuring every port behaved as expected and that combined, they matched the right output.
• Combined power output: After testing each port, we tested the combined output when all of them were pushed to the maximum. The best chargers will support full-speed charging to your phone on the first port even as you plug your headphones to the second port, a power bank to the third, and so on down the line.
• USB-C cable testing: For the chargers that came with a USB-C cable, we used Total Phase’s Advanced Cable Tester to make sure the cable is safe and works as labeled. The Cable Tester checks the wiring and signal integrity, DC resistance, and compliance with USB-C specifications. Nonstandard cables have been known to cause problems, including destroying the devices they’re meant to charge. We won’t recommend a charger that comes with a cable that fails our tests.

Our pick: Nekteck 60W Type-C Wall Charger

Photo: Sarah Kobos

Nekteck’s 60W Type-C Wall Charger is the best charger you can buy if you need a replacement or an extra for almost any modern laptop with a 13-inch or smaller screen that charges via USB-C, or for the iPad Pro. It offers full 60-watt charging in a compact package and passed our Total Phase tests without any issues, which means that it is safe and will correctly match the power level of whatever you plug it into. The charger has been independently certified by the USB-IF to adhere to safety and quality standards. Nekteck includes a 6-foot, 100-watt USB-C cable in the box, and that cable also passed our tests. Based on those factors alone, this is a great charger, but it also costs about a third what the equivalent Apple charger does, and that’s before you even factor in the cable.

Charging performance is the single most important factor when it comes to this category, and the Nekteck charger performs exactly as expected in that regard, offering enough power for almost any 13-inch laptop, including the 13-inch MacBook Pro. USB-C charging is standardized into different power levels, and the most common ones to charge computers and tablets are 45 watts (15 volts, 3 amps) and 60 watts (20 volts, 3 amps). This charger supports both those rates or will automatically switch to 15-watt, 27-watt, and 36-watt rates as needed to fast charge phones and other devices. When plugged into a 13-inch MacBook Pro, it properly charged at 60 watts with 20.4 volts.

The Nekteck charger isn’t the absolute smallest 60-watt USB model we tested (that would be Anker’s PowerPort Speed 1), but it’s not large. Measuring 2.9 by 2.5 by 1.2 inches, its volume is about a cubic half inch less than Apple’s 61W USB-C Power Adapter, and it’s small enough to throw in a computer bag or a jacket pocket. The plain black box isn’t going to win any awards for its utilitarian design, although we do like that there’s space for you to get your finger underneath the folding prongs to pry them open.

The small indent makes it easy to lift up the folding prongs. Photo: Sarah Kobos

The Nekteck is one of two chargers in this category we tested with USB-IF certification. That means an independent lab has verified that it meets a set of criteria for safety and performance. Since we test all of our recommendations ourselves, we don’t rely exclusively on USB-IF certification to make a pick. But that stamp of approval on the company’s designs and adherence to USB-C standards gives the Nekteck charger another advantage over the competition.

USB-C charging cables have come down in price alongside USB-C chargers themselves, but they’re still normally an extra charge; you can expect to spend about $15 to $20 on a good one. Nekteck includes cables with its chargers, though—and quality ones at that. The 6-foot cable that comes with the 60-watt charger is designed to support up to 100 watts, which we verified with Total Phase’s testing suite. If you use the cable for data transfer, like plugging an external hard drive into your computer, it only supports USB 2.0 data speeds, which top out at about 33 megabytes per second, but that’s fine for a charging cable. (We have a pick if you need a faster data cable). Of the companies we tested products from, Nekteck is the only one that included a cable with its chargers.

A side-by-side size comparison of the Nekteck USB-C charger and the Apple 61W USB-C charger. Photo: Sarah Kobos

The Nekteck 60W Type-C Wall Charger hasn’t cost more than $30 since its introduction and was selling for about $20 at the time of this guide’s publication. That’s about half of what the next cheapest charger from a reliable company costs (without a cable), and it’s a small fraction of what computer manufacturers charge. It’s such a strong value that we don’t think you should buy a lower-powered charger even if your device powers at only 45 watts; they’re no cheaper, and the 60-watt option will potentially be more useful in your future.

Nekteck’s standard warranty period is 12 months, with a six-month extension if you sign up for the company’s newsletter. We’ve found the customer support to be helpful, both in terms of response speed and addressing our concerns.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Nekteck 60W Type-C Wall Charger has gone out of stock a couple times while we were testing, but it always reappears. When we’ve spoken to the company, customer support has made us confident these shortages are temporary, but we’ll continue to watch its availability and update this guide if we become more concerned.

For the 15-inch MacBook Pro: Insignia Type-C Wall Charger or Nekteck USB-IF Certified 90W Type-C Wall Charger

Photo: Michael Hession

Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Pro has the highest power draw of any computer that charges via USB-C (87 watts), and we’ve found two nearly identical compact, third-party chargers that can provide that much power: the Insignia Type-C Wall Charger and the Nekteck USB-IF Certified 90W Type-C Wall Charger. The two offer the same power for half the price of Apple’s 87W USB-C Power Adapter, so you should get one of these if you want to charge your 15-inch MacBook Pro at the fastest speed. Choose whichever brand is cheaper; or, if you need to purchase something from a brick-and-mortar retail store, many Best Buy stores have the Insignia in stock.

These 90-watt chargers have permanently attached USB-C cables, which is their biggest downside. (Insignia’s is about 59 inches long, and Nekteck’s is a foot longer). If the cable frays, the entire charger must be replaced; you can’t just replace the cable. The square power bricks look similar to an Apple charger, and they’re only slightly larger: Apple’s charger is 3.14 inches square and just under an inch thick, while Insignia and Nekteck’s are 3.3 inches square and about 1.2 inch thick. They all have fold-out prongs, but the prongs on these chargers can’t be removed and replaced with a longer cord like they can on an Apple charger.

The two brands had nearly identical performance in our testing, which matched what we saw from Apple’s 87-watt charger. This means that even though you’re paying for less, you’re getting the same charging speed.

Nekteck’s 12-month warranty applies to its charger; Insignia offers the same length of service, with support in Best Buy stores. In August 2019, Nekteck released an updated model of its charger with a stronger cable to address customer complaints about failing units. It’s externally identical, and we verified it works just as well as the original.

Upgrade pick: RAVPower 61W Type-C PD 3.0 Power Adapter (RP-PC105)

Photo: Sarah Kobos

RAVPower’s 61W Type-C PD 3.0 Power Adapter (RP-PC105) is the best solution for charging both your USB-C computer and a second device (such as a phone or Bluetooth speaker) at the same time. It’s a little smaller than the Nekteck 60W charger, but it offers the same output from its USB-C port when a single device is charging. If you plug into the USB-A port, the USB-C speed drops to 45 watts, a rate that is still fast enough to keep most computers charged. You pay for this level of convenience though, as the RP-PC105 is more expensive than the Nekteck charger and doesn’t come with a cable.

There are few travel-size chargers that offer both USB-C and USB-A ports, and none that offer the same level of power as this RAVPower charger. The USB-C charger supports a wide range of power profiles—the standardized charging rates that USB-C uses—from 12 watts (15 V, 2.4 A) all the way up to 61 watts (20.3 V, 3 A). It allowed a proper 60-watt draw when charging a 13-inch MacBook Pro in our tests. That speed does drop to 45 watts, however, when you plug a device into the 12-watt USB-A port. While it’s somewhat unusual to have the USB-A port’s draw effect the USB-C port, this engineering economy allows for the RP-PC105’s small size and relatively low price. And 45 watts is still fast enough for full-speed charging on many computers, plus it can still charge power hungrier laptops like the 13-inch MacBook Pro, just more slowly.

In addition to powering laptops, the RAVPower RP-PC105 can fast charge the 2018 iPad Pro. Photo: Sarah Kobos

At a little over 2.5 inches wide and long, and 1.2 inch thick, the RP-PC105 is about as small as a laptop charger gets. If size is your primary concern, even if you don’t care about the second port, it’s a great choice. RAVPower offers the charger in both black and white. You will have to provide your own cables though, as it doesn’t come with any, unlike the 60-watt Nekteck charger’s great 6-foot cable or the attached cables that come with the Nekteck and Insignia 90-watt chargers.

RAVPower offers a standard 18-month warranty on its products, and registering your charger extends the policy for another year. Like RAVPower’s other chargers, this one isn’t USB-IF certified. But having tested dozens of products from the company and evaluating customer reviews, we’re confident in this recommendation.

Also great: Nekteck 5-Port 111W USB Wall Charger

Photo: Sarah Kobos

Nekteck’s 5-Port 111W USB Wall Charger can handle powering a 15-inch MacBook Pro at full speed, plus it has four USB-A ports for charging phones, e-readers, Bluetooth headphones, or anything else you keep at your desk. It is USB-IF certified and still costs far less than Apple’s standalone 87W USB-C Power Adapter, which offers just a single charging port.

This five-port charger is the single most powerful USB wall charger we’ve ever tested, with a combined output of 111 watts. We verified with the Total Phase tests that 87 watts are dedicated to USB-C charging. That’s fast enough for maximum charging speed of any laptop that charges via USB-C, including the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The remaining 24 watts supply power to the four USB-A ports, supporting a combined 12 watts per pair. Despite the charger listing each port as capable of 12-watt charging when used individually, the highest we measured was about 10 watts—enough to charge your phone pretty fast but not the absolute fastest rate. Combined, however, each pair supported more than the promised rate.

The Nekteck 5-Port 111W USB Wall Charger’s biggest downside is its size. At more than 6 inches long, 3 inches wide and weighing almost a full pound, it’s not the kind of accessory most people are going to want to carry around. But those dimensions (and the slightly slow USB-A charging) are a lot more acceptable at a desk, where the charger is likely to stay in one place and you might not need to gobble up power in a short period of time.

The competition

Aukey’s Focus Duo 63W is one of the first laptop chargers we’ve come across with two USB-C ports. It’s similar to the RavPower RP-PC105, as both can charge a 60-watt computer at full speed, but instead of RavPower’s extra 12-watt USB-A port, the Aukey has an added 18-watt USB-C port. (The more powerful port on both models drops to 45 watts when the second port is being used). It’s an appealing combo, and one that we think will become more common in the near future, but we think it costs too much right now compared to the very similar RP-PC105.

RAVPower’s 61W PD 3.0 GaN Wall Charger is shockingly small at 2 inches by 2 inches and just over an inch thick. That makes its volume around half that of Apple’s 61-watt charger, and it’s simply the smallest laptop-capable USB-C charger we’ve ever tested. If you find size to be the most important factor, you should absolutely buy this charger. But we think other chargers, such as the RAVPower RP-PC105, which has an extra port and a lower price, are a better option for most people.

Nekteck’s 4-port 72W USB Wall Charger with Type-C 60W Power Delivery is an excellent charger, with 60-watt speed from the USB-C port and three USB-A ports with a combined 12-watt output. But it is larger and more expensive than the USB-C only version, the Nekteck 60W Type-C Wall Charger, and not everyone will need those USB-A ports while charging their computer or tablet.

Anker’s PowerPort Speed 1 is about half an inch shorter than the Nekteck 60W Type-C Wall Charger, but it costs almost twice as much and doesn’t come with a USB-C cable.

Anker’s PowerPort Atom PD 2 is one of the few dual-USB-C chargers available. Either port can support 60-watt power draw, but they share that wattage, so if you plug into both, you’ll get slower charging from each. We like seeing two USB-C ports on one unit, but the limitations are still too great for this to be the right option for most people.

Anker’s PowerPort+ Atom III​ is similar to the RAVPower RP-PC105 in that it has both USB-C and USB-A ports. But the Anker’s USB-C port is limited to 45-watt speeds at all times, not just when the USB-A port is also in use, and it’s a bit bigger and more expensive.

Anker’s PowerPort Atom PD 4 is a beast of a charger, offering a combined 100 watts between its two USB-C ports and two USB-A ports. It’s great to have the option of a high-powered, dual-USB-C charger, but we think the high price doesn’t make it worth it for the majority of people. Consider it if you need to power two MacBook Pros at the same time.

Satechi’s 75W Dual Type-C PD Travel Charger is another rare charger with two USB-C ports, offering 60 watts from one port and 18 watts from the other, plus two USB-A ports with a combined 12-watt output. But it’s a very expensive charger, and in our testing neither USB-A port supported that full 12 watts on its own even when nothing else was plugged in.

ZMI’s Turbo 45W Wall Charger works as expected and is a good value considering it comes with a USB-C cable. But Nekteck’s 60-watt charger isn’t much larger and offers more charging power for the same price, so it’s a better value.

RAVPower’s USB-C PD Charger with GaN Tech (RP-PC104) offers 45-watt output and is smaller than anything else that does so; its volume is about two-thirds that of the Nekteck 60W charger. We don’t think the size is worth the high premium that RAVPower charges, though.

RAVPower’s 60W 5-Port USB Desktop Charging Station with 45W Power Delivery Port (RP-PC059) is too low-powered to recommend for a charging station that has to live on your desk. We think you shouldn’t settle for anything less than 60 watts in this category.

We dismissed Aukey’s 46W Power Delivery Wall Charger (PA-Y10) and 3-Port USB Charging Station with 46W Power Delivery and Quick Charge 3.0 because both continuously reset when plugged into the MacBook Pro during our testing, even when being powered by different outlets and without any testing accessories between the charger and the computer.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

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Why you should trust me

I’ve reviewed car chargers for Wirecutter since 2014, monitoring every noteworthy new charger. Additionally, I’ve tested hundreds of other charging accessories, researching and writing our guides to USB wall chargers, USB-C laptop chargers, and USB-C accessories, among others. Previously, for three years I was the accessories editor at iLounge, where I reviewed more than 1,000 products, including numerous charging options.

Because USB-C can be dangerous business—subpar chargers and cables can fry innocent phones and laptops—I’ve also used specialized testing hardware to ensure the safety and reliability of every charger we’ve considered for this guide. This step allows us to definitively say that our picks work exactly as advertised, putting out the right levels of power and adhering to safety standards.

Should you get a car charger (or upgrade one you already have)?

Even if your car has a USB port for integrating music playback and phone calls with your car stereo, and even if that port can charge your phone, spending $20 or so for a dedicated two-port charger can be worth it. That’s because the built-in USB ports in most cars put out only 5 watts, which isn’t enough to charge a tablet or even newer smartphones at full speed. If you’re running an app like Waze or Google Maps, your car’s USB port may not charge your phone faster than your phone uses power, so you can end up at your destination with the same battery level on your phone as when you got into the car. Good USB-A chargers can charge more than twice as fast (12 watts), and the latest USB-C chargers can charge modern smartphones at up to 18 watts as long as you use a cable that plugs into the smaller port instead of the USB-A cable that probably came with your device. (This is our favorite cable for iPhones.)

Even if your car’s USB port does offer higher-speed charging, most cars have only one port. All of our picks let you charge two or more devices from a single accessory outlet—something your family and friends will appreciate.

However, if you recently bought a multiport USB charger that provides at least 2 amps from each of its ports (look for the “output” listing in the small print on the body of the charger), you have less reason to upgrade. Although you’d be able to charge some devices slightly faster with our top picks, the difference wouldn’t be big enough for you to spend more money on a new model right now.

Since many compact laptops charge at 30 or 45 W, you can even use this Nekteck charger to quickly fill them up on the go. In our tests, its USB-C port charged the 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro—both of which are capable of laptop-like 45 W charging—at their fastest rates, something no other car charger we tested could do. The larger iPad reached 33 percent charge in half an hour and 65 percent in one hour. (Some popular laptop models, including the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pros, can draw 60 W or even 90 W, so they won’t charge as fast as they can with their included wall chargers.) Our tests with Total Phase software showed that the USB-C port behaves as promised, and it didn’t throw up any red flags that would make us cautious about using it.

The body of the Nekteck PD 45W combines glossy black plastic and matte metal elements. It’s not a fashion piece, but it does look pretty good next to the cheaper appearances of some competitors. It sticks out 1.4 inches from the outlet, and its face is an oval 1.6 inches tall and 1.1 inches wide with a blue LED to indicate when it’s plugged in. While the Nekteck PD 45W is compact and unobtrusive, it isn’t so short that it’s difficult to remove, as some other car chargers are.

The Nekteck PD 45W car charger is the only model we tested that includes a USB-C–to–USB-C cable, a $10 to $20 value if bought separately. You can keep this cable in your car to charge your Android phone, computer, or iPad Pro without having to buy a separate accessory. We’ve verified that the cable adheres to standards; it’s not only safe, but it also has a sturdy build quality. In addition to passing our own tests, the charger has been certified by the USB-IF, which means it’s been independently tested for safety.

Similar to the coverage from most reputable charger brands, Nekteck’s standard warranty period is 12 months, with a six-month extension if you sign up for the company’s newsletter. We’ve found the customer support to be helpful, both in response speed and in addressing our concerns.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Unlike some chargers, the Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger doesn’t have illuminated USB ports, which would make plugging in cables in a dark car a little easier.

Upgrade pick: Scosche PowerVolt Power Delivery Dual 18W USB-C Car Charger

Photo: Sarah Kobos

If you want to simultaneously charge two phones at the fastest speeds possible, we recommend the Scosche PowerVolt Power Delivery Dual 18W USB-C Car Charger (CPDC8C8). It’s the only car charger with dual USB-C ports from an accessory maker we trust. Each port supports 18-watt charging speeds, even when you use them at the same time, and it’s not much larger or much more expensive than the Nekteck 45-watt charger.

In our testing, an iPhone XS, when plugged into the PowerVolt with a USB-C–to–Lightning cable, charged from zero to about 50 percent in 30 minutes and to 80 percent in an hour. That’s roughly 15 percent more battery life than your phone would get from a standard 12-watt USB-A charger. Android phones, including the Google Pixel family and the latest generations of the Samsung Galaxy line, would see similar gains compared with using USB-A chargers. The Scosche also performed as expected when we ran it through the Total Phase test, showing the proper power rates and no errors, so it should be compatible with any device that charges on the USB-C standard.

The Scosche PowerVolt is a little bigger than the Nekteck PD 45W car charger, but it has two USB-C ports instead of one. Photo: Sarah Kobos

Like the Nekteck PD 45W car charger, the Scosche PowerVolt has USB-IF certification, which means an independent lab has verified that it meets a set of criteria for safety and performance. Although we didn’t rely on USB-IF certification in making our recommendations for this guide, that stamp of approval makes us even more comfortable with our picks.

Scosche’s warranty is one of the best we’ve seen. It covers the PowerVolt for three years, almost double the coverage that Anker—one of the most reputable companies in the business—offers. When we’ve contacted Scosche’s customer service, we’ve been impressed by the fast response times; we got a response to one support inquiry within three hours.

Budget pick: ZMI PowerCruise C2 36-Watt Dual USB Car Charger with QC 3.0

Photo: Sarah Kobos

If you don’t want to spend more than $10 or so on a charger and aren’t concerned about USB-C speeds, we recommend ZMI’s PowerCruise C2 36-Watt Dual USB Car Charger with QC 3.0. To be fair, any dual-port USB-A charger from a reputable brand will work as well as any other. But the PowerCruise has a slight edge because it’s the rare charger that supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 charging technology on both ports (if you have a compatible phone), and it has the most aesthetically pleasing design in the category.

Like every dual-port charger we tested, the PowerCruise properly allowed 12-watt power draw from both ports. An iPhone XS should reach 35 percent from empty in half an hour, and about 73 percent in an hour. Although we don’t think you should buy the PowerCruise only because it supports QC 3.0—most phones these days will charge just as fast or faster on a USB-C charger—the fact that it offers that support, for the same price as non-QC chargers, adds extra value and makes it the best USB-A option for a larger variety of phones.

Dual–USB-A chargers from good companies are all about the same, but the PowerCruise is made of metal, which is nice. Photo: Sarah Kobos

Whereas most car chargers are plastic, the PowerCruise is made of silver-colored brass. It has a substantial heft (something that makes it feel premium) and a clean look. It also sports a glowing ring between the charging stem and the 0.8-inch-tall head, though the ports themselves aren’t lit.

Also great: RAVPower Quick Charge 3.0 54W 4-Port Car Adapter (RP-VC003)

Photo: Sarah Kobos

Four ports might seem like overkill to some people, but if you really need to charge more than two devices at once in the car, the RAVPower Quick Charge 3.0 54W 4-Port Car Adapter (RP-VC003) is a great pick. It fits four fast USB charging ports into a package that’s not much larger than the Nekteck PD 45W.

With a black metal body that sticks out 1.4 inches from the car’s outlet, and a face that’s 1.8 inches tall and 1 inch wide when oriented vertically, the charger isn’t unreasonably large. Its ports are aligned in a single row, so you can rotate the charger 90 degrees if a horizontal orientation better fits your car’s setup.

The RAVPower RP-VC003 charger is as compact as a charger can be with four USB-A ports crammed on the front. Photo: Sarah Kobos

The RP-VC003 did fall a bit short in our tests, but not in a way that we think will affect most people. All three standard USB ports put out the proper 12 watts (2.4 amps, 5 volts) when we used them individually, and the Quick Charge port offered the right 2-amp, 9-volt charging figure. But when we tested the maximum draw on all four ports at once, one of the non–Quick Charge ports dropped to 0.8 amp. Since it’s rare for devices to draw the whole 12 W available on a USB port—the power draw tapers off as a battery fills up—we don’t think this problem will affect too many people. Even with this minor drawback, the RAVPower charger is still a better option than the limited competition.

What about cheap dual-port 12-watt chargers?

There’s no shortage of small, $10-ish, dual-port USB-A chargers from reputable brands. Scosche’s ReVolt, RAVPower’s RP-PC031, RP-PC106, and RP-VC006, Aukey’s CC-S7, Anker’s PowerDrive 2, and AmazonBasics’s Dual-Port USB Car Charger all perform identically to one another. Some are shorter than others and end up looking like they’re part of your car when installed, and some have glowing ports that make it easier for you to plug in a cable when it’s dark. But they all work fine, and they’re decent buys if you find a great sale or it’s easier to pick up one of these over the ZMI PowerCruise C2.

The competition

Aukey’s Expedition Flush-Fit 18W is a tiny metal charger offering a single 18-watt USB-C port. We generally recommend chargers that don’t sit flush because they are harder to remove, and think you can get a better deal for a multiport charger. In our tests, one of the power profiles was an unusual 12V/1.75A (21 watts), which doesn’t match the 12V/1.5A listed on the charger itself. For that reason alone, we’d be wary of using it.

Satechi’s 72W Type-C PD Car Charger provides more power than any other model we tested, with 60 watts from the USB-C port (enough to charge a 13-inch MacBook Pro at full-speed) and 12 watts from the USB-A port. But it doesn’t come with a charging cable, and that much power is overkill for most devices. If you often find yourself needing to charge your laptop in the car, the Satechi will be a good choice for you, but most people will be better off with the Nekteck charger, which includes a cable and offers 45-watt charging that will also work with most laptops.

Anker’s PowerDrive Speed+ Duo has a 30-watt USB-C port (as opposed to the Nekteck’s 45-watt port), doesn’t come with a cable, and generally sells for a few dollars more than the Nekteck. It’s otherwise a good choice if you prefer the aesthetics of the glowing blue ring around the charging face.

Aukey’s CC-Y7 supports only a 27-watt output from its USB-C port, and it isn’t USB-IF certified.

In our testing, the Anker PowerDrive Speed+ 2 didn’t support full Quick Charge speeds, despite its specs.

RAVPower’s Dual USB Car Adapter (RP-PC022) failed when we tried to charge devices on both the USB-A and USB-C ports at the same time.

We don’t recommend the AmazonBasics 4-Port USB Car Charger because it required us to unplug and reconnect our test iPads a few times to get the proper 2.4-amp power draw from each port. Eventually, all four were providing the right amount of power, but we found the RAVPower RP-VC003 to be more reliable.

This guide may have been updated by Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

When readers choose to buy Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commissions.

Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad

Street price: $140; deal price: $104

If you’re an avid Apple fan and looking for a way to charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously, then this may be the pad for you. Available for $104, this is the first deal we’ve seen on the Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad since the news broke out that Apple would not be releasing their AirPower charging pad. This pad has a section specifically meant for your iPhone, an indented area for your AirPods case, and a mini stand for your Apple Watch.

In our guide to the best wireless charging station now that Apple AirPower is dead, the Mophie 3-in-1 is our top pick. Wirecutter Senior Staff Writer Nick Guy wrote, “The Mophie 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad is the best choice if you want a single charging station that can power your iPhone, Apple Watch, and second-gen AirPods at once. It’s better designed to accommodate AirPods and the Apple Watch than any of the models we tested. We liked the simple, clean aesthetics and attention to detail, like the rubber elements that ensure your devices won’t slip.”

Eero Pro + 2 Eero Beacons

Street price: $400; deal price: $320

Available for $320, down from a typical price around $400, this is a decent drop on an attractive and easy-to-set-up Wi-Fi mesh-networking kit. Great for starters, this 3-piece set is a good entryway into Wi-Fi mesh-networking for those looking to get started. We’ll likely see Eero bundles fall lower in price over Cyber Week, but if you’d prefer the certainty of buying one now, this is a worthwhile deal.

The top pick in our guide to the best Wi-Fi mesh-networking kits, the Eero Pro + 2 Eero Beacons works for homes with both simple and complicated layouts. Jim Salter and Wirecutter Senior Staff Writer Joel Santo Domingo wrote, “After testing dozens of mesh-networking kits, we found that the Eero Pro + 2 Eero Beacons set is the first mesh kit most people should consider. The system is physically attractive, simple to deploy and maintain, and high performing, and you can easily expand it with additional units for especially large or complicated spaces. Eero was the first home mesh-networking system, and this is the second time we’ve tested and recommended its second generation. It’s more expensive than our other picks, but we think it’s worth that investment.”

PowerA GameCube Style Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch

Street price: $45; deal price: $37

Matching deals we’ve seen outside of deals events like Black Friday, the PowerA GameCube Style Switch Controller is on sale for $37 from $45. If you like purple and aren’t willing to wait and see if it falls any lower over Cyber Week, this deal is a good chance to pick up a retro controller for a classic gaming feel.

The retro-style controller pick in our guide to the best Nintendo Switch Accessories, the PowerA GameCube Style Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch is a classic alternative to the Switch Pro Controller. Wirecutter Editor Andrew Cunningham wrote, “Nintendo’s GameCube controller, originally released back in 2001, is still popular among fans of the Super Smash Bros. series—so much so that Nintendo sells a USB-to-GameCube adapter and new Smash-branded GameCube controllers. But if you don’t want to deal with all those wires—or if you want a GameCube-style controller with all the extra buttons you’ll need to play other Switch games—we like PowerA’s GameCube-style wireless controller.”

RAVPower 61W Type C PD 3.0 Power Adapter (RP-PC105)

Street price: $36; deal price: $30 w/ on-page coupon

We recommend this dual port charger in our guide to the best USB-C laptop and tablet chargers. Clip the on-page coupon to bring the black color down to $30, a solid discount matching previous deals we’ve posted before, though not the lowest we’ve seen. Sales are rare on the RAVPower 61W, so if you’re interested, now is a good time to buy.Usually more expensive than our other picks, the RAVPower 61W Type C PD 3.o Power Adapter (RP-PC105) is the upgrade pick in our guide to the best USB-C Laptop and Tablet Chargers. Wirecutter Senior Staff Writer Nick Guy wrote, “RAVPower’s 61W Type-C PD 3.0 Power Adapter (RP-PC105) is the best solution for charging both your USB-C computer and a second device (such as a phone or Bluetooth speaker) at the same time. It’s a little smaller than the Nekteck 60W charger, but it offers the same output from its USB-C port when a single device is charging. If you plug into the USB-A port, the USB-C speed drops to 45 watts, a rate that is still fast enough to keep most computers charged. You pay for this level of convenience though, as the RP-PC105 is more expensive than the Nekteck charger and doesn’t come with a cable.”

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