There are hundreds, if not thousands, of cheap USB car chargers out there that all do much the same thing for about the same price. $32.99 $19.99 Buy on Amazon Last updated: at 11:56 Best on a Budget: Anker PowerDrive 2 Take a look at the Bestek model mentioned in the “multi-purpose” section below: it’s inexpensive and reliable, designed for exactly this kind of task.īearing all of the above in mind, these are our current picks for the best USB car chargers across a diverse set of needs, devices, and budgets. Check your computer’s power requirements: assuming it can charge via USB C, you’ll want a charger that can put out at least 45W PD, if not more.įor those with older laptops that use a barrel-type connector for charging, you’ll need an inverter to plug your usual charger into. If you want to charge a laptop, rather than just your phone or tablet, you’ll need to look for a higher-end model. It’s happened to me in the past, and I didn’t love it. If you’ve got a particularly low-end charger, you might see your phone battery draining even though it’s plugged in. The end result? You can finish a long car journey with barely any extra juice in your phone, even if you’ve been charging it the whole time. Using a phone for navigation, with both screen and GPS in constant use, uses a lot of power: in some cases, about as much as basic car chargers can put out. Unless you’re only charging old devices that you know won’t benefit from the extra power on offer, it’s worth paying the difference. Power Delivery (PD) is the most common of these standards, but QuickCharge (QC) is also widely supported on phones. These days, you won’t pay much extra for a car charger that supports one or more fast-charging standards. From bitter experience, it’s fair to say that relying on inbuilt USB charging in rental vehicles is a recipe for unhappiness. Many were underpowered and unreliable, charging a phone slowly when they felt like it, and not at all the rest of the time.Ī few of them have bucked the trend, though, and they’re the ones that we use in our own vehicles and take with us when we rent cars overseas. We’ve tested dozens of models over the years, and most of them haven’t been much to get excited about. Certain types are better for certain uses, and some are just terrible no matter what you want to do with them. These are what most people think of when it comes to car chargers, but they’re definitely not all the same. Whether you’re on a budget or traveling with a large group, want the fastest possible charging speeds or want to make sure the kids can power up their iPads in the back seat, there’s a very wide range of USB car chargers out there. Best for Fast Charging: ZeeHoo 15W Wireless Car Charger Best for Windscreen or Dashboard Mounting: iOttie Auto Sense Wireless Car Charger Best for Vent Mounting: JoyRoom Wireless Dual-Coil Air Vent Mount Best for Charging Everything: BESTEK Car Inverter with Dual 110v and USB Best for Flat Batteries of All Kinds: NOCO Boost Plus GB40 Jump Starter Best for Backseat Drivers: Joyroom 5-in-1 USB C Car Charger Best for Big Groups: Aikenuo 6 Port Car Adapter Best Value Car Charger: UGreen 30W USB C PD Car Charger Best High-Power Car Charger: UGreen 130W Car Charger Whatever your requirements, these are some of the best car chargers you can buy right now. We’ve broken down our recommendations into three categories: USB chargers, wireless chargers, and multi-purpose models that can power a cooler or jump-start your vehicle as well. One size doesn’t fit all, however, and whether you’re driving across the country or just across the city, it’s worth thinking about the needs of both your devices and passengers before deciding what to spend your money on. Available in a wide range of wired and wireless versions, many with a range of extra features beyond simply powering your mobile devices, there’s a car charger out there for every need, budget, and trip. On a long trip, even the biggest phone batteries will drain hours before you arrive at your destination. With all of that, however, comes a problem: keeping everything charged. A tablet for the kids to watch their favorite games and movies can be the difference between an easy trip and high blood pressure. Spotify or Apple Music let you stream your favorite tunes. Google Maps, Waze, and several other good navigation apps help get you where you’re going. At a time when we rely on our mobile devices for pretty much everything, it’s no surprise that they’re getting more in-car use than ever before.
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