The best fast chargers for 2023
We tested 14 different power supplies on five different devices. Here are the results.
Now that companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung no longer include power adapters with new phones, getting the right fast charger for your smartphone, laptop, or other device is a bit trickier than it used to be. . And while that hasn't happened yet, given the increased focus on reducing e-waste and widespread support for USB power delivery (USB-PD), I wouldn't be surprised if this trend impact the laptop market in the next five years. So to help clear up the confusion, I've rounded up 14 different chargers from different brands and tested each with five different devices to find out which is the best fast charger.
Quick view
How we testedThe methodology of my experiment aims to be as simple as possible. I drained each device to 10% battery, plugged in a power bank, then logged the amount of charge added every 10 minutes for an hour. Each adapter plugged directly into a standard 120 volt outlet (without the use of a power strip or extension cords), and where possible I used the cable that came with the battery charger or a cable manufactured by the same manufacturer as the device. If that wasn't an option, I used certified 100-watt USB-C cables made by Anker, Apple, and others.
Since devices charge at different rates depending on how much juice you have, I wanted to gauge how well each adapter was able to match each gadget's optimal charging speed. Typically, charging is slower between zero and 20% before the speed increases until the battery reaches 80%, at which point things slow down again to protect and preserve cell health and longevity power supply. For charging stations with multiple ports, I always selected the port with the highest power output while not having multiple devices connected.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
As for the devices themselves, I selected an Apple iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Nintendo Switch (a 2017 launch model), Dell XPS 13 2021, and a 16-inch MacBook M1 Max Pro. This assortment was chosen to cover a wide range of power consumption ranging from 20 watts (iPhone 13) up to 140 watts (M1 Max MBP). Additionally, each system was tested while idle (i.e. no additional apps or games running) to ensure consistent results.
An important thing to note is that although the USB Implementers Forum has approved support for USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) charging up to 240 watts, adapters that actually support this power output do not yet exist. Also, while there are a handful of cables that can handle over 100 watts of juice, they're pretty rare or hard to come by.
ChargersWith so many different chargers of different wattages to test, I've broken things down into three categories. There are chargers of 30 watts and less, which are primarily designed for smartphones and other small mobile devices. Then we move on to 45 to 65 watt (plus or minus a watt or two) chargers that can handle things like phones with a number of thin and light laptops. Finally, we have chargers that output 100 watts or more, which are suitable for just about anything but the biggest, most power-hungry gaming laptops. Many of these higher power adapters also have multiple ports, allowing you to charge additional devices at full speed. However, since not all power bricks support multi-device charging, I didn't include it as a test metric.
You can see a full list of chargers we've tested below:
We tested 14 different power supplies on five different devices. Here are the results.
Now that companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung no longer include power adapters with new phones, getting the right fast charger for your smartphone, laptop, or other device is a bit trickier than it used to be. . And while that hasn't happened yet, given the increased focus on reducing e-waste and widespread support for USB power delivery (USB-PD), I wouldn't be surprised if this trend impact the laptop market in the next five years. So to help clear up the confusion, I've rounded up 14 different chargers from different brands and tested each with five different devices to find out which is the best fast charger.
Quick view
How we testedThe methodology of my experiment aims to be as simple as possible. I drained each device to 10% battery, plugged in a power bank, then logged the amount of charge added every 10 minutes for an hour. Each adapter plugged directly into a standard 120 volt outlet (without the use of a power strip or extension cords), and where possible I used the cable that came with the battery charger or a cable manufactured by the same manufacturer as the device. If that wasn't an option, I used certified 100-watt USB-C cables made by Anker, Apple, and others.
Since devices charge at different rates depending on how much juice you have, I wanted to gauge how well each adapter was able to match each gadget's optimal charging speed. Typically, charging is slower between zero and 20% before the speed increases until the battery reaches 80%, at which point things slow down again to protect and preserve cell health and longevity power supply. For charging stations with multiple ports, I always selected the port with the highest power output while not having multiple devices connected.
Sam Rutherford/Engadget
As for the devices themselves, I selected an Apple iPhone 13, Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, Nintendo Switch (a 2017 launch model), Dell XPS 13 2021, and a 16-inch MacBook M1 Max Pro. This assortment was chosen to cover a wide range of power consumption ranging from 20 watts (iPhone 13) up to 140 watts (M1 Max MBP). Additionally, each system was tested while idle (i.e. no additional apps or games running) to ensure consistent results.
An important thing to note is that although the USB Implementers Forum has approved support for USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) charging up to 240 watts, adapters that actually support this power output do not yet exist. Also, while there are a handful of cables that can handle over 100 watts of juice, they're pretty rare or hard to come by.
ChargersWith so many different chargers of different wattages to test, I've broken things down into three categories. There are chargers of 30 watts and less, which are primarily designed for smartphones and other small mobile devices. Then we move on to 45 to 65 watt (plus or minus a watt or two) chargers that can handle things like phones with a number of thin and light laptops. Finally, we have chargers that output 100 watts or more, which are suitable for just about anything but the biggest, most power-hungry gaming laptops. Many of these higher power adapters also have multiple ports, allowing you to charge additional devices at full speed. However, since not all power bricks support multi-device charging, I didn't include it as a test metric.
You can see a full list of chargers we've tested below:
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