The Best Charging Accessories for Your Phone, Tablet and Laptop

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It doesn’t matter how powerful your phone, tablet, or laptop is if it runs out of power. External battery packs, wireless chargers, and fast chargers are everywhere, but it’s important to pick the right ones for your particular needs. The battery pack you use for your laptop may be too big to carry around with you everywhere, while the charger that comes with your phone isn’t actually the best pick for the job. Wireless charging pads are great, but some of them charge at way slower speeds than others.

We’ve collected the best charging accessories for all of your gear below, so you know exactly what to reach for before your device sends you a notification suggesting low power mode, or conks out in the middle of an important call or presentation.

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1. AUKEY Omnia USB C Charger

If you need to charge your device fast, your best bet is AUKEY’s Omnia USB-C charger. It can output up to 100W (watts) of power, which is 20 times more than the charging adapter Apple includes with its non-Pro iPhones. Apple says you can charge an iPhone from 0 to 50% in about 30 minutes. The adapter outputs so much power that you can charge an iPad Pro or 16-Inch MacBook Pro at maximum speed. That’s not bad for a fast charger that’s small enough to fit in your pocket.

2. Monoprice Lightning to USB Type-C Cable

If you want to connect any iPhone (or non-Pro iPad) to a fast charging adapter like AUKEY’s Omnia, you’ll need a Lightning to USB-C cable. This one from Monoprice is 6-feet long, braided for improved durability, and MFI (Made for iPhone or iPad) certified. Accessories from the MFI program are made specifically for Apple gear, and are guaranteed to work with its devices. I’ve used two of Mophie’s Lightning to USB-C cables over the years, and they’ve both worked very well even after continuous use.

Note: You can also get braided-nylon USB-C to USB-A, Lightning to USB-A, and USB-C to USB-C cables for roughly $20 a piece on Amazon.

3. RAVPower 20000mAh 60W Portable Charger

If you need a power bank that can charge your laptop anywhere, you’ll want RAVPower’s Portable Charger. It has a USB-C PD port that can output power at up to 60W, so it’s capable of fast charging all of your tech (if you have the right cables). It also has a USB-A port if you’d like to charge two devices at once, but it has a maximum power output of 18W. RAVPower says this battery pack can fully recharge an iPhone 11 Pro Max twice, and charge a 13-Inch MacBook Pro’s battery .84 times. At 6.2-inches long and one pound, this isn’t the battery pack you’ll want to carry everywhere, but it’s essential if you travel with a modern laptop.

4. Mophie Wireless 10W Charging Pad

Wireless charging is a staple feature for every iPhone, most Android phones, and many totally wireless earbud cases. It’s slower than plugging your device into a charger plugged into the wall, but you can shorten that gap by getting a wireless charger with a higher power output. This charging pad from mophie can wirelessly charge your device at 10W, which is the maximum wireless charging speeds supported by the iPhone.

The charger comes with a power adapter (many don’t), has a textured surface to prevent your device from slipping, and an LED light that shows when the charger is in use. That last feature is especially important because it’s easy to misalign your device on the charger, which will cause it to stop charging.

5. Anker Astro E1 6700mAh Battery Pack

Anker’s Astro E1 is the perfect battery pack to take with you everywhere. At 3.8-inches long and .28 pounds, it can slip into your pocket or purse, but Anker says it holds enough power (6,7000mAh) to fully recharge an iPhone X 1.5 times. It only has one USB-A port, so your charging speed will be limited, but this is the battery you’ll use when you’re out with friends are realize your phone is at 5%.

6. Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Dock

Belkin’s Boost Up Wireless Charging Dock is made up of three parts that allow you to charge multiple devices at once. The first is a 10W wireless charging stand which angles your phone upward, so you can read your notifications without touching it. The second is an Apple Watch charger and backplate; you can wrap your Apple Watch completely around this part of the stand, so it doesn’t fall off mid-charge. Finally, there’s a USB-A port on the back of the dock, which you can use to charge any device you have (with the right cable, of course).

I’ve tested many of Belkin’s charging docks, and they’ve been a reliable solution for charging all of my tech on my desk, or at my bedside. I’ve never noticed a drop in charging speed if I’ve filled the dock with two or three devices, and I’ve never had any compatibility problems with Apple gear.

7. Roav Car Charger And Bluetooth Adapter

Roav’s car charger can keep your devices topped up and allow you to wirelessly stream your music to an old car’s stereo system. It has two USB ports, one USB-C PD with a maximum power output of 18W, and a USB-A port (Roav declines to note its power output), so you can charge a pair of devices at pretty quick speeds. What makes this car charger stand out is that it also supports Bluetooth and has a built-in FM transmitter, which allow you to stream music through any car’s stereo.

Here’s how it works: First, you pair your phone to the car charger. Next, the FM transmitter finds an open radio frequency on. Then, tune your radio to the frequency the charger found. Last, play your music. Your music will stream through the charger to your car’s stereo via an FM radio station, no adapters, cables, or other accessories required.

Note: Roav has a car mount for your phone that has a built-in 10W wireless charger. The mount comes with a clip that needs to be attached to one of its air vents, and a car charger that has two USB-A ports. Roav’s phone mount has to be connected to one of them, but the other is free to use if you’d like to charge a second device. Roav’s W1 Car Charger is $59.99, and available on Amazon.

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