Wireless charging isn’t nearly as cool as it sounds. It’s not exactly wireless—a cord runs from an outlet to the charging pad—and it won’t charge your smartphone faster than plugging it in with a good ol’ cord. Despite this, I’m always disappointed when I test a phone that doesn’t support it. I’ve gotten used to simply plopping my phone down on a pad every night, and fishing for a cable in the dark feels like a chore. It’s pure convenience more than anything else.
After testing more than 50 charging products over the past year, we’ve sorted the good from the bad (and there are certainly bad ones) and have identified the very best wireless chargers. There are so many styles, shapes, and build materials that you have a lot of options, including stands, pads, wireless battery packs, and one that even doubles as a headphone stand.
Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best Android Phones, Best Cheap Phones, Best iPhones, and Best Work-From-Home Gear. Simon Hill also contributed to this guide.
Updated August 2021: We’ve added several new picks from Samsung, Sonix, Mophie, Nimble, Powme, Nomad, Einova, Moshi, and Totallee.
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A Note on Charging Speed and Compatibility
You’ll see “Compatible with iPhones and Android phones” under each slide, and that means the charger has a standard charging speed of 7.5 watts for iPhones or 10 watts for Android phones (including Samsung Galaxy phones). If it charges faster or slower, we’ll indicate it. We’ve tested these with multiple devices, but there’s always a chance your phone will charge slow or won’t work because the case is too thick or its charging coil doesn’t align well with the charger.
