There are few things as convenient as dropping your phone on a wireless charging pad or placing it on a stand to top it off. The convenience of being able to pick up the phone, answer a call, and plop it back to charge without fiddling with cables can’t be overstated. Luckily, there is a wide variety of wireless chargers and charging accessories you can get for your phone.

Don’t forget to also check out our guides for all the phone accessories you can get, as well as even more charging accessory options.

What to look for when buying a wireless charger

As is the case with any accessory, there are a few factors to consider before buying a wireless charger.

What type of charger do you need? The two most common types of wireless chargers available now are pads or stands. A pad might be the better option for a nightstand, while a stand will be great on a work desk.

The two most common types of wireless chargers available now are pads or stands. A pad might be the better option for a nightstand, while a stand will be great on a work desk. How fast does it charge? A standard Qi charging pad may take a really long time to fully charge a device. To get the fastest charging possible, a first-party charger is definitely the better way to go. Some third-party chargers offer fast charging capabilities, but that’s mostly for Samsung flagships and iPhones.

A standard Qi charging pad may take a really long time to fully charge a device. To get the fastest charging possible, a first-party charger is definitely the better way to go. Some third-party chargers offer fast charging capabilities, but that’s mostly for Samsung flagships and iPhones. How many devices do you need to charge wirelessly? Smartphones aren’t the only devices that can be charged wirelessly. You can also drop accessories like wireless earphones and smartwatches on a wireless charging pad to make sure they don’t run out of juice. Instead of getting multiple charging pads, you can opt for dual or trio pads that let you charge two or three devices at the same.

OEM vs third-party wireless chargers

Third-party phone accessories usually offer a better deal, be it in terms of features or price. Things are different with wireless chargers, though. An OEM wireless charger will likely provide the best experience. This is particularly true for devices that support fast wireless charging. For example, you will only get OnePlus’ fantastic Warp Charge 30 speeds with the OnePlus charger and fast wireless charging for the Pixel 4 with the Pixel Stand.

Third-party wireless chargers are playing catch up, so it won’t be long before there are a lot more options available. For example, some accessory makers have already released chargers that support Samsung’s fast wireless charging feature, and a few provide good charging speeds for Pixels and iPhones.

Even if the charging isn’t the fastest, a third-party accessory will probably have the price advantage. However, it’s important to be extra careful when looking to buy a charging accessory in particular. A bad charger could cause irreparable damage to your device.

Things to look for when buying third-party accessories

Before you buy an accessory from a brand you’re not familiar with, just be sure to check for the following:

Look through owner-submitted reviews via sites like Amazon. Do these short reviews look legitimate? For example, it’s possible they are paid or sponsored submissions if they are vague and poorly written.

Look for oddities. Sometimes product reviews aren’t actually for the product you are looking at! This surprisingly happens a lot with 3rd party charging accessories from obscure brands. A 5-star review of a foot massager is not what you want to see when trying to buy a portable power bank.

Familiarize yourself with the return policy of the product. While a lot of products have return periods, some might only have a replacement window, in which case a refund won’t be possible.

We’re here to help! We have a guide for the best wireless chargers you can get, and we will be testing even more options soon. You’ll also find a few of our top recommendations below.

Samsung wireless chargers

Samsung DUO Pad

The Samsung Duo Pad is as good as it gets with wireless charging pads. As the name suggests, the pad can charge two devices simultaneously. However, the Samsung wireless charger Duo Pad takes it a step further by including fast charging support. This means that you can charge compatible Samsung phones at up to 15W while charging an additional phone or perhaps your wireless earphones on the second pad.

Samsung Fast Charge 2.0 wireless charger stand

Credit: Samsung

If you don’t have multiple devices to charge, the Samsung wireless charging stand will do the trick instead. Supporting Fast Charge 2.0, the stand lets you top off your phone at up to 15W on supported devices. Additionally, the angled pad works out great if you want to glance at the screen while the phone is charging. If your phone doesn’t support fast charging, the wireless charging pad falls back to standard Qi charging speeds.

Samsung 2-in-1 power bank with wireless charger

Samsung’s 10,000mAh charger is unique thanks to its wireless charging pad placed right on top. It’s capable of fast charging a compatible Samsung phone all the way up to 7.5W in wireless mode and 25W when connected via a USB cable. The device is Qi-compatible which means that you should have no issue using this with other phones as well.

OnePlus wireless charger

OnePlus Warp Charge 30 wireless charger

The OnePlus 8 Pro is the only phone from the company to feature wireless charging. However, it seems like a feature that is here to stay, especially when you consider how great the wireless charger is. The Warp Charge 30 wireless charger stays true to its name. It lets you wirelessly charge the phone at speeds that are only slightly slower than what you’d get with the wall charger.

Related: The best phones with wireless charging capabilities

The fast charger provides a 50% charge in 23 minutes, and the wireless stand is not far behind with only 30 minutes for a 50% battery top-up. This fast charging is bound to create some heat, so the stand comes with an excellent built-in fan. Since you’ll only get 5W or 7.5W charging with third-party options, the Warp Charge 30 wireless charger is certainly the best way to go for OnePlus 8 Pro owners.

Google Pixel wireless charger

Pixel Stand

The Pixel Stand is the best option if you’re looking for a wireless charger for the Pixel 4 or Pixel 3 series. You’ll get 10W and 11W fast charging with the Pixel 3 and Pixel 4 lines respectively, while you’re limited to 5W or 7.5W with most other wireless chargers. It’s not the fastest charger out there, but your phone will essentially work as a Google Home device once it’s placed on the stand.

The best third-party wireless chargers

Anker PowerWave II wireless charger

Credit: Anker

The Anker PowerWave II wireless charger is similar to other affordable wireless charging pad offerings with one key difference. The pad sits at an angle and lets you view the phone’s display while charging. It’ll charge the Pixel 4 and LG flagships at 15W. With Samsung hardware, the pad enables fast wireless charging to the tune of 10W. However, it is as good as the best wireless chargers available for the iPhone and can top it off at 7.5W.

Belkin wireless charging pad

Credit: Belkin

The Belkin wireless charging pad is designed to offer up to 15W of fast charging for Samsung, Apple, and Google smartphones that support it. Every other Qi-enabled device will be charged at 5W, including Apple’s Airpods and other true wireless earbuds. Since Apple doesn’t have a first-party wireless charger yet, the Belkin wireless charging pad is an excellent option to consider.

Further reading: Other wireless phone chargers worth checking out

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is Qi charging?

A: Qi (pronounced “chee”) is a wireless charging standard that has been adopted by a majority of device makers. There are a few competing standards, but if current generation smartphone supports wireless charging, it’s likely Qi-enabled. This universal standard also ensures that you’re able to charge any supported device with any wireless charger. You might not get the fastest charging speeds though.

Q: Does my phone support wireless charging?

A: You’ll have to take a look at your phone’s specifications sheet to make sure that it supports wireless charging. Something to remember is that wireless charging remains a high-end feature for now, even if that might change soon. These are some smartphones that support wireless charging:

Samsung: All Samsung flagships going back to the Galaxy S7

All Samsung flagships going back to the Galaxy S7 Apple: All iPhones going back to the iPhone 8

All iPhones going back to the iPhone 8 Sony: Sony Xperia 1 II, Sony Xperia 10 II

Sony Xperia 1 II, Sony Xperia 10 II Google: Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL

Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL LG: Velvet, V60, G8

Velvet, V60, G8 OnePlus: 8 Pro

8 Pro Motorola: Edge Plus

Q: Can I wirelessly charge a phone that doesn’t have built-in support?

A: You could get a wireless charging receiver so that you can charge your phone on a wireless charging pad. Options like the one from Nillkin slot into the USB-C port of your phone and is thin enough to be housed under a case. However, user experience has varied with regard to how effective using this product is. Nevertheless, if you want to add wireless charging to a phone that doesn’t support it, this is the best way to go.

Q: Can I wirelessly charge a phone that has a case?

A: You can get away with charging your phone with a case only if the cover is relatively thin. A case maker will usually advertise the fact that wireless charging is supported as well.

Q: Is wireless charging faster than using a wall charger?

Unfortunately not. Most wall chargers still provide a much faster charging time. Only OnePlus gets close with its Warp Charge 30 wireless charger, but even that is a touch slower.

Q: Can I wirelessly charge one phone with another?

Only with devices that support reverse wireless charging, like Samsung’s flagships. In this case, you can use your phone to wirelessly charge your earbuds, a smartwatch, or another phone.