Tech & Electronics
The best USB-C PD chargers of 2019
The best USB-C PD chargers of 2019
Need to charge your phone? Wireless headphones? Laptops? These chargers can do it all.
Best do-it-all USB charger
RAVPower 61W Dual-Port Charger
In my opinion, this little guy is the best of all worlds. It's got both a USB-C PD port and a good old-fashioned USB-A port, so it can charge any device from android smartphones to a wireless headphone to a full-on laptop, and most everything in between, including the Nintendo Switch, Kindle and iPad. (PS4 controllers, which tend to be very picky about their power source, didn't seem to work.) It's great for traveling, thanks to a relatively small size -- it tips the scales at just 105 grams -- and fold-up prongs. Oh, and did we mention it currently costs $30 at Amazon? In separate sessions, this thing charged an HP Spectre x360 or a new MacBook Air from dead to about 65% in an hour, and topped them off fully in a bit over 90 minutes. And when we threw an iPhone X on the second port, it had no trouble charging the phone and laptop simultaneously. Do yourself a favor: Get two -- one to live permanently at home, the other to stay in the go-bag.
Best tiny USB-C laptop charger
RAVPower 61W PD 3.0
If you want ultimate portability, this model delivers the same power as the version above in an even smaller package: It'll fully juice up a laptop or anything else in your bag. The only drawback is that it loses the extra USB-A port. It was previously selling for closer to $50, but now it's about $40. (The white one costs a couple bucks more.)
Best dual USB-C PD charger
Anker 60W PowerPort Atom PD 2
If you don't need the legacy USB-A charging port, this Anker is a good choice. It does split its wattage output, so charging two laptops would slow things down considerably. But when I charged an iPhone and MacBook Air simultaneously, it still got them both to 90% and 80%, respectively, after a fast 90 minutes. Its biggest drawback: at $55, it's the most expensive one here.
Best fast charger for phones and tablets
RAVPower 45W Wall Charger
Let's temper expectations here: At 45W, this USB wall charger isn't intended for juicing up most laptops (though it'll charge one if you plug it in and leave it overnight). But if you want an affordable single-port wall charger for smartphones, tablets and accessories that can easily slip into a pocket or purse, this RAVPower is a great fast charging option -- and this USB wall charger costs just $30. That's just a dollar more than Apple's wall charger that's bulkier and has less than half the wattage (just 18W).
