It has been a while since most manufacturers no longer come with charging heads when selling mobile devices. Whether this is good for the environment or not, it does give you the freedom to choose the best phone charger for your needs.

However, choosing a charger is not simply choosing a high-power wall charger. If you really want to choose a practical charging head that meets modern usage needs, then I will consider the following four key factors when purchasing.

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4 Availability of multi-interface design

Nowadays, most of us need to charge multiple mobile devices almost every day, which is nothing new. For me, everyday devices include smartphones, tablets, laptops and smartwatches. If I use a single interface charger for each device, I might have to have a special plug-in board to meet the charging needs, not to mention how much cable trouble this will add to the already messy workbench.

Because of this, I always tend to choose a multi-interface USB charger. It can charge multiple devices at the same time, eliminating the hassle of switching multiple charging heads every day, and also making the entire charging environment more tidy and orderly.

You can choose the right multi-port charger based on the number of devices you need to charge at the same time on a daily basis. For most people, a three- or four-piece charging head is sufficient and not too bulky. In addition, it is recommended to choose models equipped with both USB Type-A and Type-C interfaces to be compatible with a variety of devices – whether it is low-power accessories that still use Type-A cables or high-performance devices that use Type-C fast charging to handle it easily.

Ugreen Nexode Pro 65W USB-C Wall Charging

$31 $50 Save $19

Maximum output power

65W

Charging interface

USB-C, USB-A

size

2.6 x 1.57 x 1.22 inches (66.04mm x 39.87mm x 30.98mm)

Is there a line included?

yes

brand

Ugreen

This Ugreen charging head comes with two USB-C and one USB-A port, which is ideal for simultaneously recharged for multiple mobile devices. It supports up to 65W output and is compatible with USB PD, PPS and Qualcomm QC 4.0 fast charging protocols.

$31 Buy on Amazon Expand Close

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3 Supports USB power transmission and Qualcomm fast charging

Another requirement I never compromise on is that the charger must natively support USB Power Delivery (USB PD) and Qualcomm Quick Charge (QC) technologies, which are the two most mainstream fast charging standards on the market. Although USB PD has become widely popular and covers more device types, some devices still rely on the QC protocol.

Although using a USB PD-enabled charger can also charge a QC-enabled device, if the charging head itself has native QC support, it is more likely to achieve the highest speed that the device can achieve.

It is worth mentioning that Google and Samsung phones usually rely on a technology called Programmable Power Supply (PPS), an optional feature in the USB PD standard, not all chargers that nominally support USB PD have this feature. Therefore, if you are using a Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy series phone, be sure to check if it supports PPS when choosing a charger.

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2 Enough total output power to support multi-device charging

Although a multi-interface charger is good, since all interfaces share the total power, the actual output power of each interface will drop when multiple devices are charged simultaneously. Therefore, when selecting a charger, you must make sure that its total output power is high enough to provide a considerable charging speed for each device even if all interfaces are in use – especially if you are planning to charge a USB PD-enabled laptop with the same charger.

It is crucial to understand the specific power requirements of the equipment you are using. For most people, a 100W to 150W charger is more than enough, and can maintain good charging efficiency even when running at full load. If you don't plan to charge your laptop with it, the 65W model is perfectly enough.

Anker 150W Max USB-C Charger

$59.99 $109.99 Save $50

Maximum output power

150W

Charging interface

3 USB-C, 1 USB-A

size

2.66 x 1.22 x 2.41 inches

Support Agreement

USB PD, PPS

brand

Anker

Anker's 150W USB charger can quickly charge up to four devices at the same time, is fully compatible with mainstream fast charging protocols, and the overall design is relatively compact.

$59.99 Buy on Amazon Expand Close

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1 Whether to use gallium nitride (GaN) technology

GaN means gallium nitride, you may have seen this term in many charger promotions. It is a new material for semiconductors to replace traditional silicon-based components. Compared with silicon, GaN brings several significant advantages.

For example, it is more efficient in power conversion and produces less heat; even if heat is generated, GaN can distribute it more effectively to prevent equipment from overheating. Additionally, it can handle higher power in a smaller volume, so GaN chargers are generally smaller and lighter than traditional silicon-based products. At the same time, it can operate stably in high temperature environments. These advantages make the GaN charger surpass traditional models in performance.

Nowadays, GaN technology is quite popular and the price is no longer high, so there is no reason to choose an old-fashioned charging head based on silicon materials.

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The above four considerations helped me choose a variety of very satisfactory charging heads. After all, choosing a powerful and high-quality mobile phone charger shouldn't be a complicated task.

If you want to learn more about charging your phone, you might as well see how to make your Android phone charge faster and why you need an ultra-fast car charger.

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