The best wireless phone chargers mean that you no longer have to mess around with USB or lightning ports. All you have to do is place your smartphone on a charging pad or wireless charging stand and it will charge.
Many of the best camera phones are now compatible with wireless charging. If you're not sure, generally, if a device is Qi-compatible (most iPhone and Android phones) it can be charged wirelessly. Charging speeds are generally slower than if you use a good old cable, but if you've got an iPhone 12, 13, or 14, then Apple's MagSafe charger will supply an impressive 15W of wireless power – that's not far off the 20W supplied by a cable connection.
A few things to keep in mind: while most wireless chargers will charge through a phone case, don't leave a credit card or other RFID card in a card slot on your case, as the wireless charging circuitry could damage the card.
Finally, as a wireless charger can be plugged into the mains via your phone's normal USB wall charger, it probably won't include one in the box. That's fine if your phone came with a high-output fast charger, but if you've only got a basic USB charging adapter, wireless charging will be much slower. A wireless charging pad that includes its own power adapter will keep your charging at full speed. Of course, if you'd rather stick to wired charging, check our guide to the best iPhone charger cable.
Best wireless phone chargers
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This wireless charger is excellent value, capable of up to 15W fast charging to Qi-compatible phones, including the iPhone 13 and newer, Google Pixel 4, and Samsung Galaxy S/Note 10 and newer. The vertical stand keeps your phone's screen easily visible, and it'll charge with your phone positioned in portrait or landscape orientation – great for watching videos as your phone charges. It can even charge through a phone case up to 3mm thick. And unlike Apple's MagSafe charger, this Belkin stands comes with a 24W Quick Charge 3.0 power adapter. There's even a $2,500/£1,500 connected equipment warranty for total peace of mind.
If you're using an iPhone 14, the MagSafe charger is the wireless charger for you. It snaps effortlessly to the back of any iPhone 14 model thanks to a ring of magnets built into the phone, and there's no careful aligning required. Once in place, it juices up your iPhone with 15W of power, resulting in impressively quick charging times. However, while MagSafe will work with the iPhone 8 and up, expect significantly slower charging speeds with older models. The iPhone 12 Mini is also restricted to 12W.
In order to charge your phone while in a case, you'll need to chose from one of Apple's MagSafe compatible. The charger also works with AirPods Pro and the AirPods with wireless charging case. You will need one of Apple's 20W USB-C wall adapters to get the most out of the MagSafe chargers, so if you don't already own one, factor an extra $19 into the total price.
It's not the fastest wireless charger out there, but Yootech's pad is still capable of sending 7.5W to an iPhone 8-12, and a healthy 10W to a Samsung S8 or newer. All other Qi-compatible devices - including the Pixel 3 and above - receive 5W of wireless power. The pad will even charge your AirPods, and can charge through a phone case up to 4mm thick. Another nice touch is the LED charging light switches off once charging is in progress to keep it sleep-friendly. If you're after a wireless charger that won't break the bank, this is it.
Sandisk is a brand you'd normally associate with digital storage products, so it's no surprise that this wireless charger also packs either 128GB or 256GB of built-in storage. The idea is you place your phone on the charger pad and not only will it charge your phone, the pad will also automatically back up your photos, video and phone contacts via Bluetooth.
The system is controlled via the Ixpand Charger app for iOS or Android, which lets you control backup settings as well as enabling back-up syncing capability with more than one connected phone. If you've already got a 200GB or 2TB iCloud account, then you're probably not going to need the back-up capabilities of this charger, but with Google ending its unlimited Google Photos photo storage, the Ixpand Wireless Charger Sync could make a lot of sense if you own an Android phone with wireless charging.
Wirelessly charging two phones simultaneously doesn't have to mean buying two separate wireless chargers. The PowerWave 10 Dual Pad has two charging surfaces, allowing two Qi-compatible phones to each receive up to 10W wireless charge. iPhone's can charge at 7.5W a-piece, and Pixel phones 5W. What's more, unlike most wireless chargers at this price point, the PowerWave 10 Dual comes with a wall adapter included - great if you don't already own a QuickCharge 3.0 power brick. Factor this and the dual charging capability and this wireless charger is terrific value.
Want to wirelessly charge your iPhone, Apple Watch and Airpods, all at the same time? That's exactly what the Belkin 3-in-1 wireless charger lets you do. It's not the fastest charger out there, providing only 7.5W of power to your iPhone and 5W to your watch and AirPods – some way short of the 15W that Apple's MagSafe charger gives an iPhone 12 – but that might not be a deal-breaker if you're charging overnight anyway. Plus, if you need to charge an Android device, the charger is compatible with any phone supporting Qi wireless charging.
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The Oblio is a truly innovative wireless charger, and one that is perfect for the world as it is today. As well as charging your phone, the Oblio can actually disinfect it at the same time. With a UV-C LED located on its front interior, it can eradicate the DNA of microorganisms found in viruses, mould and germs. The LED disinfects a single side of your phone at a time, and has been proven to kill 99.9% of viruses in 20 minutes. You'll just need to remember to flip your phone mid-charge to disinfect the other side.
10W Qi-certified wireless charging gets your phone juiced up quickly, and you can charge any compatible phone up to 8.3cm wide and 1.05cm thick. You will however need to supply your own Quick Charge 3.0 power adapter.
Looking for more accessories? Check out the best add-on lenses for iPhone and Android phones, the best phone cases and the best power bank for your phone or laptop.
