The best wireless phone chargers for iPhone or Android

Does your desk, office, living room, or kitchen look like Wire City? Mobile devices require many wires, and finding one particular one among many can be a chore — not to mention how unattractive they look when tangled together. What if you had an elegant device that charged your phone wirelessly, using a platform with a single wire instead? A good wireless charger means you don’t have to search for your phone charger and can simply drop your phone onto a charging pad at the end of a long day. Take the clutter out of your life and check out these stylish wireless phone chargers.

Mophie 15W Charging Pad

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Small but fast, Mophie’s 15W charging pad is the perfect choice if you need a small, understated charging pad for the home or office and don’t want to break the bank to get one. With a maximum charging speed of 15W, it’s capable of charging a host of devices at top speed, and its stylish, understated design is also great if you want it to pass unnoticed on a desk or coffee table. The pad itself has an ultra-suede coating, so it’s unlikely to scratch your phone, and the small footprint means it can easily squeeze into cramped spaces.

It comes with its own charging cable, so you don’t need to worry about finding one. However, it is a proprietary cable, so you can’t just grab the pad and plug it in with any other cable you might have lying around — and that might turn you off if you travel a lot. Instead, this is definitely a product that wants to stay in one place and not move around an awful lot. Think of it as a stylish office buddy and you won’t go far wrong.

Ampere Unravel Wireless Charger

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With a clever folding design, the Unravel gives you a trio of wireless charging pads each capable of putting out 10W. The hinges let you fold the Unravel flat to use all three pads, switch it into a triangle shape, or fold it up to use a single pad. In the triangle configuration, a pop-out stand can prop your phone in landscape to watch a movie and have it charge at the same time. With multiple-device support and a fold-up design, the Unravel is the perfect charging solution for trips. It also works well for busy families with multiple devices. As long the device supports Qi wireless charging, Unravel can charge it. We tested it with the Samsung Galaxy S10, Apple iPhone 8, and Google Pixel 4, and it had no trouble charging all three.

The Unravel requires enough power input to support the three pads, but it ships with an ample 60W wall charger and a long USB-C to USB-C cable. Each pad can put out 10W to charge your phone at top wireless charging speed, and there’s also an extra USB-C port that you can use to charge another device. It’s made from durable plastic with a soft-touch finish, and there are soft rubber rings to help guide your placement and protect your phone. The central section also has ribbed sides for extra grip. The Unravel comes in black, black, and red, or a clever glow-in-the-dark finish that’s ideal if you share a room and don’t want to wake your partner finding the charger for your phone in the dark. The Unravel is quite expensive, but you’re effectively getting three chargers in one and the design is really smart. There’s also a slightly different version for Apple fans that’s designed to charge an iPhone, AirPods, and an Apple Watch simultaneously.

Bezalel Altair

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This stylish, minimal wireless charging stand is perfect for your desktop. It’s made from aluminum with a soft suede panel to cushion your phone and two sturdy pegs covered in soft-touch plastic to prop it on. It’s not very heavy, but there’s a rubber panel on the bottom that adds grip to prevent it from sliding around. It can deliver up to 10W, so it can charge an iPhone and most other phones that support Qi wireless charging at top speed. There’s a USB-C port in the back and it comes with a flat, tangle-free USB-C to USB-A cable, but there’s no wall adapter, which is a bit disappointing at this price.

Many wireless chargers are dull or even ugly, but the Altair looks good with or without a phone on it. There’s a white LED between the pegs that lights up when the charger is plugged in and flashes for a second when you place your phone on it, which could prove annoying if you use it on the nightstand. The angle is perfect for face unlock, and it serves nicely as a stand if you want to use your phone hands-free. You can also prop your phone in landscape to watch a movie. Testing with a Pixel 4, Galaxy S10, and an iPhone X, even with a fairly thick case on, the charger did the job; Bezalel suggests cases up to 5mm thick will present no problem.

TwelveSouth PowerPic

Wireless chargers are often something you won’t mind having around the house, but they can be a bit pointless when they’re not actually charging a device. If you hate having black discs lying all over the place, check out Twelve South’s PowerPic. It’s a wireless charger that’s also a picture frame created from New Zealand pine. It’ll take any 7×5 photo or picture, and when you need to charge up your device, just lay your phone over the top of the picture. It might seem a little odd to visitors, but after a quick explainer, we’re sure they’ll be as impressed as we are.

Its wireless charging capabilities are also pretty impressive. It charges at up to 10W, which is fairly fast, even if it’s not the fastest currently available, and using the Qi standard means it can be used with pretty much anything that charges wirelessly. However, the form factor has thrown up a few issues. The iPhone 12 Mini will not work with this charger, due to the placement of the charging coil in the phone. Also, there seems to be some confusion as to whether the iPhone 12 Pro Max in a case will fit within the frame. Some reviews say it will, but some say it won’t. It probably depends on the size of the case, but it seems to be a tight fit regardless — so this may be one to avoid if your phone is on the larger size.

If you want a wireless charger that doesn’t look like a wireless charger, this is the strongest option available to you. Roll on more designs like this — we want to charge our phones on even more household items.

Samsung Wireless Charger Duo Pad

Samsung’s redesigned Duo charger is a solid choice, especially if you have a Samsung smartwatch. The left pad is capable of fast charging at up to 12W with a Samsung smartphone like the Galaxy S10 and at the maximum allowed for other phones, while the right pad tops out at 7.5W and is designed to charge a Samsung smartwatch like the Gear S3, though it can also be used to charge wireless earbuds or another phone, as long as they support Qi charging.

There’s a silent fan inside the larger pad to help keep the temperature down. There’s also an LED indicator light, but it’s not too bright, so this could work well on the nightstand. You’ll have to use the fast charger and USB-C cable supplied if you want the fastest speeds, but you can use this charger with other Qi charging devices, including iPhones. You can get this charger in black or white. The recommended retail price is $100, but this is frequently discounted, so don’t pay full price.

Ted Baker Connected Geeve Wireless Charger

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Popular designer brand Ted Baker’s latest range of iPhone accessories are beautifully made, and as you would expect, very stylish, too. Take a look at the $80 wireless charger, particularly the delectable “brushed chocolate” aluminum finish in our pictures. It’s not only on point fashion-wise, but it goes with most home decor. The top of the charger is covered in Italian suede leather, ensuring it doesn’t scratch your phone if it’s not in a case, and there is a rubber ring under the charger to keep it secure on a desk or table.

The charger supports the Qi standard and operates with the iPhone and with many compatible Android phones. We tested it with the iPhone XS Max, the Huawei P30 Pro, and the Nokia 9 PureView without any problems. It comes with a Ted Baker braided USB Type-C cable, but no wall adapter. You can see the iPhone XS Max is wrapped in a matching $55 Ted Baker case — for the ultimate in accessory coordination — which is highly protective, but doesn’t interrupt the flow of power from the wireless charger.

Moshi Otto Q Wireless Charging Pad

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We like the style of this wireless charging pad from Moshi. It has a practical, gray fabric finish with a silicone ring in the middle that ensures your phone won’t slip off the sweet spot. Functionally, it can put out up to 10W, so it will fast charge a Samsung Galaxy S9 or an Apple iPhone X at their top speeds of 9W and 7.5W, respectively. It comes with a 3-foot, gray, plastic USB-C to USB-A cable, but sadly there’s no wall charger in the box, so you’ll need to pair it with one rated at 12W for best performance.

Although small and light, the bottom of the charging pad is silicone and it grips well on most surfaces. The finish on the top is ideal if you don’t like to cover the glass back of your phone with a case, as it both pads and grips the back of your phone. It can also charge through most cases without issue. There is a small, white LED on the front, which pulses gently when charging and stays lit when your phone is fully charged. It’s not too bright compared to some others, but you might want to make sure it faces away from you if you’re placing it on your nightstand.

Google Pixel Stand

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The Google Pixel Stand is capable of charging smartphones that support Qi wireless charging, including the latest iPhones, at top speed, thanks to the included USB-C to USB-C cable and 18W USB PD power adapter. It’s made of polycarbonate and soft silicone with a base that grips on any surface so that it won’t slide around on the nightstand. The white finish is unobtrusive, so it should blend into any environment. You can prop your phone up on this stand in landscape or portrait view and it will charge because there are two coils inside.

If you’re the lucky owner of a Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 3, or Pixel 3 XL, then the Pixel Stand offers some tempting extra features. There’s a microprocessor inside that recognizes your Pixel phone, and you can configure the stand through your phone’s settings, ensuring it automatically goes into Do Not Disturb mode or acts as a digital photo frame when you place it on the stand. If you play music, the music controls and album art will appear on the screen (you can also use Google Assistant), and there’s a special Sunrise Alarm that uses light from your Pixel phone’s screen to wake you more gently than a traditional alarm. If you don’t have a new Pixel phone to take advantage of the special feature here, then you’re probably better off snagging something cheaper.

Mikol Wireless Charging Pad

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If you’re horrified by the prospect of an ugly plastic puck or stand cramping your home’s style, then Mikol’s marble wireless charging pad could be right for you. This wireless charging pad features black, white, or green marble, with unique, contrasting vein patterns for an opulent look. The solid casing is a metal alloy. It’s capable of fast-charging most phones, but you will need to pair it with a fast wall charger as you only get a Micro USB to USB-A cable in the box.

There are four rubber feet on the bottom of the Mikol pad, which help to prevent it from sliding around, however, the marble surface is a bit slippery, so if you don’t use a case with your phone to give it some grip, then this pad isn’t recommended. The color LED which indicates when it’s charging, shines through the marble, but also out the front and we found it a bit bright for the nightstand. At the very least you’ll want to angle the light away from you. While it does boast a luxurious look, this pad is very expensive — $69 is a sale price from the normal $104.

Kerf Wireless Charging Block

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What could be more unobtrusive than a simple block of wood? The Kerf Wireless Charging Block blends seamlessly with any decor, finished in your choice of wood, from walnut (pictured) to maple, canarywood, padauk, and the list goes on. This charger can go up to 10W, which means it can charge your Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or iPhone XS at top speed. Unusually, it has a USB-C port to plug in and it supports Qualcomm 2.0 and 3.0 fast charging, so it may be able to deliver a higher wattage in the future as standards advance.

These gorgeous hardwood blocks are made in Pittsburgh and they have a cork base to help prevent them from sliding around. There are no superfluous details here, just beautiful natural wood. The lack of an LED also makes this charger an ideal choice for the nightstand. If you just want the charging block, then it costs between $39 and $139 depending on the wood you choose. You can also choose to add a USB-C cable and power supply for an extra $20 and there’s an option for custom engraving.

iOttie iON Wireless Fast Charging Pad Plus

This is another versatile wireless charging pad that can output 10W or 7.5W ensuring that you get the top charging speed possible, whether you have an Apple iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, or something else. With an unusual shape and fabric covering that comes in red, gray, or white, this is an attractive device that really stands out from the crowd. There’s an unobtrusive light in the recessed front and plenty of ventilation to keep the temperature down.

There’s a USB-C input, and we’re glad to find that iOttie includes a 4-foot USB-C to USB-A cable and a power adapter in the box. Interestingly, there’s also a USB-A port on the back that you can use for wired charging if you have another cable handy. If you charge two phones (wirelessly and wired) at the same time then the speeds will be a bit slower as the capacity is split between them, but the USB-A port can go all the way up to 12W when used alone.

Aukey Aircore

Apple’s latest iPhones come with the new MagSafe for iPhone technology — which essentially amounts to a magnet inside your iPhone you can stick things to. We might be a little skeptical about some of the uses of MagSafe, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a great idea. Using MagSafe to attach a wireless charger to your iPhone is a great way to get all the advantages of wireless charging, with the mobility advantage of wired charging, and Aukey’s Aircore is one of the cheapest ways to get this great combination.

It can charge up to 15W, so it’s certainly a speedy little charger, and the small profile means it’ll fit onto cramped desk spaces. Of course, it’s not perfect. While it’ll attach to iPhones magnetically, it won’t do so with most other phones. It’ll still charge them, but the small surface area means you may struggle to balance your smartphone on it. Still, if you’re using an iPhone 12, then this is perfect, and it’ll even charge your AirPods too.

Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad

Belkin’s BoostUp Wireless Charging Pad is tailor-made for on-the-go fast charging. It supports the Qi wireless standard and can deliver up to 7.5W of continuous power to any phone, tablet, or smartwatch that’s certified to support fast-charging Qi. That means top speed for Apple’s iPhone range, but not for Samsung’s latest, which can go as high as 12W. It’s strong enough to charge through cases 3mm thick, which means you don’t have to worry about ripping the case off your device every time you plop it down to charge.

Belkin didn’t cut corners on the charger’s design, either. The BoostUp’s circular charging pad may not be the smallest we’ve seen (7.5 x 1.75 x 5.5), but it detaches from the included AC adapter, making it easy to stuff into a crowded bag. Other nifty touches include an LED status indicator built into the base and a quick start guide that shows you how to orient your phone or tablet properly on the pad.

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