So, your phone battery is running low. You need a full charge ahead of a day at work or school – potentially ahead of a road trip – or maybe even ahead of a night out on the town. But you look down and see that your phone is charging at a snail’s pace. It’s not looking good.
Now, you’ve got to set your phone to low power mode, have brightness at the bare minimum, and maybe even switch airplane mode on. If that sounds like something you’ve experienced, then I may well know why. Your phone charger and cable may not be enabling fast charging on your device, which is a necessity if you want to get back to 100% in no time.
‘Wait – isn’t a fast charger expensive?’ I hear you cry…well, it doesn’t have to be! You can get a model capable of 25W charging – often plenty for speedy battery replenishment – for less than $15 / £15! I’ve listed a few options below that I’ve personally tested and consider high quality.
But a quick note before we dive into things. Modern phones have variable charging capabilities, so make sure you pick an adapter that best serves your device. For instance, the iPhone 16 only needs a 20W adapter or higher to fast charge. But a model like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, for instance, supports charging up to 90W, meaning you’ll need a higher capacity adapter to access peak performance. Right then, let’s hop to those recommendations.
1. The best bargain buy: UGreen Nexode Mini 30W
The UGreen Nexode Mini 30W offers enough power to activate fast-charging on a large portion of modern handsets – just pair it with a USB-C cable and you’re all set. On top of that, it’s regularly on sale for just over $10 / £10, making it an absolute steal.
When I tested the Nexode Mini, it performed to a high standard, juicing my phone up in the expected timeframe, and its diminutive build proved useful in use during a train journey with limited space. It only has one USB-C port, but if you just need to charge your phone or a pair of the best wireless earbuds, say, that shouldn’t be a problem.
In addition to its highly compact, foldable design, the Nexode Mini has a beautifully finished exterior as well as built-in protection against overvoltage, overheating, short circuiting, and more. I also really like the fact that it can be purchased in either Blue or Silver Gray – a nice break from the typical black and white models.
Read our full UGreen Nexode Mini 30W review.
2. The multi-port mid-ranger: UGreen Uno Charger 100W
OK, I absolutely love this charger – yes, I know it’s just a charger – but to me it’s so much more. This model comes in the form of a mini robot, which will act as the ultimate charging companion. It has 100W of power, which can be spread across up to four ports, or you can channel all 100W through USB-C port 1.
As you may expect, this model is a truly fantastic performer – it’s also highly versatile thanks to its inclusion of both USB-C ports and a USB-A slot. But the real highlight of the UGreen Uno Charger 100W is its display. This exhibits a range of emotions, from joyful, through surprised, to flushed – and some of these are even tied to your device’s charging status.
I use this model every single day to charge my phone, Dualsense controllers, and sometimes even my laptop. Given its high maximum power output, multiple ports, and fun display, it’s also very generously priced. Yep, the UGreen Uno Charger 100W has a list price of $59.99 / £55.99, but I’ve regularly spotted it on sale for a touch over $50 / £40! If you don’t quite need this much power, I’d also strongly recommend the similar UGreen Nexode RG 65W.
Read our full UGreen Uno Charger 100W review.
3. The premium powerhouse: Anker Charger 140W, 4 Port, PD 3.1
This one’s for anyone who needs a huge power dosage. The Anker Charger 140W, 4 Port, PD 3.1 (bit of a mouthful, I know) offers multi-port fast-charging, great performance, and even comes with a USB-C cable in the box.
Like the UGreen Uno Charger 100W, this rival has a display, which gives you all the info you need on charging performance and temperature levels. Its foldable design and premium exterior also make it feel worth its list price of $89.99 / £89.99 – though I spotted it going for around $20 / £20 less than that at the time of writing.
You can route the charger’s maximum 140W through a single port if you’d like, meaning this model can even revive a phone like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus 5G – or even 2024’s Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 – at top speed.
Read our full Anker Charger 140W, 4 Port, PD 3.1 review.