As modern devices become more powerful, they also become more power hungry. Fortunately, almost everything is USB-C these days – even Apple's latest MacBooks and iPhones – so you can get a charger that will charge virtually anything you have, up to a laptop or handheld game like Steam Deck or ROG Ally. . This is what we recommend today, with a range of chargers to power one to four devices meeting varying requirements.
We've divided our recommendations by total power, with a 45W recommendation ideal for the Steam Deck and other relatively lightweight devices like phones and the Nintendo Switch; a 65W choice for faster handhelds like the Ayaneo 2S and ROG Ally; a 100W choice for the fastest handhelds like the ROG Ally X and entry-level laptops; and a 140W choice capable of charging 16-inch MacBook Pros and low-end gaming laptops. Beyond that, we have two overall choices capable of charging multiple high-powered devices at once, and a portable charger that served us well in our testing.
Best 45W charger: Anker Ace 45W
The Steam Deck requires a decent amount of energy to stay charged, especially if you play it while charging. The advent of GaN chargers means you can now get sufficiently powerful options that are still easy to carry in your pocket, and that's what we have here from Anker. The design changes depending on region, with a foldable option for the US and a decidedly fixed equivalent in the UK, but both support the USB PD standard and deliver the required 45W for less than 20 currency units local.
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Best 65W charger: Anker Nano 2 65W
Another Anker charger we recommend is this model that concentrates all of its charging into a single port. This is ideal for a single, higher-powered device, like a smaller MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, or a handheld like the Asus ROG Ally or AyaNeo 2S, but of course, it's less flexible for Scenarios where you may want to charge multiple devices more slowly. speeds – for example during the night.
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Best 140W charger: UGreen Nexode 140W
This interesting charger can deliver up to 140W through a single port or share charging between three USB devices. Single-port charging speed is ideal for high-end laptops, like the 16-inch MacBook Pro (although a MagSafe cable is required) as well as the latest PC handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally X. If you want to minimize charging Sometimes a high-end charger like this is worth the extra cost.
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Best overall charger: Chargeasap Zeus 280W
This absolute tank of a charger is extremely powerful, with enough power to charge two 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops at full speed. This makes it easy to charge three or even four less demanding USB-C devices, such as Steam Decks, tablets and Switches, and you get four ports: three USB-C and one USB-A. The charger comes with a color display that shows how much power each port is sending; handy for making sure your widget actually loads before you go to bed and just for general nerdy interest – although I wish it was possible to turn off the screen when sleeping in the same room . The Zeus comes with a handy bag in which you can store the charger itself and the three adapters that convert the collapsible US plugs to UK, EU and Chinese standards. Sure, the father of the gods is expensive, but he's certainly powerful.
Note that the charger is not readily available on Amazon US, we have linked another reliable option, a 250W unit from Anker which includes a 140W output, a 65W output and a 45W output, with screen and two USB-A ports. .
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Best overall charger, runner-up: Acefast 218W
If you prefer a more stationary charger, that is, one that comes with a cable to place it on a desk, nightstand or similar, then the Acefast 218W is a better option. This is again a GaN charger for its efficiency benefits, and can be changed between different operating modes with the press of a button on the front. The default mode includes ports for 100W charging, 65W charging, 30W charging, and 18W charging, but there are also modes in which two USB-C ports can draw 100W each with 18W on the remaining USB-C or USB-A port. I like the color screen and transparent front, but again, the auto-dimming in dimly lit environments would be appreciated for use on a bedside table.
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Best portable charger: Storm 2 Liquid
We originally covered the Storm 2 Liquid in 2021, and I still use this 99.36Wh 26,700mAh portable charger on almost all of my press trips. It's far from the easiest option to explain to airport security personnel, thanks to its transparent casing with visible batteries and circuitry, but the sturdy design has remained fully intact and features up to at 100W of USB power from two USB-C ports, a USB-A port and even a honest-to-goodness jack are extremely convenient. Still, the best feature remains its 1.14-inch color screen, now more common among USB chargers, but still impressive. I particularly like its Star Trek LCARS-like operating system, and the live readings of energy coming in and going out are always fascinating.
Note that this charger isn't readily available on Amazon UK, so we've paired it with a less cool but cheaper 24,000mAh power bank from Anker, capable of charging at up to 140W.
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These are all the chargers we have tested and can recommend so far! If you have any questions, ask below and stay tuned for additional technical recommendations from Digital Foundry.
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