Top 5 compared
The best car chargers
Arrive with more battery than you set off with, charging the phone fast from the car’s power outlet.
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The top 5 at a glance
A car charger plugs into the 12V socket, which started out as the home of an electric cigarette lighter, installed in cars from the 1920s; these days it mostly powers phones running maps and music. Small two-port plugs sit almost flush and can stay in the socket between trips; three-port ones charge the back seats too, and the strongest have a port for a laptop.
The big number on the box is usually the most one port can give, or every port added up; with two phones plugged in, each port can get less, which is why the table shows both. Most come without a cable, so plan on one for each phone; Anker’s laptop charger is the exception.
What matters
- USB-C with Power Delivery (PD), to fast-charge recent phones.
- PPS as well, for Samsung’s quickest charging.
- A 45W-plus USB-C port to run a tablet or laptop.
- A USB-A port too, for an older cable.
#1Belkin BoostCharge Dual Car Charger 42W
$20–$30
A USB-C port for a newer phone and a USB-A port for an older cable, with PD 3.0 and PPS, so iPhones and Galaxys both fast-charge. Belkin says the 30W USB-C port takes an iPhone from empty to half full in as little as 21 minutes, and a Galaxy in 26.
What owners say: Quick enough that one owner timed about one percent every 90 seconds on a phone, and durable with it. With both USB-C and USB-A, newer and older cables each have a home.
A closer look: One port each for driver and passenger: USB-C for newer phones, USB-A for an older cable such as a Lightning one for an earlier iPhone. Belkin’s own tip is that some cars cut power to the socket when the engine is off, so check the owner’s manual before relying on it to charge while parked.
- iPhone 0–50% in 21 minutes
- Casing made with recycled plastic
- 2-year warranty
Best for: A phone each, front seats
- Ports
- 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A
- Fastest port
- 30W (USB-C)
- Two at once
- 30W + 12W
- Fast charging
- PD 3.0, PPS
- Cable
- Not included
#2Anker PowerDrive III Duo 40W Car Charger (2 x USB-C)
$10–$20
Two USB-C ports at up to 20W each, so the driver and a passenger can both fast-charge a USB-C iPhone or Android phone at once, in a compact plug that leaves room around the socket.
What owners say: A Pixel 8 Pro going from half to full on a 30-minute commute is one owner’s measure of it, and others run a MacBook or two phones at once. Most find it lasts, but a few had it fail inside two weeks.
A closer look: Both ports are USB-C, so an older iPhone needs a USB-C to Lightning cable, and anything with a USB-A plug needs a different charger. Anker notes that a Galaxy Note 10 charges but not at its 25W Super Fast speed, so Samsung owners after the quickest top-up may prefer a PPS port.
- Leaves room around the socket
- 18-month warranty
Best for: Two USB-C phones at once
- Ports
- 2 USB-C
- Fastest port
- 20W (either port)
- Two at once
- 20W + 20W
- Fast charging
- PowerIQ 3.0 (PD)
- Cable
- Not included
#3Anker Nano Car Charger 167.5W (3 ports, with USB-C cable)
$30–$50
Made to run a laptop from the dash: the main USB-C port gives up to 100W, which Anker says takes a 16-inch MacBook Pro from empty to half full in 47 minutes, while a 45W USB-C port and a 22.5W USB-A port look after two phones.
What owners say: Owners like running three things at once off one socket, a laptop among them, and call it solid and weighty in the hand; a few find it gets warm on long runs, and reports on how long it lasts are split.
A closer look: Keep the 100W USB-C port, which Anker calls C1, for the laptop and give a phone the second, 45W USB-C port. Anker notes the Galaxy S26 Ultra charges here at 45W rather than its 65W top speed. The cable in the box is USB-C at both ends, so an older Lightning iPhone still needs its own cord.
- Laptop port marked C1
- 18-month warranty
Best for: Laptops on the road
- Ports
- 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A
- Fastest port
- 100W (USB-C)
- Two at once
- 100W + 45W
- Fast charging
- PD, PPS (Samsung 45W)
- Cable
- 3.3 ft USB-C cable in box
#4KENHAO 67W 3-Port Car Charger (2 x USB-C, 1 x USB-A)
Under $10
Three ports in one small metal plug: two USB-C and a USB-A, so a phone up front and two in the back can all charge at once. Either USB-C port fast-charges at up to 37W with PD, and the USB-A port gives up to 30W with QC 3.0 for an older cable.
What owners say: Owners rate the build and the value, and say it fast-charges a mix of USB-C and USB-A devices without fuss, which makes it a favorite for travel. Several, though, had one give out after a short time.
A closer look: The two USB-C ports suit the phones that need the quickest top-up, and the USB-A port a passenger’s older cable or a dash cam. There’s no cable in the box, so bring one for each phone; it suits a family car where the back seats want charging too.
- All-metal housing
- Fits 12V and 24V sockets
- USB-A suits a dash cam
- One-year replacement
Best for: Phones in every row
- Ports
- 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A
- Fastest port
- 37W (USB-C)
- Two at once
- 37W + 30W (C + A)
- Fast charging
- PD, QC 3.0
- Cable
- Not included
#5LISEN 69W Car Charger, 2-Pack (USB-C and USB-A)
Under $10
Two thumb-sized aluminum chargers in the box, each with a 36W USB-C port to fast-charge a phone and an 18W USB-A port for older cables. They sit flush in the socket, so one can live in each car.
What owners say: Android phones stay at 100% all day on it, according to owners, who also like how it sits flush and how solid it feels. Some are still going strong; others stopped after about two weeks.
A closer look: Give the USB-C port to the phone that needs the quickest top-up and the USB-A port to a passenger’s older cable. LISEN says the aluminum shell sheds heat better than plastic on long drives, and the spare goes in the second car or the glove box.
- Aluminum shell sheds heat
- Sits flush in the socket
- 24-month replacement promise
Best for: Households with two cars
- Ports
- 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A (each)
- Fastest port
- 36W (USB-C)
- Two at once
- –
- Fast charging
- PD, QC 3.0
- Cable
- Not included
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Belkin 42W | #2Anker PowerDrive III Duo | #3Anker 167.5W | #4KENHAO 67W | #5LISEN 69W 2-pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best for laptops | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.1 |
| Price | $20–$30 | $10–$20 | $30–$50 | Under $10 | Under $10 |
| Ports | 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A | 2 USB-C | 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A | 2 USB-C, 1 USB-A | 1 USB-C, 1 USB-A (each) |
| Fastest port | 30W (USB-C) | 20W (either port) | 100W (USB-C) | 37W (USB-C) | 36W (USB-C) |
| Two at once | 30W + 12W | 20W + 20W | 100W + 45W | 37W + 30W (C + A) | – |
| Fast charging | PD 3.0, PPS | PowerIQ 3.0 (PD) | PD, PPS (Samsung 45W) | PD, QC 3.0 | PD, QC 3.0 |
| Cable | Not included | Not included | 3.3 ft USB-C cable in box | Not included | Not included |
| Best for | A phone each, front seats | Two USB-C phones at once | Laptops on the road | Phones in every row | Households with two cars |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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