10 Trustworthy Cord And Charger Brands For Your Phone

Ever since phone makers started leaving charging bricks out of the box, people have been looking for economical ways to get new charging bricks and cables. After all, those charging bricks no longer included in the box are available for sale and are usually much more expensive than similar products from third parties. The thing is, not every product available on the Internet is reliable. In many cases, they're sold by no-name manufacturers that no one's ever heard of. In some cases, the products are clones of one another made by the same single factory and rebranded ad infinitum.

Fortunately, most industries have their mainstays in terms of reliable companies that make decent products. For phone charging, having a reliable product, whether it's a wired charger or a wireless charging pad, is especially important. Most such companies are ones that people who have shopped around on Amazon have heard of before, such as Belkin, Anker, Spigen, and others. However, the list is longer than that, including several other companies that make good products.

While phone makers post about how not including a charger in the box helps the environment or reduces box sizes, you can continue on your merry way and buy yourself a charger that should last you a while. As a boilerplate disclaimer, all mass-produced goods are prone to being occasionally defective, so no company has a perfect track record. You can find people on social media telling you not to buy any brand if you look hard enough.

Just because OEMs don't put chargers in the box anymore doesn't mean that their chargers are bad. It just means you have to buy them separately from the very expensive smartphone you just purchased from them. While it doesn't sit well, it doesn't mean it's not a viable option. Typically, phone makers will make chargers specifically for their products and will meet the specifications for their own smartphones exactly. For example, Super Fast charging on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra works perfectly with Samsung's 45-watt Super Fast charger. 

This logic applies across the board and, in some cases, is entirely necessary. Another example is the fast charging on modern OnePlus phones. It uses a proprietary charging technology it calls SuperVOOC, and no third-party chargers on Amazon can do anything with that. Thus, if you want to get your OnePlus 11 charged to 100% in about 27 minutes, as OnePlus promises, you'll have to buy one of their SuperVOOC chargers to do it. Fortunately, OnePlus is one of the few remaining examples where they still include a charger in the box in some regions, so it's not that bad for OnePlus fans.

In terms of reliability, I still have Samsung and LG charging bricks from many years ago in my closet, and they still work in a pinch. Regarding charging cables, they're as reliable as any and generally come down to how much you bend them or whether or not you leave them in the car.

RAVPower cut its teeth by making chargers, laptop batteries, and portable charging banks. For the most part, they are more well-known for the other parts of their business, but they do make some reasonably reliable chargers. Only a few are in the lineup, and you must search for them all. The reason for that is unfortunate. RAVPower was kicked off of Amazon due to review tampering after offering $35 gift cards to people who left positive reviews. It's not the best business decision, but the chargers are still relatively decent.

For now, there are three models to choose from. One is a 30-watt charger with two USB ports, and the other is a 40-watt charger with four USB ports. The third comes from RAVPower's subsidiary, Alfox, and it's a 35-watt charger with two USB-C ports. They are all reasonably good for their price points and have decent designs. The Alfox charger has USB-C, but the 40-watt RAVPower still has four USB-A ports. It's not the best for multi-device use, like laptops, and is restricted mostly to mobile devices like phones, tablets, and Amazon Kindles.

It's not that RAVPower is bad. Their chargers are generally considered to be pretty decent. However, it seems like newer tech is only available on their subsidiary since that's the only way they can sell on Amazon. Fortunately, their cables aren't as controversial as their Amazon reviews and are actually quite good. 

Ugreen is at the bottom of the list, but it still sells some decent products. Like most third parties, you can find myriad options for both charging cables and bricks with options ranging up to 300 watts for charging bricks and similarly rated cables. Ugreen's options include both single charger wall bricks, and multi-port bricks as well. For example, this 100-watt USB-C charger on Amazon includes three USB-C ports and one USB-A port. That's fast enough to not only charge smartphones but also laptops like the MacBook Pro. 

In terms of reliability, it's usually hit and miss, with more hits than misses. Ugreen doesn't have any particularly nasty products, and their more expensive options end to garner fewer complaints. There was a period where Ugreen products drew ire from Reddit due to a lack of certifications, but the company has since started certifying its products. Some of the chargers have pretty sweet designs. For example, this Ugreen Uno Charger from Amazon looks like a happy little robot. 

Ugreen also sells some of the least expensive USB-C cables of any brand on the list. They work well but, in my experience, tend to not last as long if you leave them in your car over a couple of winters or summers. In short, if you take care of the cables, they should work for a while, too, but if you play rough, you may need to buy one again sooner rather than later. Ugreen backs up most of its products with a one-year warranty.

Baseus isn't the best-known purveyor of charging tech on the list, but their products are reasonably good. They look like their competitors for the most part, but Baseus can shake things up when it needs to. The brand sells a 100-watt retractable cable that extends 4.9 feet, making it quite good for travel. There is also the Baseus GaN5 Pro travel adapter that is long and flat instead of brick-like, which allows it to blend in better with the wall. That travel charger also comes with multiple wall sockets in case you travel internationally. 

These unique designs help separate them from the pack in most cases. That's a good thing, especially since Baseus doesn't have a lot of models to choose from. Its fastest charger is 140 watts and includes two USB-C ports and a USB-A port. There is also a 30-watt and 45-watt single charger model along with an 8-in-1 charging station that doubles as a Qi2 wireless charging dock. That's it. Those are your four options from Baseus. The brand also has a few charging cables to choose from, including the Baseus Habitat cable that supports 100-watt charging. It's also biodegradable and is made of corn. 

Most companies back their products with a one-year warranty, but Baseus goes the extra mile here. Its products have either an 18-month or 24-month warranty, depending on which product you buy. Baseus products do a good job of fitting between the gaps left by most companies, and the corn cable actually looks pretty nice. 

Aukey has one of the larger product lineups of any brand on the list. There are a couple dozen wall chargers to choose from, along with nearly 20 USB cables of varying configurations from lightning to USB-C and USB-A. At the highest end, Aukey offers a 140-watt charger with two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, and there's a myriad of options if you need less power or a different assortment of ports. In general, Aukey sells its products in black and white and in fairly typical designs. In short, Aukey keeps it simple. 

Much like RAVPower, Aukey had a brush with Amazon's review policies and is currently delisted from the site. It was caught up in Amazon's big 2016 crackdown of incentivized reviews and went down along with RAVPower and MPow. Thus, you can only buy Aukey products directly from its website or other retailers like Walmart or Newegg. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to have the quality of the chargers as they are still often recommended on social media outlets like Reddit since Aukey has been doing the whole phone charger and cable thing for a long time. 

Interestingly, like RAVPower, it seems Aukey is selling some of its products under the Amegat branding to skirt its Amazon ban. Fortunately, both Aukey and Amegat offer two-year warranties on their products, which means you'll be covered even if something goes wrong. Two years is a year longer than we usually see for charging bricks and cables.

Satechi is mostly known for its USB hubs and other PC peripherals but does dip its toe into the charging industry from time to time. In this case, the brand has two chargers that should fit most needs. The first is the Satechi 30-watt SUB C charger which should support most modern devices and has modern features like USB Power Delivery. Satechi's more powerful charger is the GaN Travel Charger, which supports up to 140 watts and includes plugs for various types of wall sockets and four USB-C charging ports.

Satechi's cable selection is equally small but still good. The company sells a 100-watt braided USB C cable in a few different lengths, including up to 6.5 feet and as low as 10 inches. They are good quality cables, and Apple even sells them on the Apple Store, which is a pretty good endorsement. The one Apple sells is different from the ones on Amazon, but they are intended more for Mac use than phone use. Even so, it's still a braided cable that supports up to 240 watts, so the one Apple sells is better in terms of specifications. 

The only downside is that Satechi only has one GaN charger, which is the 145-watt travel charger. You can find it more often in the brand's charging stations, such as the Satechi 165-watt four-port station and its six-port, 200-watt charging station. However, those are meant for more hardcore applications like laptop and tablet charging. 

SlimQ has some of the prettiest-looking wall chargers of any brand on the list. Most of them feature a fabric-like texture on the sides with the bright orange logo that stands out from the sea of smooth black or white plastic chargers that you find from virtually every other brand. Most SlimQ chargers also use modern charging technology like GaN charging, which allows for smaller chargers that get less hot when charging at maximum capacity. They not only look good, but SlimQ chargers also work well. 

In terms of products, the selection isn't as wide as some other brands but it doesn't have to be. Chargers range up to 150 watts, which is more than fast enough to charge a laptop. Additionally, some of the chargers, such as the 150-watt SlimQ GaN Charger, are great for travel since they come with multiple USB ports and also multiple plugs to fit various international standards. The cables are similarly nice, and some of them helpfully print the wattage on the cable, so you don't have to wonder what you can do with it.

Perhaps the most unique part of SlimQ's lineup is that they sell chargers for things other than smartphones. You can buy laptop charging bricks compatible with up to 330-watt laptops from SlimQ, which reportedly work pretty well on most laptops. All SlimQ products also come with a one-year warranty, so you can get a properly functioning charger if one arrives in bad shape. 

Spigen is arguably best known for being one of the best smartphone case manufacturers. As it turns out, they also make chargers and cables for smartphones too. Their most powerful charger is the Spigen GaN III 140-watt charger which comes with two USB-C ports. In general, Spigen chargers won't win any design awards as they come in the usual array of designs from blocky to bubbly in varying wattages depending on your charging needs. The brand also sells charging stations that plug directly into the wall and have more USB port options. 

In terms of reliability, Spigen is considered quite good and often gets recommended by both Reddit and pro reviewers. The only downside is that, unlike many competitors, Spigen doesn't often put more than two USB ports on any given charger, relegating the role of charging tons of devices to its charging stations instead. In any case, Spigen keeps its product lineup rather simple, and the only thing consumers need to decide is how much charging power they want.

In addition to simple designs, Spigen keeps their chargers up to date with modern tech. All the chargers we found used GaN technology, and various safety mechanisms were built into them. Spigen does a good job of standing behind their products as well, offering a two-year warranty on all of their chargers. That warranty also extends to their cables, which is a longer-than-average warranty length for a charging cable. 

Belkin is one of the biggest names in phone chargers for a reason. The company has been around for over 40 years and has made tons of electronics. Phone chargers and cables are far from the only thing that Belkin makes, but the company has over a dozen chargers to choose from in varying styles along with a healthy selection of cables that range from 15 watts to 240 watts. Most of them are braided and the longest ones we could find were nearly 10 feet long. That should cover most use cases. 

Generally speaking, Belkin makes reliable products that are often recommended on places like Reddit. Belkin's biggest advantage is that it has variety. There are plugs that hug the walls and connect wires from the bottom rather than the back. Belkin also sells their chargers in multi-packs on sites like Amazon, in case you need to stock up without spending a ton of money. Most of their wall chargers have three or fewer ports with four or more being reserved for the brand's charging stations. Their most common chargers are the BoostCharge chargers. Most of them come with GaN technology and plenty of wattage. 

Fortunately, Belkin hasn't had any controversies or overly bad products to soil its name. Pair that with a two-year warranty on all of its products, and you have a solid overall brand to shop for. It's also worth shopping around at multiple online retailers and Belkin's website because its lineup isn't the same everywhere. 

Anker is one of the biggest names in phone chargers and cables. They have dozens of options that range from simple, single-port chargers to wall chargers with upwards of four USB ports. The brand also has a variety of charging stations with a varying number of ports and a good selection of USB cables. Much like Belkin, Anker's product lineup is slightly different depending on which online shop you go to, so it's worth looking around to see what you can find. 

The sheer number of selections is the brand's biggest strength. You can get a 150-watt charger with four USB ports or something smaller with fewer ports. The cables come in a variety of wattage ratings up to 240 watts in total (and in plenty of sizes). Plus, Anker is one of the best when it comes to in-store availability, as it's available at many brick-and-mortar stores like Best Buy and Walmart. They are often among the first brands recommended online when you ask for them, and their modern stuff comes with all of the usual stuff like GaN, along with safeguards to keep your tech safe.

All of its products are warrantied anywhere from 18 months to forever. It's the only brand we could find that has limited lifetime warranties on USB cables, impressive considering how often those can get messed up.