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Anker owns the charger market for a reason. Its chargers are consistently well-reviewed, fairly priced, and backed by a real warranty and customer support — three things you cannot say about the no-name chargers that flood online marketplaces. If you are tired of slow charging, tangled cables, and a drawer full of single-device bricks, one or two good Anker chargers can replace most of them.
The only thing you need to decide first is wattage. The rule of thumb is simple: a phone charges at full speed on around 20–30W, a tablet on around 30–45W, a thin laptop on 45–65W, and a larger laptop or a multi-device setup on 100W or more. Buying more wattage than you need is not harmful — a good charger only delivers what the device asks for — but it costs more and takes up more space. Buying too little means slow charging or, in the worst case, a laptop that drains its battery while plugged in.
We picked the chargers below on three criteria: charging speed for the wattage claimed, number of ports and how they share power, and consistently strong real-world reviews. Every pick uses modern GaN technology, which runs cooler and packs more power into a smaller brick than older silicon chargers.
Our top picks at a glance
| Charger | Best for | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|
| Anker 65W GaN charger | Everyday laptop + phone charging | $35–50 |
| Anker Nano 30W | Travel and pockets | $18–25 |
| Anker 100W 4-port GaN | Charging everything at once | $60–80 |
| Anker 20W Nano | Budget phone charging | $12–18 |
| Anker charging station | A desk or nightstand hub | $50–80 |
Prices vary by retailer and season — check the linked retailer for the current price.
1. Anker 65W GaN charger — Best overall
This is the one charger that covers most people. At around 65W it fast-charges a phone, a tablet, and most thin laptops, and with two or three ports it can charge a phone and a laptop at the same time. It is small enough to toss in a bag, and it is the sweet spot where price, size, and power meet.
If your household has one shared charger that lives on the kitchen counter or in a travel bag, make it this one. It replaces the slow 5W brick that came in an old phone box, the bulky laptop brick, and the random gas-station charger, all at once.
- Best for: One charger for a laptop plus a phone
- Why it earns its place: Enough power for real work, small enough to travel with
- Price: Around $35–50
2. Anker Nano 30W — Best for travel
The Nano is tiny — roughly the size of a golf ball — and it fast-charges any modern phone and most tablets. It is the charger you keep in your jacket pocket, your carry-on, or your car, so you are never stuck with a dying phone and no way to charge it.
Thirty watts is the practical minimum for fast charging a phone, and it is enough for a tablet if you are not in a rush. It will charge a laptop slowly in a pinch, but do not buy it as your main laptop charger — get the 65W above for that.
- Best for: Travel, pockets, and bags
- Why it earns its place: The smallest charger that still fast-charges a phone
- Price: Around $18–25
3. Anker 100W 4-port GaN — Best multi-port
If your desk or nightstand has four devices competing for two outlets, this is the fix. A 100W charger with three USB-C ports and one USB-A port can charge a laptop, a phone, a tablet, and earbuds at the same time, and it replaces a power strip full of individual bricks.
One thing to know about multi-port chargers: the total wattage is shared. A 100W charger does not give 100W to every port at once — it splits the power between whatever is plugged in. That is fine in practice, because phones and earbuds draw far less than a laptop, but check the fine print if you plan to fast-charge two laptops from one brick.
- Best for: Desks, nightstands, and families sharing one outlet
- Why it earns its place: Replaces four chargers and a power strip with one brick
- Price: Around $60–80
4. Anker 20W Nano — Best budget
If you just need a phone charger and nothing else, the 20W Nano is the cheapest good charger you can buy. It fast-charges iPhones and most Android phones, it is barely larger than the old 5W brick, and it costs about the same as a coffee.
This is also the right pick for kids’ rooms, guest rooms, and anywhere you want a spare charger that does one job well. Just do not expect it to charge a laptop — 20W is not enough for anything bigger than a tablet.
- Best for: A cheap, reliable phone charger
- Why it earns its place: Full-speed phone charging for the price of lunch
- Price: Around $12–18
5. Anker charging station — Best power strip replacement
A charging station is a power strip with USB-C and USB-A ports built in. It sits on your desk or nightstand, plugs into one wall outlet, and gives you several AC outlets plus fast-charging USB ports in a single tidy unit. No more crawling behind furniture to reach a wall wart, and no more mystery bricks.
This is the best pick for a permanent setup: a home office desk, a bedside table, or a family charging spot in the kitchen. For travel, stick with the Nano — a charging station is meant to stay put.
- Best for: A desk or nightstand charging hub
- Why it earns its place: AC outlets plus USB charging in one tidy box
- Price: Around $50–80
GaN vs. silicon: what is the difference?
GaN stands for gallium nitride, a semiconductor material that replaces the silicon in a traditional charger’s power circuits. In practice, that means two things you can actually feel: the charger is smaller for the same wattage, and it runs cooler under load. A 65W GaN charger is roughly half the size of a 65W silicon charger from a few years ago, and it wastes less energy as heat.
Is GaN worth paying a little extra for? Yes, in most cases. The size difference is real, especially for travel, and cooler operation is better for long-term reliability. Almost every charger worth buying today uses GaN, so you rarely have to go out of your way to find one — but if you see a suspiciously cheap charger that does not mention GaN, that is a sign it is old stock or a no-name copy.
What to avoid
The charger market is full of traps. Skip these:
- No-name chargers with impossible specs. A charger that claims 100W, six ports, and a $9 price is lying about at least one of those things. Stick with brands that publish real safety certifications.
- Chargers with no safety certification. Look for UL, ETL, or an equivalent listing. A charger that skips certification has skipped the testing that keeps it from overheating.
- Using the wrong cable. A great charger with a cheap cable will charge slowly, or not at all. Pair a USB-C charger with a USB-C cable rated for the wattage you need, and replace frayed cables — they are a fire risk.
- Charging everything from one cheap multi-port hub. A low-quality hub can split power unevenly and overheat. If you need multi-port charging, buy one good GaN charger instead of the cheapest hub you can find.
FAQ
Is GaN worth it? For most people, yes. GaN chargers are smaller, cooler, and more efficient than older silicon chargers at the same wattage. The price difference is small, and the size difference is something you notice every time you pack a bag.
Can one charger replace all my chargers? Often, yes — a 65W or 100W multi-port GaN charger can handle a phone, a tablet, a laptop, and earbuds. The exceptions are devices with unusual chargers (some gaming laptops, for example) and anything that needs a proprietary connector.
Do I need Anker cables too? Not necessarily, but the cable matters as much as the charger. Use a good USB-C cable rated for the wattage you are pushing, and avoid the bargain-bin cables that come free with random gadgets. A frayed or under-rated cable is the most common cause of mysteriously slow charging.
Bottom line
Start with the 65W GaN charger — it is the one charger that covers a laptop and a phone for most people. Add the Nano 30W if you travel or want a pocket charger, and the 100W 4-port if your desk is a tangle of bricks. Together, two or three good chargers cost less than a drawer full of mediocre ones, and they charge everything faster.