The car battery chargers in this article went through two rounds of review. We started by searching retailers like Amazon, RealTruck, and Advance Auto Parts for top products, looking at factors such as battery type, voltage, customer ratings, and prices.
Our product testing team then ordered the car battery chargers that best met these standards. A team member tested each product on a 2004 Subaru Forester, taking note of how quickly the car battery charger could charge a car battery, versatility, ease of use, and value. Each car battery charger was given a rating out of 5.0 stars based on these criteria.
To test each car battery, we unpackaged it and attached it to a 12.0-volt wet cell battery. We started the battery charger according to the instructions and measured the voltage using a multimeter.
Charging Speed
By considering a battery charger’s voltage and amp hours, you can determine the approximate charging speed. Batteries that charge a car faster received a higher rating in this category.
Most car batteries are 12.0 volts. A higher voltage will charge a battery more quickly, but too many volts can damage your battery. A few volts above a battery’s rating are acceptable and even desirable, but a car battery charger must produce at least 12.0 V to charge a 12.0-V battery. Maintaining a consistent voltage is also important for charging speed and battery protection.
Versatility
Not all car battery chargers will work with every type of battery. While most cars use a wet cell battery, some may use an absorbed glass mat (AGM), gel, or lithium-ion battery. Chargers compatible with the most types of batteries scored best in this category.
Additionally, some car battery chargers have features such as overcharge protection and trickle charging options. Such features also contribute to a battery’s versatility rating.
Ease of Use
An easy-to-use automotive battery charger has long clamp cables and durable alligator clamps. Battery chargers are also easy to use if they have long outlet cords and straightforward interfaces and instructions.
We gave the highest ease of use ratings to battery chargers that could start charging with few button presses, came with strong alligator clips, and featured long cables.
Value
Our value score is based on the relationship between a battery’s rating in all other categories compared to the price.
Why You Can Trust Us
Each year, we test over 350 auto products on vehicles and in our testing lab. Our team of product testers thoroughly researches top products, unboxes and puts our hands on each component, and tests the items on real vehicles before making recommendations to readers.
We publish hundreds of product and service reviews to bring car enthusiasts detailed guides on automotive tools, detailing kits, car seats, pet products, and much more. For more information on our testing methodology and how we evaluate every product, check out our methodology page here.
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It's good to have a backup charger with you wherever you go. Between flipping through Spotify and navigation, it's easy to drain your phone's battery. That's why it's important to invest in a car charger that can keep your phone going, for everyday tasks as well as road trouble or emergencies.
Fortunately, car charger tech has improved. You can now get some high wattage options for maintaining the charge on your phone or rapidly juicing up another device. You'll definitely want to invest in a dual-port charger you can plug in to your vehicle's 12-volt adapter (or "cigarette lighter," if you're old school). And having one that can charge multiple devices simultaneously is a huge perk when you're on the go -- and possibly a lifesaver.
Historically these were two or more USB-A ports, the wide rectangular connection we've had on nearly everything for decades. More recently, there've been a growing number of USB-C options. USB-C, the small, rounded-off rectangle, is found on nearly all cell phones (including -- now -- Apple), tablets, laptops and more. It's basically the new standard in everything but name.
We decided to focus on chargers that have one of each, as this gives you the flexibility to charge newer USB-C devices, plus a "legacy" USB-A port that can connect to any USB devices as long as you have the right cable. (You can always pick up dongles or adapters, too, to go from USB-C to USB-A or USB-A to USB-C.)
In our testing, there wasn't a huge difference in charging times between the models we tested, though some were faster than others.
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$19 at Aukey$19 at AukeyThe Aukey CC-Y48 48W Dual Charger was just a few seconds behind the Satechi in charging speeds. However, it's a lot cheaper and not as tall. It also supports both the QC and PD charging protocols, so it should fast-charge a wider variety of phones and other devices. It offers a lot of benefits for being just fractionally slower in our testing, plus it's one of the cheapest car chargers we tested. An all-around easy choice.
Aukey
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$30 at Satechi$30 at Satechi
While all the chargers we tested charged with fairly similar rapidity, the Satechi charged two devices at the same time the fastest… by a few seconds. But a few seconds is a few seconds. It has a fairly typical torpedo shape, but is taller than the others we tested. That may be a strength or weakness, depending on your car's layout. It's on the expensive side of the chargers we tested, but wasn't the most expensive either.
The Satechi doesn't support the QC fast charging protocol, so if your phone only supports that, check out the Aukey instead. Overall, this is a good charger if you don't mind the height, and a great charger if that height fits your car better.
Satechi
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$26 at Amazon$26 at Amazon
This Anker performed in the middle of the pack in our testing, which in fairness meant just a few minutes behind the leaders. However, its price at the time was the highest of any we tested. It is also the largest, with the output end roughly twice as wide as the barrel. Not a bad charger by any stretch, and if it was cheaper than our winners here, it'd be a great alternative.
Unlike many of the other options we tested, this one is still available on Amazon, too. This similar Anker model is a bit more affordable.
Amazon/Screenshot by CNET
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$18 at Aukey$18 at Aukey
The Aukey CC-A3 is absolutely tiny. In most cars it will likely remain flush with the top of the 12-volt socket itself. To remove it, there's a small handle that pivots up when needed, and folds down flush with the top when not in use. It's a clever design. It's also the second-slowest charger we tested. That equates to about 10% longer to 50% capacity. However, the small size likely makes up for that speed difference.
The CC-A3 supports both the QC and PD fast charging protocols.
Aukey
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$12 at Monoprice$12 at Monoprice
Monoprice has developed a reputation for decent products at low prices, and this charger is a pretty good example of that. Speed-wise it was mid-pack, a few minutes slower than the best, a few minutes faster than the worst. However, at $13 at the time this is published, it's one of the cheapest options here, less than half of the Satechi and in between the price of the two Aukey models at the time of testing.
The Monoprice only supports the PD fast charging protocol.
Monoprice/Screenshot by CNET
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Wotobeus PD 65W: The Wotobeus offered a splash of color in the form of a removable silicone sleeve that covered the larger half of the charger. Despite having the highest claimed wattage rating (83!), it actually charged the slowest in our testing. This, combined with a price the same as some faster chargers, put it out of the running.
We performed both synthetic and real-world testing for all the chargers we considered. Using a MakerHawk Electronic Load Tester, an Uctronics Electronic USB Load Tester and a JacobsParts USB C PD DC Voltage Trigger Test Module I tested the maximum amperage possible for each of the USB-specified voltage outputs each device was capable of . I didn't waste gas to do this, instead I used a Knoter AC to DC Converter which is rated at far more wattage than we were dealing with here. While interesting, and a good test to get a sense of what's going on "behind the scenes," these numbers didn't create terribly useful real-world numbers for most people.
So I used the Uctronics Electronic USB Load Tester to create a "dummy load" at the maximum power output possible on the charger's USB-A output, and then timed how long it would take to charge a fast-charging USB-C device, in this case a Pixel 5. Most battery-powered devices limit the charging speed at the upper and lower ends of the battery's maximum storage, so I timed how long it would take to charge 10% with the battery no lower than 30% and no higher than 70%. Overly cautious? Probably. I also put the phone in airplane mode and waited for the screen to go into standby before timing.
The chart below shows that number, plus a calculated "for 50%" time that estimates how long it would take to charge 50% of this device's battery. Charging speeds between phones/tablets/etc. can vary for a number of reasons. Which is to say your phone, with the same charger, might charge faster or slower than the numbers listed here. However, it should charge roughly the same amount faster or slower compared to one of the faster or slower chargers.
The large Anker PowerDrive Speed Plus on the left, the winning Aukey Dual (USB-C/USB-A) Car Charger on the right.
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