Methodology: how we select and evaluate chargers

The short version: published data, stated criteria, and honest labels for what we don't know.

Wireless charging

These are separate claims, and we show each one only when the maker states it:

Qi: the common wireless charging standard, which sets no magnets.
Qi2: the Qi version that adds a ring of magnets to hold the phone in place.
Qi2 Ready: a phone the maker says is prepared for Qi2, as the maker defines it. It is not the same claim as Qi2.
MagSafe: Apple's magnetic wireless charging for iPhone.

We never infer one from another. A product that is Qi2 Ready isn't listed as Qi2, and MagSafe isn't listed as Qi2. We record a phone's wattage under a standard only when the maker ties that wattage to that standard. A wattage the maker ties to its own accessory, or a branded speed name, isn't recorded as a standard wattage.

A charging spot counts as magnetic only when the maker says so. We don't infer magnets from Qi2 or MagSafe.

When we check whether a charging spot suits a phone, the rules are:

Common standard. The phone and the spot need a standard in common. If they share none but both are in the Qi family (Qi, Qi2, Qi2 Ready and MagSafe), the phone should charge at basic Qi speed, and we label it “Needs verification.” Outside the Qi family, such as an Apple Watch charger or a proprietary standard, it's “Does not meet stated requirement.”
Wattage. We compare the spot's stated wattage with the phone's wattage for the same standard. If either is missing, the label is at best “Needs verification.” If the spot is slower than the phone's stated wattage, the label is “Works, but slower.”
Generic phone choices. “iPhone with MagSafe,” “Phone with Qi2 magnets” and “Phone with Qi, no magnets” have no wattage, so results ask you to check your phone's own wireless rating. “Not sure” gives “Needs verification.”
Magnets on a stand or dock. On a magnetic stand or dock, a phone without stated built-in magnets is capped at “Needs verification” and told it needs a magnetic case or ring. When we haven't recorded whether a phone has magnets, we say that rather than claiming it has none.
Magnets on a pad. On a magnetic pad the phone keeps its label, with a note to align it by hand.
Power adapter. If the adapter isn't in the box, the note gives the wattage the maker says the stated speed needs. If the maker doesn't state that wattage, the label is at best “Needs verification.”

A phone's wireless data shows Not published until we've researched it from the maker's pages, and we don't guess it from the phone's model line.

In the finder, wireless results are ordered by label first, then by the priority you chose: weight, the fastest stated output, the most charging spots (then wired ports), or, for “Balanced,” the fewest data gaps, then the fastest stated output at a phone spot. “Don't overbuy” means the fewest charging spots beyond what you need, then the lightest. Ties are broken alphabetically.

Car chargers and mounts

Plug-in car chargers are checked like any wired charger. Magnetic mounts are checked at their phone spot, plus any wired port. Where a maker states how a mount attaches, we show it as one of these:

Vent clip: the maker says it clips to an air vent.
Dashboard: the maker says it attaches to the dashboard.
Windshield: the maker says it attaches to the windshield.
Cup holder: the maker says it fits in a cup holder.
Other: the maker describes another way to attach it.

When the maker doesn't say, we show “Not published.” A mount's adapter is its car adapter, the unit that plugs into the 12V socket. The notes on a mount's result say:

“Needs a 30W car adapter, sold separately,” when the maker states the wattage it needs and the adapter isn't in the box.
“Needs a car adapter sold separately, and the brand doesn't state which wattage,” when the adapter isn't in the box and the maker gives no wattage. At the phone spot, the label is then at best “Needs verification.”
“The brand doesn't say whether a car adapter is included,” when the maker doesn't say either way.

Mounts use the same rules as wireless charging above, including the magnet cap. The first phone you list is the one the mount holds. We check it at the phone spot, or on the mount's wired port if that fits better. On either path, a phone not stated to have built-in magnets, on a magnetic spot, is at best “Needs verification” and is told it needs a magnetic case or ring.

Your other devices are checked on the mount's wired ports. A mount with no wired port can't charge them, so it's “Does not meet stated requirement.” With no phone in your list, a mount never fits.

In the car finder, results are ordered by label first. “Holds my phone” then puts mounts first. After that, each product's own figure decides: the strongest port for a plug-in, or the fastest phone-spot output for a mount. Products that don't publish it come last, and ties are broken alphabetically. “Balanced” skips the mounts-first step.

How products are selected

We start with widely available USB-C wall and desk chargers, wireless chargers, and car chargers and mounts, across power levels, brands and use cases. A charger is listed only if it is from an approved brand (see below) and its manufacturer publishes enough specification data to describe it responsibly, including at least its total output and port layout. For a wireless charger, that means its charging spots and the standards each one states. We also record each spot's stated wattages and whether a power adapter is in the box, and show “Not published” where the maker doesn't say. A plug-in car charger needs the same as a wired charger: its total output and port layout. A magnetic car mount needs the same as a wireless charger, plus how its maker says it attaches, or a note that it doesn't say. We focus on current US models and note when a specification comes from another region's page.

Being listed isn't an endorsement or a safety guarantee. Each product also carries statuses for certification, independent reviews and reported problems, explained below. New products are listed straight away with those statuses shown, and being new doesn't protect a product from later findings.

Brand criteria

We list products only from brands the site owner has approved. A brand qualifies when all three of these hold, each backed by evidence we keep:

An official website with product pages and published specifications, not only marketplace listings.
A stated warranty with readable terms, including a stated length and how to claim.
A brand-run support channel: a support email, ticket system or support site, not only marketplace messaging.

Brands that sell mostly on Amazon can qualify if they meet these criteria. Marketplace brands without a warranty or support don't. We may use the brand's own pages in any region (with the region noted), warranty cards and manuals, FCC records, and archived snapshots of the brand's own pages as evidence. We research brands and present the evidence; the owner makes the approval decision.

Manufacturer claims vs. independent testing

Every specification is labelled with its basis:

Manufacturer-stated: taken from the manufacturer's product page, support article or manual.
Independently tested: measured by us or a named independent lab. We'll show these separately and link to the test.
Not published: no source we checked states it. This is never treated as “no.”

Today, all catalog data is manufacturer-stated. We haven't tested any charger hands-on, and we say so on every product page. Manufacturer figures are maximums under ideal conditions; real-world output can vary with temperature, cable and device.

We don't use retailer listings as a specification source. Product images on WattAPick are illustrations generated from each charger's port data, not product photos.

Prices

We link to three kinds of store: the manufacturer's own, Amazon and Best Buy, and only official sellers. On Amazon that means Amazon.com or a seller the brand names; on Best Buy, Best Buy itself and not a Marketplace seller.

Prices are checked once a day at the manufacturer's store and Best Buy. We don't show Amazon prices: Amazon's terms don't allow us to read them from its pages, so an Amazon link goes straight to the product, where Amazon shows its current price. A price older than 48 hours, a store that is out of stock or an unofficial seller shows no price. The highlighted price is always the lowest current price, and commissions never change the order.

Certification

A product counts as certified (and matches the Certification confirmed filter) only when we have a record: a listing in the certifier's own public database (such as UL Product iQ, the Intertek ETL Directory or a comparable nationally recognized testing laboratory directory), with its listing or file number and the date we checked it. A logo on a box, product photo or retailer page doesn't count. Otherwise it shows Certification pending, which means we couldn't confirm a listing yet, not that the product is unsafe.

An FCC ID is recorded separately as regulatory information about radio-frequency emissions. It isn't a safety certification. See alsowhat charger certifications mean and how to check them.

Independent reviews

A review counts only when the reader can see the evidence. It must meet all of these:

Who: a named publisher or channel that is editorially independent of the brand, with any sponsorship disclosed. Websites and video channels both count. We don't require a formal published test method.
What: measurements or a teardown of this exact model, shown rather than just claimed. For example, meter or load-tester readings on screen or in a photo, measured power sharing, temperature readings or a teardown.
When: dated.

These don't count: retailer customer reviews, unboxings, spec recaps, and impressions without shown measurements. We never copy ratings, scores or review text. The summary beside each review is ours: what they measured and found, with a link to the source. Without a qualifying review, a product shows No independent tests yet, and its specs remain the manufacturer's claims.

New and withdrawn products

New: the product's release month is within the last 6 months. The label clears itself afterwards. The release month is when the product became available to buy, from the manufacturer's announcement or product page, not a retailer's “first available” date. If it isn't published, we say so and the product is never labelled new.
Certification pending: no confirmed certification record yet.
No independent tests yet: no qualifying review yet.
Problem reported: a recall, or a qualifying review reporting a serious issue such as output well below the manufacturer's claim, overheating or a failed safety-related test.

Recalls: an official recall (for example from the CPSC or the manufacturer) withdraws the product. It is removed from the catalog, finder, comparisons and collections. Its page stays reachable with a prominent recall notice and a link to the official notice, and is hidden from search engines, so old links inform rather than mislead.

Serious review findings attach a visible warning that summarises the finding and links the source. The owner then decides whether to keep the product listed with the warning or withdraw it.

Resolved problems stay on record as history on the product page, but no longer trigger “Problem reported.”

Verification dates

Each product shows when its data was last checked against the sources listed. If a manufacturer revises a product, we re-check it. Where sources disagree (for example, a product page and a manual), we note the conflict on the product page.

Power sharing

For multi-port chargers we record the manufacturer's published split for each combination of ports. If only a combined total is published, we show it as such and treat the per-port split as unknown. Some chargers list alternative modes (such as “45W + 22.5W or 60W + 5W”); we only rely on a mode when the manufacturer states when it applies.

Filter definitions

Laptop charging: At least one USB-C port rated 60W or more, enough for many 13–14" laptops.
Phone charging: A USB-C port rated 18W or more, the level where most phones fast-charge.
Several devices at once: Two or more ports.
Travel-friendly: Folding prongs and a published weight of 150g or less.
Compact: a published volume of 80 cm³ or less, calculated from the manufacturer's dimensions.
Released in the last 12 months: the release month is published and falls within that window. Unknown release dates don't match.
Certification confirmed: at least one certification record, as defined above. Pending products don't match.
Independently reviewed: at least one qualifying independent review. Products without one don't match.
Standard (wireless): at least one charging spot states that exact standard. Qi2 doesn't match Qi2 Ready, and MagSafe doesn't match Qi2. Choosing several matches any of them.
Form (wireless): pad, stand or dock, as the maker describes it.
Devices at once (wireless): at least that many charging spots, one device per spot.
Power adapter included (wireless): the maker states a power adapter is in the box. Products where it isn't published don't match.
Kind (car): plug-in car charger or magnetic mount. Choosing both shows both.
How it attaches (mounts): the maker states that way of attaching it. Choosing several matches any of them. Mounts where the maker doesn't say don't match.
Wireless output (mounts): the fastest stated output at a phone spot is at least 15W or 25W. Mounts with no stated phone-spot output don't match.
Car adapter included (mounts): the maker states a car adapter is in the box. Where it isn't published, the mount doesn't match.
Newest first (sort): by release month, with unknown release dates last.

How the finder ranks results

The finder is a deterministic set of rules, with no AI and no hidden scores:

Each device you select gets an approximate power need (you can set your own).
For each device on its own, we check that a suitable port (USB-C where needed) is rated for that need.
For devices charging together, we take the most demanding ones and check the manufacturer's published split for that number of ports, trying every device-to-port arrangement.
Each charger gets one label: Likely fit (published data covers every need),Needs verification (data is missing, such as an unpublished split),Works, but slower (it will charge, but below what you selected), orDoes not meet stated requirement (for example, not enough ports).
Within each label, chargers are ordered by the priority you chose: weight, power headroom, port count, or the closest power fit. Ties are broken alphabetically.

A “Likely fit” isn't a compatibility guarantee for a specific device model. Always check your device's own charging specs.

When you pick an exact model instead of a device type, the finder uses that device's own target wattage, set by the rule in the next section.

Devices and compatibility

Device data comes from manufacturer pages only: a maker's spec sheet, support page or press release. Each device record keeps the maker's own wording, the source links and the date we checked. If a maker publishes no charging figure, the device isn't listed.

We pick the wattage to shop for with a three-step rule, in this order:

Stated maximum. The most the maker says the device can accept. This is the strongest basis. When the maker states a range, such as “charges at A–N W”, N is the stated maximum.
Fast-charge minimum. When no maximum is stated, the wattage the maker says fast charging needs or more.
Box adapter. When neither is stated, the wattage of the adapter that ships with it. The device may accept more. We use the adapter in the box of the base configuration; when configurations differ, the highest one.

The labels mean the same as in the finder: Likely fit,Needs verification, Works, but slower andDoes not meet stated requirement. “Likely fit” means the charger's published figures cover the device's stated need for its basis. It doesn't mean we tested the pair, or that the device reaches its top charging rate.

Some phones need PPS (a USB PD feature that fine-tunes voltage) to charge at their stated rate. If the charger's maker states it has no PPS, the device still charges, only more slowly, and we label it “Works, but slower.” If the charger's maker doesn't publish whether it supports PPS, we can't tell, and we label it “Needs verification.”

Some devices need USB PD AVS (a higher-voltage mode) for their top charging rate. We don't record whether chargers support AVS, so a device whose maker requires it always shows “Needs verification.”

Wattson's Picks

The “Wattson's Pick” label is reserved for chargers that meet a published criterion for a specific use, such as the smallest published volume or the strongest published two-device split. Each pick explains who it's for, why it was chosen and that it's based on documented specs, not hands-on testing.

Ranking and money

Commission rates never influence what we list, how we rank it or which products become picks. The default catalog order is Wattson's Picks first, then alphabetical. We don't show prices, because we don't yet have a compliant source of verified prices.

How we evaluate chargers

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