by One of the most important accessories every car owner desires is a good, reliable phone charger to keep the battery percentage high while you run your errands. And sure, a wired charger is a perfect way to charge your phone in your car, and should offer the fastest charging with the right adapter and cable (an iPhone needs a USB-C to Lightning cable for fast charging). However, you have to plug this cable into your phone every time you want to charge it and unplug it when you remove the phone from your car mount, which can be a hassle while driving. With a wireless car charger, you simply place your phone in your car mount—or At it in the case of magnetic mounts – and your phone will start charging automatically.
Wireless charging doesn’t mean no cables are required – you still need to connect the charger to your vehicle. But once it’s set up, all you have to do is plug in your phone when you want to start juicing.
Note that every wireless charger in this buying guide is compatible with any wirelessly charging cell phone, whether it’s an iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, or any other Qi-enabled phone (some magnetic mounts include stick-on metal plates for Android devices to stick to the mount).
Read on to see my picks for the best wireless chargers for cars. I will update this list as new wireless car chargers come out.
Continue reading: Best Car Phone Mounts for 2023
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The iOttie autosense wireless car charger with auto clamp and phone holder is one of the best on the market. Although it’s quite expensive, we’ve seen some nice discounts on it lately. The auto-clamping Auto Sense car phone mount with Qi charging is available in a dash version or a CD and vent clip version. (I tried the dashboard wireless charging mount.) This car wireless charging mount has a beautifully designed telescopic arm with a strong suction cup, and the wireless charging mount function is compatible with most cell phone cases. You get 7.5-watt charging for an iPhone and 10-watt for Android phones, which qualifies as fast wireless charging.
This Qi wireless charger comes with a dual chargeable USB cigarette lighter adapter. My only gripe – and it’s a small one – is that the cable that comes with it is Micro-USB and not USB Type-C. Once this Qi charger is connected to the wireless car charger mount, you can basically forget about it, but if the cable is accidentally unplugged (which happens), it’s easier to plug in a USB-C cable to charge the phone, especially if you ‘ drive again.
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If you don’t mind going with a no-name brand like ZeeHoo, the wireless car charger offers most of the features you need to charge phones, including automatic clamping and a secure suction cup that attaches to the air vent, windshield or can be installed on your car windshield dashboard. It features USB-C and up to 15W fast charging for Android phones that support it (iPhones are limited to 7.5W charging). This updated version has a slimmer design than the original (see below) and costs about $20 less than the iOttie above. However, this wireless charger doesn’t come with a cigarette lighter adapter, just a USB-C cable.
This wireless car charger is one of the most popular generic wireless car chargers with an auto-sensing telescopic arm, and the original version I tried worked well overall, securely attaching to my car vent mount and giving my smartphone or QI-enabled device a quick charge. I liked that the wireless car charger came with both a phone mount for my car’s vent mount (if you only want the vent mount, there is a vent-only version that costs $30).
Note that fast charging requires an AC adapter that supports it (not included).
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Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET
Belkin makes a MagSafe car vent mount that costs about $40, as well as the BoostCharge Pro ($100, see below), which is Apple-certified and wirelessly charges iPhones at up to 15 watts. And while this model — the Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Wireless Car Charger — only charges iPhones at up to 10 watts, it’s cheaper at around $60. The USB-C cable is detachable (it’s built into BoostCharge Pro) and you get a 20-watt cigarette lighter power adapter. I personally prefer a car power adapter with two USB-C ports so a passenger can plug in a cable and also charge their phone, but you can always choose to add that later.
You’ll receive price notifications for Belkin Wireless Magnetic Car Charger – MagSafe Compatible Wireless Car Charger for Car Mount – Air Vent Mount w/ Included Power Adapter for iPhone 14, iPhone 13, and iPhone 12 – Magnetic Car Charger for Phone Mount
iOttie
iOttie offers this MagSafe compatible wireless car charger with a car air vent mount. It has a strong magnet to keep your iPhone in place, and it also has a built-in USB-C cable and cigarette lighter adapter so you can start charging right away. Note that iPhone “fast” charging is capped at 7.5 watts.
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Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET
Scosche’s MagicMount Pro Charge is designed for both MagSafe-enabled iPhones, but can also be used with Android devices if you stick the included MagicPlate to the back of your phone or case (it’s a metal plate that sticks to the mount’s magnet).
You have the option to buy the mount in a variety of styles, including vented and dash versions, as well as one with a telescopic arm. A 20-watt car adapter is included, and the Qi wireless charger offers charging speeds of up to 15 watts with select Android devices (it drops to 7.5 watts with iPhones).
You’ll receive price alerts for Scosche MPQ5DV-XTSP MagicMount Pro Charge5 15W Wireless Charging Dashboard/Vent Magnetic Phone Mount for Car. Updated for MagSafe iPhone 12/13/14 Pro/Pro Max, Plus, Mini along with Galaxy and more
Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET
The Belkin BoostCharge Pro Wireless Car Charger with MagSafe is one of the only MagSafe wireless car chargers officially certified by Apple, which means it can charge iPhones at the highest wireless charging speed of 15 watts (most wireless car chargers only charge iPhone at up to 7 .5 watts on). Watt). The mount swivels so you can view your phone in landscape or portrait mode, and a 20-watt car power adapter is included.
This is a vent mount and it stays in place fairly well and has a strong magnet. That said, it has a bit of weight and I was letting it come out of the car vent when I hit a bump in the road (not a small bump, but a major one). It’s also expensive. But if you want a really fast 15-watt charge for your MagSafe-enabled iPhone, this is the wireless charger to get.
You’ll get price alerts for Belkin BoostCharge™ Pro Wireless Car Charger with MagSafe 15W Extra Strong Magnetic Vent Mount for iPhone 12, 13, 14
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If you already have Apple’s MagSafe wireless charging puck, this Spigen mounting accessory is a great option for bringing it into your car. As said, the MagSafe wireless charger is not included. Also no USB-C cigarette lighter adapter. But at $30, this is a pretty affordable magnetic mounting accessory.
Note: Just make sure you bring the right cigarette lighter adapter to get the maximum 15 watt charging speed. Since this relies on the wireless charging puck’s magnets to keep your phone sticking to it (MagSafe case required if using a case), this isn’t recommended for the larger iPhone 14 Pro Max as it’s more likely to slide off the mount – especially if you hit a bump – because of their weight.
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Screenshot by David Carnoy/CNET
The Scosche MagicGrip FreeFlow Autogrip has two key features: an auto-sense arm that opens automatically when you place your phone in front of the mount (and closes around your phone when you place it on the mount), and a pivoting one Swing arm offers flexible viewing options for your device, including portrait and landscape modes.
This wireless car charger offers charging speeds of up to 10 watts for Android devices and 7.5 watts for iPhones. A 12 volt power adapter is included.
You’ll receive price alerts for Scosche MGQVP-XTET MagicGrip FreeFlow Autogrip Wireless Charging Vent Phone Mount for Car in Black
Aukey
OK, so this isn’t a wireless charger, but many of the wireless car chargers on this list don’t come with a cigarette lighter adapter, so I figured I’d throw it on the list at the end. I originally had an Aukey power adapter on this list but it’s sold out, and this Ainope Mini Slim Fast USB Car Charger offers even faster charging (up to 24 watts) and costs less. It has both a USB-C and USB-A port, so you can charge two devices at the same time, but to get 15-watt wireless charging, it’s better to charge one device.
Note that for the fastest wired charging for iPhones, you must use a USB-C to Lightning cable. This cable is not included.
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