Search Wirecutter For: Search Reviews for the real world Browse Close • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Browse Close • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •. If you need a new charger for your USB-C–powered MacBook or PC laptop, the safest bet is to get the same model that shipped with it.

MacBook Pro (pictured), MacBook Air, iMac Pro, iMac, and Mac mini have multiple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports. If your Mac has only one port like this, it's a MacBook with USB-C. That port supports all but the Thunderbolt solutions in this article. MacBook has just one port, which supports USB-C.

But if the stock charger is difficult to find or expensive, or if you want additional charging ports, we think is the best option. We tested 19 USB-C chargers with seven computers and found that the Nekteck charger is powerful enough to charge almost every USB-C laptop at full speed, and it’s, which means it should be safe to use. It also has three USB-A ports for charging other devices at the same time, and it’s affordable. Along with a dedicated core of Wirecutter writers and editors, I’ve been neck-deep in trying to make sense of the since early 2015. In addition to this guide to chargers, I wrote our comprehensive, as well as our. I also consulted with, a volunteer with Google’s. He’s an independent tester who has worked with, a famed (in these circles) Google engineer who first brought to light potential issues with USB-C accessories.

Nathan tests with professional hardware and software, reporting his findings for free. He didn’t have final say on any of our picks but rather provided general guidance on the topic. Who should get this. Every computer comes with a charger, but at times you might need or want an extra: Some people like to have one charger that they leave on their desk and another to toss in their bag; others like to have a charger in every place they work. And, of course, sometimes chargers get lost or broken, so you need a replacement. Given, the safest option is to just buy a spare of the charger that came with your computer—you know that it works, and works safely. However, while some PC makers let you buy a replacement for the charger that came with your laptop, not all do, and, oddly, sometimes a spare stock charger isn’t easy to find and purchase.

These adapters are also often designed specifically for the computer they came with, so they might not work as well (if at all) with other computers if you ever upgrade or want to use the charger with multiple computers. If your laptop’s stock charger is difficult to find or expensive, if you want a charger you know will work with other laptops down the road, or if you want something that can also charge your other mobile devices at the same time, consider the models we recommend here. HP computers tend to work with only HP chargers. This guide covers chargers for laptops that get power via a USB-C connection and specifically use (USB PD), a technology that lets USB-C transmit the high power required to charge a laptop. Most laptops still use traditional power adapters, but USB PD is slowly becoming more common. Popular laptops that charge via USB PD include Apple’s 12-inch MacBook and 2016 (and later) MacBook Pro models, Lenovo’s X1 Carbon, HP’s Spectre x360, recent Dell XPS 13 models, and the Asus Chromebook Flip C302SA.

You can also charge any USB-C tablet or smartphone with one of these chargers, though few will benefit from USB PD—if you aren’t charging a laptop, you can save a good amount of money by getting a lower-powered USB-C charger made for phones and tablets. How we picked. A selection of the USB-C laptop chargers we tested in early 2017. Photo: Kimber Streams In the early days of USB-C, no single charger worked with every computer. In December 2015 and found plenty of issues when crossing brands. Thankfully, things are getting a little easier as the USB-C standard matures: In a, PCWorld found that with just a few exceptions, most current USB-C chargers will charge most current USB-C computers. We focused our 2018 search on the list of chargers that have been, which means they’ve passed the USB-IF Compliance Program.