5 Best Wireless Car Chargers That Actually Held Up During Road Trips

The iOttie Auto Sense one of the most adjustable car-charging mounts you can buy. Its claw grip widens significantly and automatically to accommodate smartphones of all sizes from the pocket-friendly iPhone 12 mini to the big screen behemoths like the Galaxy S21+. It has two “feet” at the bottom that you can lower to easily ensure that your smartphone’s charging coils line up with the charger’s coil to begin powering up.

This Qi charger comes in multiple variants. There's a model that affixes to your vehicle's AC vent or CD player, another that sticks to your dashboard or windshield, and even a version that rests in your cupholder. 

We love that the mount rotates, meaning that you can use your phone in landscape or portrait mode. We also liked that its arm extends and lets you move your phone not only higher or lower, but also closer to you while you're driving. During our tests, we measured that its arm extends from 5 to 8 inches long.

The iOttie is powerful enough to charge your phone even through a thick leather case, it's backed by a 2-year warranty, and it includes a lengthy microUSB charging cable. 

More: Don't Forget a Wireless Charger for Your Home, Too

Most wireless car chargers feature claw-shaped designs that grip your device and may even scuff their leather cases. Scosche's mount resolves this issue entirely with the use of magnets.

Like other wireless car chargers, this one affixes to your air conditioning vent, your dashboard, or your car's windshield with a suction cup base, but what makes this one different is how you attach your phone to it.

Instead of setting your phone inside of a claw or a cradle, you stick a small magnet to your phone's backside or place the magnet in your phone's case. Then, you just stick it to the magnetic charging pad, and voilà — your phone starts charging. The strong magnet keeps your phone stable and secure, even on bumpy roads.

Our only complaint is that the MagicMount can occasionally get warm. This charger doesn't feature a cooling fan like the iOttie iTap 2 we previously recommended. What it does offer, though, are faster charging speeds, a more versatile USB-C cable, and a sturdier magnetic mount system. And although it can get warm, you can rest easy knowing your phone won't overheat, since the charger will automatically shut itself off in the event it gets too hot.

For owners of the iPhone 12 series smartphones, which includes the iPhone 12/12 Pro/12 mini/12 Pro Max, we recommend the incredibly sleek ESR HaloLock charger. It's the first option that works with Apple's new MagSafe technology. 

In case you're unfamiliar, the latest iPhones use an array of built-in magnets that allow compatible accessories to seamlessly snap onto the back of an iPhone. Other magnetic mounts require you to stick adhesive magnets to the back of your phone or within a case, but no extra attachments are needed with this charging solution.

ESR sells a variant of the charger that sticks to your vehicle's air conditioning vent, or you can opt for a separate model that uses a suction mount that you affix to your dashboard or windshield. It's worth mentioning that this car charger does not include the car charging adapter. 

It also only delivers up to 7.5 watts of power. For context, Apple's official MagSafe charger dishes out 15 watts of power, meaning this one is slower. We still think it's worth buying, especially since it's the only MagSafe charger available.

We've been comparing wireless car chargers for two years now and have noticed a trend. Almost all models are docks that hold your phone and keep it within view. For those who'd rather stow their phone in their center console, we recommend the ZealSound. It's one of the few chargers that let you rest your phone flat, so you won't be distracted by it when you're driving.

ZealSound thought of even the smallest of details when designing this charger. It’s water-resistant, so you don’t have to worry if you accidentally spill your morning coffee on it. It comes with a quick charging plug and USB cable and features a silicone gel bottom, and there’s a half-inch tall border to contain your phone and keep it from sliding all over the place.

It's worth mentioning that the inner size of the charger is 6.9x3.5 inches. So, you might want to check your smartphone's dimensions before purchasing!

Annoyingly enough, at the time of publishing, there is still not an official, MFi-approved MagSafe car charger. MFi stands for “Made for iPod, Made for iPhone, and Made for iPad,” and it means that Apple has ensured that the accessories comply with its specific guidelines.

Only MFi-approved devices can take advantage of MagSafe's faster 15-watt charging speeds that are twice as fast as Qi charging (The Qi standard is what almost every wireless charger uses.)

To make up for the lack of MFi-certified car chargers, Spigen has released a holder for Apple's official MagSafe charger. The holder has a vent clip that attaches to your vehicle's air conditioning vent, so you can get the fastest speeds possible over MagSafe. Your iPhone magnetically connects to the MagSafe cable which rests in the holder.

Unfortunately, the MagSafe cable and the required USB-C car charger are not included. But if you want the fastest possible speeds (just over 30% of battery life in a half-hour), splurging for this holder and the required components might just be worthy of the splurge.