One of the best things about driving is not worrying about running out of battery on your smartphone. When you know that you have an hour-long drive ahead of you, the odds are high that a phone call or email will need to be answered. You can’t charge your phone while you’re driving, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to set it at home before getting in the car.
What you need is a Wireless Car Charger. A wireless charger is essentially a wireless power bank that can charge your phone when you’re not using it. It’s small and conveniently waterproof, so it’s hard to beat the convenience of having one around the house.
In this article, I’ll go over how to choose the best wireless car charger for your smartphone, as well as the quality and safety standards they should have before you buy.
Safety First!
If you’re going to be using your wireless charger in the car, it’s important to keep safety in mind. You want to make sure that anything that goes in your vehicle is safe. A good rule of thumb for choosing a wireless charger is this: If it doesn’t have a UL certification. A Wireless Car Charger needs to be certified by Underwriters Laboratories to be considered safe.
A charger can have different safety certifications. Remember that UL certification is a must-have for any car charger.
2A Models
Car chargers come in two different power capacities: 2A models and 1A models. The difference is that a 2A model can charge your phone twice as fast as a 1A model. If you’re planning on charging your phone while you’re out on the road, keep in mind that some states mandate that wireless chargers need to have 2A output charging or risk being illegal to use while driving.
Samsung has released a new model of their wireless charger that serves as a compromise between the two. Their Fast Charge Wireless Charger works at 1A output, allowing you to charge your phone at its normal speed. However, it has 2A charging capabilities when you set your device on top of it. The charging speed slows down if both devices have different power ratings, so choose your charger wisely if you want to charge your phone and tablet at once.
Transmitter Power
Many wireless chargers can transmit power up to 5W, and some even higher than that. Transmitter power is important because it determines the range of the charger and how far away from it your phone can be placed. Lower transmission power makes for a longer range, but if you don’t want to be up close and personal with your phone while it charges, higher transmission power is your way of minimizing the distance between the charger and your device.
UL Approval
If you’re serious about using a wireless charger in your car, choosing a certified car charger is crucial. This certification assures you that the charger can be used safely in the car without the risk of shock or fire. If I were buying my first wireless charger, I’d look for one with UL certifications for each of its parts. This basically means that there is a specific set of markings that indicate the charger meets safety standards.
Power Sockets
Wireless car chargers can come in multiple shapes and sizes, but they all typically operate off of the same principles. Each one has an input for charging your device and a separate output for the charger itself. You can use your phone’s USB port to charge it, or you can plug it into the wireless charger using a special USB adapter that is often included with it.
The drawback of using your phone’s USB port is that you’re limited to a certain amount of current. It might be enough to charge your phone on one charge fully, but not another.
Charger Size
Car chargers don’t come in the size of your average battery pack; they are typically compact enough to fit discreetly between the seat and center console and are offered in a variety of sizes, including miniature as well as large-sized options. The larger sizes are often reserved for those with many devices that need to be charged simultaneously, so it’s worth researching the size features that work best for you.
So that’s everything you need to know about choosing a wireless charger at this point. Hopefully, if you’re interested in one, this list has helped you find the best one for your car and budget.
Best Wireless Chargers Available:
1. Samsung Fast Charge Wireless Charger
This is Samsung’s newest entry in the wireless charger market, released at CES 2016 and positioned to compromise the two power delivery systems. It has a 2A output, allowing you to charge your device twice as fast as its 1A counterpart. Like the regular version of the charger, it also has a 2A output when used with devices that have a lower power rating. This allows many different models of smartphones to get charged quickly and easily without worrying about running into an overcharge hazard while driving.
2. Samsung Qi Certified Fast Charge Wireless Charging Pad
The 2nd generation of the Samsung wireless charger has a very detailed and stylish design, making it a great option for any car dash or home desk. It’s just about the perfect size for most vehicles, but if you have an extremely small console, you might find the size to be a little too bulky. The build quality is excellent, so you’ll never have to worry about your charger coming apart at the seams while charging your phone. It includes both fast charging capability and regular charging functionality.
3. Anker Wireless Charger
If you’re looking for the best wireless charger for your car, then look no further than the Anker Wireless Charger by Mophie. The Anker fast charger is beautiful, modern, and functional. It has a round design that fits perfectly into most places. The size of the charger is pretty small, and it just looks like a stylish little decorative piece. There is 2A fast charging power, allowing the smartphone to charge up to 7 times faster than standard chargers while eliminating any chance of overcharging your phone.
Conclusion:
Today’s technology has come a long way; you can now literally charge your mobile phone with electricity from the air! And because of wireless charging, you won’t have to worry about putting your phone in a specific spot on your desk anymore. If you’re ready to make the jump and buy into this innovative new technology, we hope that this guide has been able to provide you with enough information to help guide your decision.