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Unlike the iPhone, Apple ships a USB-C power adapter with all its MacBooks: Air and Pro. Unless your laptop stays in the same place all of the time, having a spare or a specific travel MacBook charger is a useful addition. You can buy a second Apple charger or check out more versatile, cheaper and smaller MacBook chargers to suit your needs and budget. 2.4 Amp Charger

It’s important to note that there are risks with buying a cheap charger and we don’t recommend you choose on price alone. That bargain MacBook charger might just fry your laptop or get dangerously hot. However, there are some great premium chargers from trusted brands that sell for less than Apple pricey chargers.

What you need is a Power Delivery (PD) charger that can connect to your MacBook via USB-C. PD chargers can support up to 240W of power, although the most common congregate around the standard laptop power requirements: 30W, 45W, 65W and 100W. All the USB-C chargers we have tested here are PD chargers. All the chargers tested here can also fast-charge an iPhone.

The amount of power a charger can give your MacBook is, safety aside, the most important feature to look for when choosing a laptop charger.

A laptop is designed to draw up to a certain amount of watts when running at full power; that is when you are stretching it by using lots of apps or pushing the graphics and video rendering functions—not when you’re just browsing the web. This level of max power is what the manufacturer considers when it decides on the wattage of the charger it includes with the laptop.

When the laptop is idle or doing mundane jobs, it will draw only a small amount of power from the charger.

Apple supports silicon fast charging on its latest MacBook models. When connected with the right charger and cable, you can charge a MacBook battery up to 50 per cent in 30 minutes. The M2 MacBook Air can be fast charged using a 65W or higher power adapter and the MagSafe or USB-C charging cable; see our M2 MacBook Air fast-charging tests.

On the 14-inch MacBook Pro, you can fast-charge with either Apple’s 140W USB-C Power Adapter and the USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable, or a 96W or higher USB-C charger and USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable or USB-C charge cable.

On the 16-inch MacBook Pro, you can only fast-charge with Apple’s 140W USB-C Power Adapter paired with the USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable. Apple, Anker and UGreen are the only companies to make a power adapter that supports the latest PD 3.1 standard that supports power output to up to 240W; other USB chargers have a practical maximum of 100W.

It is fine to charge a laptop with a higher-wattage power adapter than it needs. It won’t charge it any quicker (unless you follow the fast-charge rules above), but rest assured that a premium charger such as the ones reviewed here won’t overcharge the MacBook battery and may have extra ports to change iPhones and other devices. If the charger has more wattage than it needs, it can use the spare power to charge other devices at the same time as the laptop.

Until the M2 MacBook Air arrived in July 2022, all Apple MacBook chargers had just one port. It makes sense, but more ports make even more sense as we all have more than one device that needs charging.

When you’re using your MacBook at full power, your charger might not have enough spare power for charging other devices unless you buy a charger with a higher wattage where the excess power can be channeled to your iPhone or AirPods at the same time as you power your laptop.

With its 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter Apple has finally released a MacBook charger with two ports for its MacBook Air, although at 35W total, you’re going to get much slower charging than using it on its own.

Apple’s silicon-based power adapters are mostly larger than third-party chargers that are built using Gallium nitride (GaN) technology. GaN is a material that produces less heat—and less heat means components can be closer together. This means GaN chargers can be smaller than previously possible.

Some of today’s GaN chargers are so small they can slip in your pocket, although you’ll still need to coil that USB-C cable somewhere too. Apple is late to the GaN party, but its recent GaN power adapters are certainly smaller than its older models.

Due to their ultra-safe, sturdy three-pin Type G plug, the U.K. models are usually wider than their U.S. Type A and B plug counterparts. None, for instance, feature handy folding plug pins (see above) that can be found on a lot of the U.S. wall chargers. Apple actually has a 20W charger with folding U.K. plug pins but the space-saving technology hasn’t made it into the larger-capacity U.K. MacBook chargers yet.

Dimensions given in our reviews are for the U.S. models, which are also pictured for each product, but U.K. models are mostly also available.

Most of the PD chargers we review here are wall chargers that plug straight into the power socket. You could also consider a desktop charger, which differs from a straight-to-socket wall charger by connecting to power via a longer plugged cable, so offering greater range. This is sometimes a neater and more versatile desk solution, but isn’t as pocketable for travel as a wall charger that requires just the charger-to-device cable.

Another option is a power strip or extender. The best we’ve seen is from UGreen. Its 100W 7-in-1 power strip features two 100W PD USB-C ports, one 22.5W USB-C and one 22.5W USB-A port, plus an extension plug socket on its top.

You need to connect the charger to your MacBook using a USB-C to USB-C charging cable or USB-C to MagSafe cable.

If your Mac has a MagSafe 3 port (MacBook Air introduced in 2022; 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro introduced in 2021), you can use Apple’s own USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable (PD 3.1-supporting 240W maximum). As well as freeing up one of the MacBook’s Thunderbolt ports, this can protect from accidental cable pulls and is required for MacBook fast-charging on the 16in, but it is expensive at $49/£49 compared to a quality USB-C cable. Apple’s USB-C to USB-C charging cables (100W maximum) cost $19/£19 but you can find quality USB-C charging cables cheaper, for example from UGreen (direct U.S. / Amazon.com / Amazon U.K.).

Few of the chargers reviewed here come with a USB-C cable. Of course, you can use the cable that shipped with your MacBook, but having a spare is always useful.

Here are our reviews of our favorite MacBook chargers. Later, we give more specific tips on buying the right charger for your model of MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.

Dimensions (W,H,D): 1.38 x 1.49 x 1.62in (3.5 x 3.8 x 4.1cm)

Ports: 1x USB-C (45W PD)

This single-port 45W charger is a much better option for MacBook Air owners as we believe that the Apple-supplied 30W or 35W Power Adapters are a little underpowered for the laptop’s potential maximum needs. It is also tiny in comparison to the Apple-supplied charger (38% smaller in volume than Apple’s non-GaN 30W Power Adapter, and 20% smaller than the 35W charger), and significantly cheaper while being a safe, trusted brand. Like the other Anker wall chargers, this model features foldable (U.S.) plug pins.

Because the M2 Air can be fast-charged using a 65W or higher power adapter, the Anker 715 65W Charger (below) is a better option and only a few bucks more in price and fractions of an inch in size. Or you should consider a multiport 65W charger, such as the UGreen Nexode 65W 3-Port Charger or the Anker 735 65W Charger—both of which are super-compact and will charge other devices at the same time as you are charging a laptop.

Dimensions: (W,H,D): 1.65 x 1.42 x 1.74in (4.2 x 3.6 x 4.4cm)

Ports: 1x USB-C (65W PD)

Best for: MacBook Air; 13-inch MacBook Pro; 8-core 14-inch MacBook Pro

A single-port 65W charger is the most affordable fast-charger for MacBook Air owners. The Anker 715 is small in comparison to the Apple-supplied charger, especially with its foldable U.S. plug pins, and still cheaper but not as noticeably so as Anker’s 45W charger.

Owners of the 13-inch Pro and entry-level 14-inch Pro should consider this charger as the most affordable, premium compact alternative to Apple’s larger, more expensive 67W Power Adapter..

You can use it to fast-charge an M2 MacBook, but it won’t overcharge it and it will keep the battery topped up while you are working on your laptop. To fast-charge a 14in MacBook Pro, you’ll need a 96W or 100W charger.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.22 x 1.57 x 2.6in (3.1 x 4 x 6.6cm)

Ports: 2x USB-C (65W PD), 1x USB-C (18W PD) and 1x USB-A (22.5W)

Best for: MacBook Air; 13-inch MacBook Pro; 8-core 14-inch MacBook Pro

UGreen’s Nexode 65W USB-C Wall Charger (available in the U.S. and Canada only at the moment) has three ports and is a great choice for a super-compact multiport 65W charger. The plug pins fold in neatly to make it very pocketable for a three-port charger.

It really is a tiny wonder.

The two USB-C ports each support 65W, and the lower USB-A port can charge at up to 22.5W. Other charging options include 45W for laptop and 20W a second device, and 45W plus two 8.5W outputs. And you can fast-charge an M2 MacBook Air when using just one of the 65W ports.

While it’s perfectly suitable for the 14in MacBook Pro, a 100W power adapter can fast-charge that model using either a USB-C charging cable or Apple’s own MagSafe 3 cable.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.15 × 1.5 × 2.6in (2.9 x 3.8 x 6.6cm)

Ports: 2x USB-C (65W PD) and 1x USB-A (22.5W)

Best for: MacBook Air; 13-inch MacBook Pro; 8-core 14-inch MacBook Pro

It might be bigger and heavier than the 45W or 65W single-port Anker chargers, but this GaN charger offers you much more with its three ports. Each of the two USB-C ports can supply 65W, although obviously not at the same time as 65W is the total possible output. And the USB-A port supports up to 22.5W. It is the smallest multiport USB-C wall charger, and it weighs just 132g, an indistinguishable difference to the 130g UGreen Nexode 65W 3-Port USB-C Wall Charger.

While we recommend this charger for U.K. users, the U.S. model is also a great choice and features a foldable plug. The U.K. model is a little larger due to the type-G 3-pin plug but it’s the smallest and lightest multiport 65W charger available in the U.K.

Each port will adapt to your charging requirements. You can charge a laptop at up to 65W using just one of the USB-C ports or charge the laptop at 45W and another device at 20W via the other USB-C port. Another option is to power a laptop at 40W via USB-C, and an iPhone or Apple Watch at up to 22.5W using the USB-A port; remembering that these smaller Apple devices really max out at 5W anyway. Using all three ports, the first USB-C port can power the laptop at 40W, the second a Phone at 12W, and the USB-A port could power up your AirPods at 12W.

It’s a great choice for fast-charging an M2 MacBook Air or just as a multiport solution for the 13in and entry-level 14in MacBook Pro.

$5 cheaper is the Anker 726 Nano II 65W Charger (U.S. model / U.K. model), which has two USB-C PD ports, and a foldable plug on its U.S. model. When using both ports at the same time, the bottom one will charge at 45W and the top at 20W. Aside from being a little cheaper, it also has a white color option, which is missing from the other Anker laptop chargers.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.3 x 2.56 x 2.56in (3.3 x 6.5 x 6.5cm)

Ports: 2x USB-C (65W PD), 1x USB-C (18W PD) and 1x USB-A (22.5W)

Best for: MacBook Air; 13-inch MacBook Pro; 8-core 14-inch MacBook Pro

This is the most ports (4) we’ve seen on a 65W USB-C PD wall charger, making it a versatile, multi-option power adapter for any MacBook Air or 13in Pro. It would also support the 8-core-CPU model 14-inch MacBook Pro.

It is noticeably larger than the three-port 65W chargers reviewed above, but is recommended if you need that extra charging port.

Two of the USB-C ports support 65W, and one is curiously low at 18W but that’s enough for most phones and mid-sized tablets. The USB-A port can Quick Charge and handle up to 22.5W.

Use one of the 65W PD ports to fast-charge an M2 Air, but to fast-charge a 14in Pro you’ll need to look for one of the 100W chargers reviewed here.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.3 x 2.72 x 2.72in (3.3 x 6.9 x 6.9cm)

Ports: 2x USB-C (100W PD), 1x USB-C (22.5W) and 1x USB-A (22.5W)

Best for: 13-inch/14-inch/15-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro

Suitable for all MacBooks, the four-port UGreen 100W wall charger, with a foldable U.S. plug, is an excellent choice of versatile power adapter. It may not be as pocketable as the mini chargers, but it is still very portable. It’s actually lighter than the company’s own 65W 4-port charger.

It has multiple charging options, such as 65W for laptop and 30W PD for light-laptop powering plus lower outputs for phones and other devices. Using three ports you could charge at 45W, 30W and 22.5W. Using all four, it can support laptop power delivery at 45W and 30W plus two devices each at 10.5W.

And it can fast-charge a 14in MacBook Pro using one of the 100W PD ports.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.25 x 1.7 x 3.14in (3.2 x 4.3 x 8cm)

Ports: 2x USB-C (100W PD) and 1x USB-C (22.5W)

Best for: 13-inch/14-inch/15-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro

The Anker 737 GaNPrime Charger might have one fewer port than the 4-port UGreen 100W charger, but its total output is higher at 120W. It’s also lighter and smaller than the 4-port UGreen charger.

Each of the two USB-C PD ports have a maximum of 100W so you can’t fast-charge a 16in MacBook Pro, but it does mean you could charge two mid-sized MacBooks at the same time.

The USB-A port can support up to 22,5W charging.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.18 x 2.64 x 2.64in (3 x 6.7 x 6.7cm)

Ports: 1x USB-C (100W PD)

Best for: 14-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro

This is a simple one-port 100W USB-C charger that is smaller than Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro charger and much cheaper.

Note that Nekteck states that this charger does not support charging through Apple’s MagSafe cables, only USB-C, so that included 6.6ft (2m) USB-C cable comes in handy, and it’s not powerful enough to fast-charge a 16in MacBook Pro. It’s available in the U.S. only

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.1 x 3.78 x 2.95in (2.9 x 9.6 x 7.5cm)

Ports: 1x USB-C (140W PD 3.1)

Best for: 16-inch MacBook Pro

Currently, this is the only game in town for ultimate 16in MacBook Pro fast-charging if you add Apple’s pricey $49/£49 USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable. The 16-inch MacBook Pro comes with both as standard but if you want to match this as a spare set it will set you back a steep $148/£148.

It is one of the most up-to-date chargers, supporting PD 3.1, which is why it can fast-charge a 16in MacBook Pro.

The MagSafe cable is available in Silver, Space Gray, Midnight (blue) and Starlight (gold) but the charger itself is standard Apple White.

The U.S. model features foldable plug pins. Unlike the smaller Anker 717 140W Charger, it is available in multiple countries.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.37 x 2.99 x 2.99in (3.5 x 7.6 x 7.6cm)

Ports: 1x USB-C (140W PD 3.1)

Best for: 16-inch MacBook Pro

This is the first multiport 140W charger (PD 3.1) and it is still 20% smaller than Apple’s single-port charger. It is, however, slightly heavier than the Apple or Anker 140W chargers.

It can fast-charge Apple’s 16-inch MacBook Pro, using the bottom USB-C port. It has another 100W port above, and a 22.5W USB-A port at the top.

There are many charging options: one-port using any of the above-mentioned ports, two 65W laptops simultaneously, or 45W+65W+22.5W charging at the same time.

It ships with a 1.5 m USB-C cable, but even though this cable is PD 3.1 compatible, Apple still requires use of its proprietary MagSafe cable for fast-charging.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.22 x 2.66 x 2.31in (3.1 x 6.8 x 5.9cm)

Ports: 1x USB-C (140W PD 3.1)

Best for: 16-inch MacBook Pro

While it has just one port like the Apple 140W Power Adapter, the Anker 717 is 40% smaller than Apple’s tall charger so makes it a much better choice if you travel with your laptop. It features foldable pins.

Again like the Apple charger, its USB-C port is PD 3.1 and so can fast-charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro (or any fast-charge-supporting MacBook for that matter). To fast-charge the 16-inch Pro you will need to use the MagSafe rather than a USB-C cable.

It’s the same price as Apple’s charger and does also require the MagSafe cable to fast-charge the 16in Pro.

The Anker 717 is not available outside of North America.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  3.97 x 3.97 x 1.27in (10.1 x 10.1 x 3.23cm)

Ports: 2x USB-C (100W PD), 2x USB-C (65W PD), 2x USB-A (22.5W)

Best for: MacBook Air; 13-inch/14-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro

This desktop charger is a beast in terms of total output and number of ports (6) but a lot smaller than you might expect. You wouldn’t want it carried on your person, but it’s compact enough for travel purposes.

We’d expect it to stay put, however, and charge multiple devices over a few desks. It can charge up to four USB-C devices (three laptops and a USB-C tablet) and two smartphones or other devices at the same time with its giant 200W of total charging power.

Despite the 200W total output, the most one port can manage is 100W, which is fine for charging even Apple’s largest laptop but not for fast-charging the 16in Pro.

This is a great option if you need to charge up to three MacBooks at a time—for example, two at 65W and one at 45W, and there’s capacity to spare to power another device at 20W.

Using all six ports would allow a combination of one 65W PD, two 45W PD, and one 20W PD and two less hungry devices, such as iPhone, AirPods or iPad.

It ships with a 3.3ft (1M) USB-C cable.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1.16 x 3.15 x 3.15in (2.95 x 8 x 8cm)

Ports: 1x USB-C (100W PD), 1x USB-C (18W), 2x USB-A (12W)

Best for: 13-inch/14-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro

Although it is also available in U.S. and U.K. models, we have picked the Alogic 100W Rapid Power 4-Port USB-C GaN Charger because it is one of the few trusted brands that offers an AU/NZ/CN wall plug PD charger, aside from Apple itself.

It has four ports: 1x USB-C at 100W; 1x USB-C at 18W; and 2x USB-A at 12W. When all the ports are active it powers as 65W PD USB-C, 18W USB-C, and 17W across both USB-A ports, so can simultaneously charge a 13-inch or entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro plus smaller devices.

As a bonus, it comes with a braided 2m USB-C cable.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  1 x 2.36 x 2.36in (2.5 x 6 x 6cm)

Ports: 2x USB-C (100W PD), 1x USB-C (20W), 1x USB-A (18W)

Best for: 13-inch/14-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro

This 100W PD charger boasts four ports, with two USB-C rated at 100W. However, the special thing about the Minix Neo P3 wall charger is its set of travel plugs (U.K., E.U.) that slide on to the folding U.S. plug pins. At 100W (PD 3.0), it’s enough to fast-charge a 14-inch MacBook Pro. There are two 100W USB-C PD ports, one 20W USB-C and an 18W QuickCharge 3.0 USB-A port, which should be enough to charge most of your devices out of one charger.

Another clever option for travel is from accessory maker Twelve South. Its PlugBug World snaps onto your Apple power adapter and comes with five international AC plugs to convert an Apple power adapter to fit most global electrical outlets in over 200 countries: US/UK/AU/CN. It works with Apple MagSafe and USB-C power adapters. It also adds two 10.5W USB-A ports for charging smaller devices, and costs $50 or £55 (including shipping).

Dimensions (W,H,D):  2.15 x 2.64 x 2.72in (5.5 x 6.7 x 6.9cm)

Ports: 1x USB-C (65W PD), 1x USB-C (20W), 1x USB-C & 2x USB-A (sharing 15W)

Best for: MacBook Air; 13-inch MacBook Pro; 8-core 14-inch MacBook Pro

The OneWorld 65 looks like any international adapter but boasts a built-in 65W PD Charger and can charge up to six devices simultaneously.

It features one 65W USB-C PD port, one 20W USB-C PD port, another USB-C charging port and two USB-A charging ports—the non-PD USB-C port and two USB-A ports share 15W of power.

Maximum power output is 65W so if you are charging a mid-sized laptop in full use, there won’t be much spare juice for the other devices.

As well as all the USB ports you can also use this as a travel adapter. Sliding connectors will fit into US, European, Australian/Chinese and British wall sockets so covering over 200 countries, and you can plug a similar range of plugs into the OneWorld 65 from the other side.

Dimensions (W,H,D):  2.07 x 2.17 x 0.79in (52.5 x 5.5 x 2cm)

Ports: 1x USB-C (60W PD), 1x USB-C (20W), 1x wireless charging pad (10W)

Also from OneAdaptr, the MacMate isn’t a charger in its own right; indeed it require you to connect one to it. But we’ve included it here as it’s an interesting add-on—and it can be purchased with the OneWorld 65 in a bundle called MacMate Pro for $110/£100.

Once connected to a 60W+ charger it becomes a charging hub for a MacBook, iPad, iPhone and Wireless AirPods Case or any three-way combination of those Apple devices.

It also features a wireless charging pad for a third device.

Once connected to a charger, the MacMate can be hooked up to a MacBook and charge it at up to 60W via a USB-C PD port. Another USB-C PD port offers up to 20W charging for another device. On the top is the 10W wireless charging pad—sadly not MagSafe compatible but will work with all wireless-charging iPhones regardless.

To charge all three devices at top power you’ll need a 100W charger connected to the MacMate.

The charging station is tiny and lightweight, so makes a great travel multi-device charging companion—especially when paired with the OneWorld 65.

Dimensions: (W,H,D): 3 x 2 x 5in (4.2 x 3.6 x 4.4cm)

Ports: 2x USB-C (100W PD), 1x USB-C (22.5W), 1x USB-A (22.5W), 3x U.S. power socket

Best for: 13-inch/14-inch/16-inch MacBook Pro

This is a clever U.S. and Canada-only power strip or plug extender that includes four USB ports, two of which are PD compatible at 100W. Maximum output on the USB ports is 100W, and for the three power plugs (one on the top, and two behind) 1,870W.

It’s like a desktop charger, but with added AC power sockets for TV, monitor, hard drive, lamps and so forth. Its cable length is 6ft (1.8m).

The MacBook Air ships with either a 30W or 35W Power Adapter, but we recommend at least a 45W charger for the MacBook Air (Intel-based as well as M1/M2 models).

For a 45W charger with just one port, the ultra-compact Anker 713 Nano II 45W Charger (U.S. / U.K.) is a great option, and about 40% smaller than Apple’s 30W charger. It’s more powerful than Apple’s 35W Power Adapter and less expensive. It does have just the one port, but the amount of spare charge you’d get using a 35W charger with a MacBook Air isn’t likely to offer much if you are also trying to charge even your AirPods unless the laptop was sitting doing not much at all at the time.

Going for a 65W or even 100W multiport charger makes more sense. Anker’s three-port 735 Nano II 65W Charger (U.S. / U.K.) can charge a laptop at 45W and an iPhone or iPad at 20W. It has two USB-C ports (both capable of PD charging at 65W, although not at the same time) and a 22.5W USB-A port. You could even charge a MacBook Air at 40W (still higher than Apple’s supplied charger), an iPhone at 12W and a set of AirPods at 5W. Or fast-charge an M2 MacBook Air.

Ugreen’s 3-port Nexode 65W USB-C Charger (U.S. / U.K.) is similar, although a smidge larger. Using all three ports, you could charge a laptop at 45W and two smaller devices at 8.5W each.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro ships with a 67W Power Adapter, so you can look to a 65W charger to save on money and size.

Your choice of charger for the 14-inch MacBook Pro depends on the model. The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro ships with a 67W adapter while the 10-core model ships with a 96W charger.

A 65W charger will suffice, but you won’t get fast-charging like you will with a 100W model. Anker has the most affordable single-port charger, the 715 Nano II 65W (U.S. / U.K.). For a multiport 100W charger we rate UGreen’s 4-port Nexode 100W USB-C Wall Charger (U.S. / U.K.) or the Anker 120W GaNPrime 737 Charger, which is smaller and has a higher total power output but features one less port.

As well as fast-charging a 14in Pro using the 100W port, you can charge at full 65W power and have spare to charge another device at up to 30W, or charge the laptop a little slower and charge three other devices, say your iPhone, iPad and AirPods.

While it shipped with an 87W Apple Power Adapter, we recommend a 100W charger for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. We prefer a charger that can power multiple devices at the same time, so we like UGreen’s 4-port Nexode 100W USB-C Wall Charger (U.S. / U.K.).

For a budget one-port 100W wall charger, the Nekteck 100W USB-C Charger (U.S.) will save you some cash and has a neat foldable U.S. plug. It also comes with its own 2m (6.5ft) USB-C cable but doesn’t work with Apple’s MagSafe 3 charger.

The most powerful desktop charger we’ve tested is UGreen’s Nexode 200W USB-C Desktop Charger (U.S. / U.K.), which boasts a whopping six ports (4x USB-C, and 2x USB-A).

Until recently Apple made this recommendation easy. Its 140W Power Adapter (U.S. / U.K.) will fast-charge the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021 and later models) from 0-50 percent charge in 30 minutes as it supports the most up-to-date PD 3.1 charing.

Apple recommends pairing its 140W Power Adapter with a 16‑inch MacBook Pro (2021) using its USB-C to MagSafe 3 as the only way to fast-charge. It’s not cheap, but for pure power this is the combination you want with Apple’s largest MacBook.

Anker has now released its own PD 3.1 fast-charging USB-C 140W charger, the Anker 717 Charger (U.S.), which is the same price and limited to the same one port. It is, however, 40% smaller than Apple’s super-tall 140W charger. We therefore recommend this as a second charger for 16in MacBook Pro owners if they travel with their laptop a lot.

Both 140W chargers’ limitation is its single USB-C port, so unless you are using all that 140W potential, any remaining power can’t be used to simultaneously charge other devices.

If you can live without the fast charging, a 100W charger should be ample for most situations, and here there are more options with multi-charging opportunities.

UGreen’s Nexode 100W USB-C Wall Charger (U.S. / U.K.) has four charging ports, but for a budget one-port 100W wall charger it’s hard to beat the Nekteck 100W USB-C Charger (U.S), which comes with its own 2m (6.5ft) USB-C cable.

And, again, UGreen’s powerful Nexode 200W USB-C Desktop Charger (U.S. / U.K.) is a great, if less portable, option.

Here are the power specs of the batteries and power adapters that Apple ships with each of its MacBooks:

M1 MacBook Air: 30W Power Adapter

M2 MacBook Air: 30W or 35W Power Adapter depending on 8-or-10-core GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)

13-inch M1 MacBook Pro: 67W Power Adapter

13-inch M2 MacBook Pro: 67W Power Adapter

14-inch MacBook Pro: 67W or 96W Power Adapter depending on 14-or-16-core GPU

15-inch MacBook Pro: 87W Power Adapter

16-inch MacBook Pro: 140W Power Adapter

Yes, you can safely use a laptop charger with a higher wattage as the laptop will only ever draw the amount of power required at the time. If your laptop was supplied with a 35W charger it will never draw more than 35W unless being fast-charged, so you can use a 65W, 90W or higher charger.

If the charger has multiple ports that extra juice will mean you can charge other devices at the same time.

You can but you should try to avoid using a lower wattage charger than what your laptop requires. A 30W charger can’t supply sufficient power for a 90W laptop’s needs. At the least, your laptop is likely to run out of power while you are using it. At the worst, you could damage the laptop or create dangerous problems for the charger.

The under-powered charger won’t have enough power to give to your laptop and it therefore has to work harder to try to match the needs of your laptop. The danger is that this can cause overheating and potentially fire.

Simon was Editor of Macworld from the dark days of 1995 to the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the launch of the iPhone. His desk is a test bench for tech accessories, from USB-C and Thunderbolt docks to chargers, batteries, Powerline adaptors and Fitbits.

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