Anker 313 Qi-Certified 10W Fast Wireless Charger Pad

Why it's worth it

Anker's 313 pad is a plain plastic disc that pushes 10W to Samsung phones, 7.5W to iPhones, and 5W to earbuds. It skips magnets, stands, and extra coils entirely — and it's been the default cheap recommendation for years for good reason.

Not everyone needs Qi2. If you set your phone down at bedtime and pick it up eight hours later, the difference between 7.5W and 25W is a number you'll never experience. This pad charges a phone overnight, costs a small fraction of what the MagSafe pucks do, and works with basically anything that supports Qi — Android, iPhone, wireless earbuds, an old phone you keep as a backup.

It has a genuine track record. Owners report units still running daily after four and five years, which is unusual in a category where hinges snap and coils die. There's very little in this thing to fail: no fan, no magnets, no folding parts. Plain hardware tends to outlast clever hardware.

From our review of 8 wireless charging pads and stands, by Ben Carter, Tech Editor

What we like

• +Not everyone needs Qi2
• +It has a genuine track record
• +It charges through most cases up to about 5mm thick, so you don't need to strip your phone every night
• +Placement is the trade-off you're accepting

What to know

• –No magnets means no forgiveness
• –AirPods can be fussy on it
• –It ships with a Micro USB cable and no wall adapter, which is a dated combination