It’s 2018, and Apple has finally joined the USB-C train. The latest iPad Pro (our review) started to hit store shelves and customer hands yesterday, and I picked my iPad up today. Apple does include an 18W USB-C fast charger in the box, thankfully. Now you now have a large range of options thanks to Apple moving to a new standard. For most people, 18W is plenty for charging. If you have the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro and are using power-intensive applications, you might want some extra juice. These are our top 5 USB-C fast chargers for iPad Pro.
Why do you need more than 18W?
Faster charging baby! While Apple only ships with 18W, the new iPads actually go double that speed – up to 45W safely, according to Marco Arment on his latest Accidental Tech Podcast, where he asked Apple the question directly. This is nearing 13-inch MacBook Pro charger territory, as Apple ships that device with a 61W charger in the box. In fact, Apple’s new MacBook Air only ships with a 30W adapter.
That means you’ll want a 15V3A power delivery profile for USB-C. The more power you send the iPad, the faster it’ll charge…or at least, keep up with your usage if you’re doing processor-intensive tasks.
If you’re in the market for some faster or even some extra chargers, this is for you. Below, we outline our top 5 USB-C fast chargers for iPad Pro. From desktop power stations to pocketable mobile chargers, you can find out what we recommend (and use daily) for Apple’s latest tablet.
Desktop USB-C Power Delivery Chargers:
Satechi 75W USB-C PD w/ Quick Charge 3.0 — $60
This is a new addition to my USB-C force. It can send up to 60W of power to USB-C Power Delivery devices, and also has a few extra ports. This is my new “desk” charger for things that my Nomad Base Station doesn’t power. This USB-C port is also great for keeping other devices besides your iPad charged, like your MacBook or even Nintendo Switch. Quickly!
This Satechi power station features Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 technology, as well. This is great for charging Android phones. The two other ports are perfect for keeping your Apple Watch topped off or Kindle powered or wireless chargers fully amped up. They provide up to 2.4A max, which is enough to charge just about any phone.
Anker 60W USB-C PD PowerPort+ 5 — $40
This charger doesn’t pack quite the same punch as the above Satechi, but it comes in at a more affordable price and also features an extra USB-A port. I keep this charger in my “tech bag” for when I travel, as it can power all of my devices with just a single wall outlet.
The USB-C Power Delivery port on Anker’s charger is limited to 30W here, so it’s only half as powerful as the above Satechi. But, it’s a great upgrade over Apple’s 18W bundled option.
Wall USB-C Power Delivery Chargers:
AUKEY 56.5W USB-C PD Charger — $35
AUKEY’s USB-C charger is another item I keep in my tech go bag, as it’s small and can charge my MacBook and other devices. Now, it can even power my iPad, and I love that. The USB-C port will output up to 46W of power, which will easily charge my 2017 MacBook Pro or my new iPad.
The USB-A port provides up to 10.5W of charging, which is great for charging your iPhone, Apple Watch, or other USB devices.
Anker 49.5W PowerPort II USB-C PD Charger — $37
This is also a new addition to my USB-C power devices. It packs 30W output on the USB-C port, and can put out up to 19.5W over USB-A for other devices.
This is great for travel, as it’s smaller than the above desktop charging stations yet it still packs enough punch to charge the iPad at a higher rate than Apple’s 18W bundled charger and another device.
This is perfect for overnight trips as it can charge your iPad and iPhone with one plug. If you need it, you can even use the USB-C port to power your MacBook or anything else that uses Type-C.
AUKEY 18W USB-C PD Charger — $22
This charger actually has a $7 off on-page coupon right now, which makes it just $15. This is a great alternative to Apple’s official 18W USB-C charger, which you cannot buy separately right now. If you want a compact charger that gives you the same power as Apple’s official charger at a smaller size, this is a fantastic option.
I personally own two of these for when I need something super small to slip into my pocket. AUKEY’s 18W USB-C charger is perfect for that.
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