Home / Tech / How-To’s & Explainers

How to Know If a Charger Can Charge Your Laptop

Question #1: Is there a minimum wattage required to charge a laptop?

a laptop being charged on a counterTucker Bowe

By Tucker Bowe

Published

·

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Can this charge my laptop? It’s a common question for anybody who’s lost or misplaced their laptop charger and is frantically seeking an alternative. If you’re like most people in such a situation, you’re going to use any random charger with your MacBook, Windows laptop or even Chromebook, plug it in and hope it starts charging. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes not so much.

Read More

The good news is that we’re living in a day-and-age where basically every new laptop charges via USB-C — it doesn’t matter if it’s made by Apple, Dell, HP or Lenovo. The confusing part is that not every USB-C wall adapter is capable of delivering enough juice to charge your laptop.

Below, we’re answer some of your most common questions about laptop charging:

Is there a minimum wattage required to charge a laptop?

It depends. Typically, a wall adapter or portable charger has to output at least 29-watts or 31-watts to give a laptop more power than it consumes by just being on. This, of course, will vary depending on how intensive your power consumption is. For instance, if you have a larger laptop or your running heavy-duty programs, a 30-watt wall adapter might not be able to charge your laptop as fast as you’re draining it. A safe range for a wall adapter is between 45-watts and 96-watts — those will definitely be able to charge your laptop (with normal use).

What is Power Delivery (PD) and does the wall adapter need it?

Power Delivery (PD) is a charging standard that allows a charger to output higher currents and higher voltages, thus allowing you to charge your smartphone or laptop from 0% to 100% in a shorter time. And yes, PD is the only charging standard that can charge a laptop.

That said, just because a charger supports PD, doesn’t necessarily mean it can charge your laptop. PD technology can be integrated into many devices whose power outputs can range from 18-watts to 100-watts. For instance, Anker’s 18-watt Power Delivery charger and Aukey’s 18W PD Fast Charger are both designed to fast charge your smartphone, not your laptop.

What is GaN? And how does it affect charging?

GaN stands for Gallium Nitride and it’s a new buzzword in the world of charging technology. Essentially, it’s a new material that is way more energy- and space-efficient than silicon, the traditional material used in wall adapters, so GaN chargers can be smaller and lighter, but also still really powerful. Anker has been a leader in GaN chargers, releasing the PowerPort Atom PD 1 last year, but a lot of other charging companies are catching on. There are even rumors that Apple will include a 65-watt GaN charger with its next MacBook Pros.

Not all laptops charge at the same speeds.

It’s not just about how powerful the wall adapter is. A lot of it has to do with how much power the laptop can take as well. Different laptops support different power inputs. The newest 16-inch MacBook Pros support a max power input of 140 watts (over MagSafe 3), for instance, while the newest MacBook Airs are significantly less than that. This means that not every USB-C laptop will be able to charge at the same speeds, no matter how powerful the charger’s power output.

The other thing is that not all USB-C ports are the same. Specifically, not all USB-C ports support Power Delivery and not all of them accept charging. Also, not every USB-C cable supports PD. So if you’re wondering why your laptop isn’t charging even when plugged in, it could be an issue with the charging port or the charging cable you’re using.

Is Apple’s New MagSafe charging better than USB-C?

a laptop being charged on a counterTucker Bowe

Apple brought back an updated version of its MagSafe charger — technically called MagSafe 3 — and integrated it into its latest MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs. These laptops have at least one USB-C port that accept charging as well. This means you can you can technically charge the laptops multiple ways: MagSafe 3 or USB-C.

However, charging via MagSafe 3 can charge your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air a little bit faster. This is because charging over USB-C (Thunderbolt 4) has a max power output of 100-watts, while MagSafe 3 can take the full 140-watt brick that’s included with some of the latest MacBook Pros.

USB-C not charging your laptop? Check your laptop’s settings.

If you have a USB-C cable plugged into your laptop that should be charging but isn’t, it’s a good idea to check your laptop’s settings. Specifically, you want to make sure that the USB-C charging port is accepting power rather than just sending it (for other devices and accessories). To do this, open Settings on your laptop and go to the Power/Battery section (on a Mac, click the Apple menu > click System Settings > select the Battery icon in the sidebar), and you should be able to check the status of that specific USB-C port.

Some Chargers That Can Definitely Charge Your Laptop

Anker 715

The Anker 715 — also known as the Nano II 65W — is about the size of the old 5-watt adapter that came with older iPhones, but it packs a way bigger punch. It’s made with gallium nitride II (GaN II) instead of silicone, which helps it stay small but deliver way more power, and is capable of delivering 65-watts of power. And yes, that’s more than enough to charge pretty much any laptop.

Satechi 100W USB C PD Wall Charger

This is a pretty unique wall adapter because it’s able to split 100-watts of power over three different devices, thanks to its dual USB-C PD ports and single USB-A port. Either of its USB-C PD ports are able to deliver a max of 60-watts.

Anker 737

This is a high-capacity power adapter that’s capable of dishing out 120-watt of power to three devices at once. If you only use its USB-C ports, it can max out at 100-watts to a laptop. It’s made of gallium nitride II (GaN II) and has an elongated design to prevent it from blocking other wall outlets.

Nekteck PD 45W Type-C Car Charger

This is a pretty neat power adapter because it’s one of the few that can work in your car. It plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and is able to deliver up to 45-watts via its USB-C PD port. It also has a USB-A port for charging other devices.

OmniCharge Omni 20+

The Omni 20+ is a super versatile 20,000mAh portable battery. It has two USB-A ports, a USB-C port that supports Power Delivery, and a 100-watt AC port so you can recharge it quickly when it gets depleted. There’s a 10-watt Qi-wireless charging pad on top (for your smartphone or wireless earbuds). And there’s an OLED display that shows how much power the portable charger has left.