Best Apple Watch chargers, stands, power banks & docks

• Watch fast charge: Yes
• Size: 1m cable
• Weight: 2.6oz (73g)
• Colors: White
• Requires USB-C charger: Yes (20W minimum)

Apple ships its Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable with its Watch Series 7 and later models, including the Watch Series 8/9/10/11, SE 3 and Watch Ultra. (Earlier Apple Watch SE models and Series 6 and earlier Watches shipped with the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable that lacks the fast-charging function.)

Both charging cables are Apple white and a meter long. The latest version features an enhanced charging puck.

The 7.5W Fast Charger Cable can charge 33% faster than the older 5W cable—charging a compatible Watch battery from 0-80% in just 45 minutes. An eight-minute charge will support eight hours of sleep tracking.

Without fast charge, it takes about 1.5 hours to charge an Apple Watch to 80%, and about 2.5 hours to 100%.

Fast charging requires at least a 20W USB-C charger, like you’d use to charge an iPhone; find our recommended best iPhone chargers for a wider choice that the plain Apple 20W charger.

While you can still buy the older Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable, there’s little benefit as the newer Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable is backwards compatible with older Watch models, looks the same, and is the same price. You can use the old cable on a later Watch but obviously without fast charging.

• Watch fast charge: No
• Size: 1m cable
• Colors: White, Black
• Requires USB-C charger: Yes (20W minimum)

Apple’s official Watch Charger is fast and reliable but expensive compared to the knock-off Watch chargers you can find online. This is a shame as having a spare in your bag or lying around at home is useful given the Watch’s pretty dreadful battery life.

Usually there is a trusted third-party provider with an alternative to Apple’s simple charging cable but we could find none for the Apple Watch that were cheaper than the Apple version. We are sure that the USB-C Fast Charging Cable for Apple Watch is trustworthy but it’s actually pricier than the Apple—so why bother, unless you prefer the shorter cable?

There are some great third-party Apple Watch charging stands and adapters—many of which we review below.

But you are taking a chance (albeit a very affordable chance) by picking a cheapo simple Watch charger from Amazon, Temu or other online retailers. We bought one from Amazon that frayed its cable sitting in a bag for a few weeks. If you must, then scan the user reviews but we can’t vouch that the good ones are genuine and others often state problems with durability and extremely slow charging. You spent a bunch on your Apple Watch so why risk it going up in flames by saving a few bucks on a spare charger?

• Watch fast charge: Yes
• Size: 2 x 1.73 x 0.45 inches (5.1 x 4.4 x 1.1cm)
• Weight: 1.1oz (31g)
• Colors: Space Gray
• Requires USB-C charger: Any USB-C charging port

Small enough to fit in your pocket, this little 5W Watch charger from Satechi can plug straight into a USB-C charger or a USB-C charging port—for example, the Thunderbolt on your MacBook or iPad, a USB-C car charger, or USB-C output power bank.

As we all know, it’s not only the Apple Watch with a weak battery. This portable Watch Charger can also be used to charge AirPods in a compatible case.

When you get an alert telling you that your Watch battery is fading, you don’t always have your meter-long Apple charging cable with you but you are likely nearer a USB-C power point, and this little Watch charger can live at the bottom of your backpack for when you need it most.

• Watch fast charge: Yes
• Size: 3.3 x 2.6 x 0.5 inches (8.5 x 6.4 x 1.2cm)
• Weight: 3.2oz (91g)
• Colors: Black
• Requires USB-C charger: Yes (20W minimum)

The Nimble Watch charging stand can fast-charge the Watch (Series 7 and later), and weighing just 3.2oz (91g) is portable, too. It is made from sustainable plant-based aloe leather.

The magnetic charging module allows the Watch to be raised to work either lying flat or in Nightstand mode.

It ships with a separate 5-foot (1.5m) USB-C but requires a USB-C wall charger.

Belkin

An alternative is the larger (3.8 x 3.8 x 0.63 inches) and heavier (6.8oz) Belkin Boost Charge Pro Portable Fast Charger for Apple Watch, which is a long name for a fairly simple square, rubberized Apple Watch charging stand. It’s a little more expensive ($59.99), too, but it is available in white as well as black. Its built-in 4-foot (1.2m) USB-C cable wraps neatly around the underside of the dock, so keeping your space clutter-free. There’s a precision dial on the bottom of the dock to raise the puck height depending on the size of your Watch.

Alternatively, you can save money by buying one of the simple Apple Watch stands that require you to connect your Watch charging cable into the basic stand.

• Watch fast charge: Yes
• Size: 4 x 1.5 x 0.43 inches (10.2 x 3.8 x 1.1cm)
• Weight: 1oz (28g)
• Colors: Black, Red, Teal
• Requires USB-C charger: Any USB-C charging port

Use it as your keychain or simply hang it in a purse or backpack, the simple Scosche WatchIt should be with you at your greatest time of Watch-charging need.

It’s simple to use once you find a USB-C port on a wall charger, your MacBook or even your iPhone (15 or later), you can lie your Watch on the pad and soon enough juice should be in your Watch so you won’t miss any of those precious active minutes.

• Watch fast charge: Yes
• iPhone charge: 15W (MagSafe)
• Size: 2.8 x 2.4 x 0.9 inches (7.1 x 6.1 x 2.35cm)
• Weight: 4.2oz (119g)
• Colors: Aluminum
• Requires USB-C charger: 30W wall charger included

Twelve South makes our favorite 3-in-1 iPhone/Watch/AirPods charger, the HiRise 3 Deluxe reviewed below, and it has triumphed again with this pocketable 2-in-1 charger that can handle iPhone and Apple Watch (or Watch and AirPods), charging the two devices simultaneously.

Technically it can’t be beaten—it is fully Apple certified, so fast wirelessly charges the Watch at 5W and the iPhone at 15W.

But its wonder is its clever, dinky foldable size and MacBook-like styling. Unfurl the charger and the two wireless charging pads are revealed. You can even fold 180 degrees and place the Watch in Nightstand mode. Flip it round, and you can set the iPhone in landscape StandBy mode.

It chips with a super-compact 30W USB-C wall charger that comes with interchangeable international plug heads: US, UK, EU and AU/NZ.

The ButterFly is also our favorite Apple Watch travel charger, but it works back at base just as well.

Twelve South

You can buy a different (also $99.99) version in six different colors—the Twelve South ButterFly SE uses Qi2 instead of MagSafe, so also charges at 15W, but doesn’t ship with a wall charger. Its not metal like the original Butterfly but at least with its color choices (Black, White, Pink, Coastal Blue, Iridescent, Midnight Plum) it resembles more a butterfly than a moth.

• Watch fast charge: Yes
• iPhone charge: 15W (Qi2)
• Size: 2.8 x 2.6 x 0.8 inches (7.1 x 6.6 x 2cm)
• Weight: 3.7oz (105g)
• Colors: Sandstone, Black
• Requires USB-C charger: Yes (27W minimum)

Very similar to the Twelve South ButterFly, reviewed above, the Native Union Voyage is a touch larger but also a little lighter. In the same way, it’s a superb travel charger for iPhones after version 12 and Apple Watches. It can fast charge both as it uses 15W Qi2 for iPhone magnetic wireless charging (compared to the ButterFly’s 15W MagSafe but the same Qi2 standard as the ButterFly SE) and 5W for Apple Watch. AirPods can be charged on the Watch part depending on your charging needs.

It is so compact that it will easily fit in your pocket or get lost at the bottom of your backpack—the included pouch is handy in this regard, and something we hoped would be included with the ButterFly.

Like the ButterFly SE (but not the original ButterFly that ships with a 30W USB-C charger) it doesn’t come with a wall charger so you’ll need to add your own. And it is priced the same as the ButterFly SE.

It seems a shame to just compare this very neat 2-in-1 charger to the similar chargers that came before it. It does beat the Twelve South chargers in two respects. We think the Voyage will likely show less wear than the others as its silicone cover looks more hardy. And we like the fact you can just push out the Watch charging module from the back rather than risking your fingernail on the ButterFly’s notch.

Take a look at the Voyage and the ButterFly and ButterFly SE, and make your choice. You won’t be disappointed with any of these dinky and cleverly designed 2-in-1 chargers.

• Watch fast charge: Yes
• iPhone charge: 15W (MagSafe)