Best Apple Watch chargers, stands, power banks & docks

Macworld

Apple ships a simple but effective charging cable with the Apple Watch that will fast-charge an Apple Watch Series 7 or later (Watch 8/9, Watch Ultra 1/2). You won’t find a faster charging accessory but you can also choose from a wide range of stylish and practical charging stands, docks and power banks for your Apple Watch—including some that can also charge other Apple devices such as your iPhone and AirPods.

Here, we round up some of the best Apple Watch chargers, docks and charging stands—some of which can charge your other Apple devices at the same time. Most should be compatible with all generations of the Watch, but be sure to check compatibility before buying.

There are simple charging cables, multi-device chargers that can power up your Apple Watch plus your iPhone and AirPods, chargers that are built for portability and travel, designer models that look great at home or in the office, and handy Apple Watch power banks.

We’ve tested a lot and selected our favorites here.

Best simple Apple Watch chargers

Best 2-in-1 Apple Watch/iPhone chargers

Best 3-in-1 Apple Watch/iPhone/AirPod chargers

Best 3-in-1 Apple Watch travel chargers

Best Apple Watch power banks

Simple Apple Watch stands

Best simple Apple Watch chargers

Every Apple Watch comes with the company’s Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable. At $29 / £29 it’s not overly expensive to buy a spare or replacement, but there are more able multifunction Watch chargers available, as well as much cheaper simple cables that we would steer clear of but which we have investigated to see if we can find one we can recommend. First we start our best Apple Watch charger roundup with these simple models, and then we test the more functional and better-designed alternatives.






Apple Watch Magnetic Fast Charger to USB-C Cable – Best Apple Watch charging cable





















Pros


Fast charge Watch

Simple



Cons


One use only










Price When Reviewed:

€39




Best Prices Today:



€17.99 at Coquedetelephone FR€39 at Apple€39 at Macway FR





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 and Watch Ultra. The Apple Watch SE (including the current model) and Series 6 and earlier Watch models shipped with the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable that lacks the fast-charging function.

Both 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.






Third-party Apple Watch Chargers – Beware cheap imitations





















Pros


Affordable



Cons


Pot luck on quality

Slow charging

No name brands


















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 Satechi USB-C Magnetic Charging Cable for Apple Watch is trustworthy but it’s actually pricier than the Apple and doesn’t support fast charging—so why bother?

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.






Satechi USB-C Magnetic Apple Watch Charging Dock – Portable Apple Watch charger





















Pros


Portable



Cons


No Watch fast charge

One use only










Price When Reviewed:

€44,99





Watch fast charge: No

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.

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.






Belkin Boost Charge Pro Portable Fast Charger – Best Apple Watch charging stand





















Pros


Fast charge Watch

Nightstand

Portable



Cons


Expensive for one use only










Price When Reviewed:

€69,95




Best Prices Today:



€69.95 at Apple





Watch fast charge: Yes

Size: 3.8 x 3.8 x 0.63 inches (9.7 x 9.7 x 1.6cm)

Weight: 6.8oz (192g)

Colors: White, Black

Requires USB-C charger: Yes (20W minimum)

The Belkin Boost Charge Pro Portable Fast Charger for Apple Watch is a long name for a fairly simple square, rubberized Apple Watch charging stand. It’s one of the few Apple Watch accessories that can fast-charge the Watch (Series 7 and later), and, weighing just 6.8oz (192g), is portable, too.

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

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. It is available from Apple.

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.






Best 2-in-1 Apple Watch/iPhone chargers

If you own an Apple Watch there is a high possibility that you also own an iPhone, so why not have one versatile charger that can power up both Apple devices at the same time. Here are some of the favorites we have tested.






1. Twelve South ButterFly 2-in-1 MagSafe Charger – Best portable 2-in-1 Apple Watch charger





















Pros


Charges Watch and iPhone

Can swap Watch for AirPods

Fast charge Watch

15W MagSafe for iPhone

Portable

Small footprint


















Watch fast charge: Yes

iPhone charge: 15W (MagSafe)

Size: 2.4 x 2.4 x 0.9 inches (6 x 6 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 Nighstand 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.

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

Read our full

Twelve South ButterFly 2-in-1 MagSafe Charger review





2. Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe 15W – Designer 2-in-1 Apple Watch charger





















Pros


Designer looks

15W MagSafe

Fast Apple Watch charging

















Best Prices Today:



$129.95 at Apple





Watch fast charge: Yes

iPhone charge: 15W (MagSafe)

Size: 4.1 x 3.1 x 2.75 inches (10.5 x 7.8 x 7cm)

Weight: 15.9oz (540g)

Colors: Gray

Requires USB-C charger: 30W wall charger included

The BoostCharge Pro looks rather like a paperweight and will delight interior designers.

Compact and low-level in an elegant organic shape, the bulb-like charging stand is made from at least 60% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and has pleasingly soft edges and a texture that makes you stroke it longingly.

The chrome Watch-charging pad sticks out from the back of the stand, and can’t be folded in when not in use, as is possible with some compact multi-device chargers such as the Anker 3-in-1 Cube. 

It features fast wireless charging for both Watch and iPhone. While it lacks an AirPods charging module like the 3-in-1 charging stations reviewed here, you can charge the AirPods wireless charging case on the top when the charging pad is flat and not charging your iPhone.

Read our full

Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe 15W review





Best 3-in-1 Apple Watch/iPhone/AirPod chargers

As well as owning an Apple Watch and iPhone, a fair few of us have further swelled Apple’s coffers by buying AirPods. These are the 3-in-1 chargers that we have tested and approve for simultaneously charging Apple Watch, Apple iPhone and Apple AirPods (with a wireless charging case).






1. Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe – Best 3-in-1 Apple Watch charging stand





















Pros


Charges Watch, iPhone, AirPods

Fast charge Watch

15W MagSafe for iPhone

Small footprint and tilts



Cons


Only in black










Price When Reviewed:

€169,99




Best Prices Today:



€169.99 at Twelve South





Watch fast charge: Yes (MagSafe)

iPhone charge: 15W

Size: 6.3 x 3.4 x 6 inches (15.9 x 8.5 x 15.4cm)

Weight: 14oz (396g)

Colors: Black

Requires USB-C charger: 40W wall charger included

If you’ve got an Apple Watch, chances are you also own an iPhone and maybe a set of AirPods, too. Here’s where a charging station, which can power up all three devices simultaneously, becomes essential if you want to rid yourself of a snake’s nest of cables.

The HiRise 3 Deluxe (available at Apple) can wirelessly charge three devices—iPhone 12/13/14/15 but not SE, Apple Watch 7, 8, 9, SE and Ultra, and Apple AirPods (2nd and 3rd gen AirPods, and all AirPods Pro). The AirPods-charging Qi wireless pad can alternatively be used to charge any iPhone from iPhone 8 up.

All the charging points are top-end—iPhone 15W, Watch 5W and Qi pad 7.5W—so all can be fast-charged.

The Watch can either lie flat or in Nightstand mode, and the iPhone in iOS 17’s StandBy mode. You can angle the iPhone by up to 35 degrees.

It’s taller but much smaller than Belkin’s Belkin Boost Up Charge Pro Wireless Charging Pad, reviewed below, so will save space on your bedside table or desk.

Read our full

Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe review





2. Journey Trio Ultra 3-in-1 Fast Wireless Charging Station – Best white 3-in-1 Apple Watch charging stand





















Pros


Charges Watch, iPhone, AirPods

Fast charge Watch

15W MagSafe for iPhone

Small footprint



Cons


Only in white


















Watch fast charge: Yes

iPhone charge: 15W (MagSafe)

Size: 6.7 x 5.3 x 3.4 inches (17 x 13.4 x 8.6cm)

Weight: 11.5oz (325g)

Colors: White

Requires USB-C charger: 30W wall charger included

If you own an Apple Watch it’s a fair bet that you also have an iPhone, and, go on admit it, some AirPods, too—you’re well invested into the Apple ecosystem.

This 3-in-1 charging station from Journey has a tiltable MagSafe-certified pad (15W) for all iPhones 12/13/14/15, plus a Qi charger for AirPods that have a wireless charging case.

Important to us here, though, is the Apple Watch charger at the back, which can fast-charge your Apple wearable.

The Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe, reviewed above, is similar and features a tiltable Watch charger at the front rather than the back. If you want a 3-in-1 fast charging stand in white, then pick this Journey stand or the OtterBox 3-in-1 reviewed below; if you prefer black, go for the Twelve South.

There is a cheaper version, the Journey Trio 3-in-1 Charging Station, which features a handy detachable Watch charger that you can slip into your pocket and plug into a USB-C charger, including your MacBook, away from the base unit. While that is a neat feature (and might save you $40 on a standalone Watch adapter) the MagSafe pad is only compatible so charges the iPhone at 7.5W and the Watch charger is slower than the one featured on the Trio Ultra 3-in-1.






3. Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station (Foldable 3-in-1) – Best compact 3-in-1 Apple Watch charger





















Pros


Charges Watch, iPhone, AirPods

15W Qi2 iPhone charging

Fast charges Apple Watch

Compact, light and portable


















Watch fast charge: Yes

iPhone charge: 15W (Qi2)

Size: 3.5 x 2.4 x 1 inches (8.9 x 6 x 2.5cm)

Weight: 6.9oz (195g)

Colors: White, Black

Requires USB-C charger: 40W wall charger included

The first 3-in-1 device charger based on the fast MagSafe-like 15W Qi2 magnetic wireless charging tech, the Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station not only boosts wireless cha