6 of the best wireless chargers for your smartphone

Plugging your phone in to charge it is so last millennium. Now iPhones have wireless charging built in, practically everyone can enjoy the freedom of just plonking their phone down on a charging pad and letting the Qi magic work. With Apple’s AirPower mat still not available, here are six alternative wireless chargers to get your phone juiced up, whether it’s running iOS or Android.

Anker PowerPort Qi 10

Anker’s slim, black PowerPort pad (£18/$26) has a soft plastic exterior that’ll keep your glass-backed phone from slipping off, plus it has rubberised feet so it doesn’t easily fall off of your bedside table. The “breathing” LED lights along the side show you charging status, and it can do 10W fast charging if you use the appropriate wall adapter.

Ikea Nördmarke

It doesn’t just do a nifty line in flat-packed furniture and tasty meatballs, Ikea also makes a surprisingly wide range of wireless charging gear, including a desk lamps, bedside tables and this simple, stylish Nördmarke pad. Available in white and birch finishes and in single- (£15/$18) or triple-charger (£60/$60) configurations, this compact pad will top up the batteries on any Qi-certified phone or device, and also features a USB port for charging non-wireless products.

Tylt Vü Solo

Available in four eyeball-assaulting colours, Tylt’s Vü Solo (£45/$30) has a micro-suction base to keep it fixed to your desktop, and silicone on top to stop your phone from slipping off in the night. It’s compatible with all Qi devices and capable of charging through covers on many phones.

WoodPuck

The charger du choix for tree-huggers, this one. The WoodPuck (£25/$60) is crafted from highly sustainable bamboo, which grows so quickly that you’re basically doing everyone a favour if you’re constantly chopping it down. Anyway, it’s an attractive circular plate that nicely hides the micro USB socket and plug to keep things tidy, works with Qi devices and throws out a simple audio notification when your phone or smartwatch commences charging.

Swich

A handsome blend of Slovenian walnut wood, Italian ceramics and an angled charging plate make the Swich (from €240) one of the most unusual-looking models on the market. The 45-degree tilt of the plate, the makers’ thinking goes, allows you to easily see and keep using your phone while it charges – you can even rotate the pad 90 degrees, switching between portrait and landscape orientation. And don’t worry about it slipping off, because the pad’s covered in microsuction tape.

Raw Induction

The priciest charger here (a cool US$595) is in many ways the most impressive, at least visually: crafted from concrete and cork, it’s a big, weighty (over 3kg) plate able to charge up to three devices simultaneously. Each charging node has its own LED indicator incorporated into the edge, as well as its own NFC functionality that can, for instance, automatically launch your phone’s alarm app when it’s placed on top.