I Bought Way Too Many Wireless Car Chargers (So You Don’t Have To)
My iPhone hit the floor at 70mph on an I-35 last Tuesday. Technically, it hit my brake pedal first, then wedged itself under the seat while Google Maps screamed about a missed exit. The stupid magnetic mount I’d bought on Amazon just… gave up. Right in the middle of Dallas traffic.
That was the last straw, honestly.
See, I review tech for a living—mostly wireless charging stuff—and somehow I’d been using this garbage $12 mount because I kept telling myself “it works fine.” It didn’t work fine. It sucked. After fishing my Phone out from under the seat while trying not to die in rush hour traffic, I finally answered the question correctly: What’s the best wireless car charger in 2025? MagSafe? This new Qi2 thing everyone’s talking about?
So yeah, I went a little overboard. Twenty-three chargers later (my credit card statement is… not pretty), here’s what nobody else tells you about MagSafe vs Qi2.
The Short Answer (Since You’re Probably Shopping Right Now)
iPhone? Get a MagSafe charger. Android? Qi2. Both? Qi2, but you won’t love it as much as iPhone-only people love their MagSafe.
There. That’s the basic answer everyone gives. But it’s also kinda wrong? Or at least way too simple. Because after three months of testing these things every day on my Austin commute, the honest answer depends on stuff nobody talks about. Like whether you use a thick case. Or if your car has crappy suspension. Or if you’re the person who loses it when your Phone’s charging sound every time you go over a bump.
How I Tested (Or: Why My Dashboard Looked Insane for 3 Months)
Right, so testing methodology is original but essential. I drive a 2022 Model 3 daily, which has zero dashboard vibration. Great for testing in ideal conditions. But I also borrowed my girlfriend Sarah’s CR-V (2019, rattles like a maraca) and my buddy Mike’s F-150 (the roads here in Texas are NOT kind to trucks). I figured if a mount could survive the F-150 on Ranch Road 620, it could survive anything.
Each charger got at least a week. I tracked:
- How many times my phone fPhoneff (yes, I kept a spreadsheet)
- Actual charging wattage with a USB meter I’ve had forever
- How hot things got (bought a temp gun just for this)
- Whether it charged through my case collection
Test phones: iPhone 15 Pro Max (my primary device), iPhone 13 mini (Sarah’s), Galaxy S24 Ultra (review unit provided by Samsung), and a Pixel 8 Pro that Google sent me a long time ago. Four phones are mounted on my dashboard. I looked ridiculous. There’s video evidence somewhere.
MagSafe: Yeah, It’s Better (But You’re Paying the Apple Tax)
Okay so MagSafe. If you’ve got an iPhone 12 or newer, you know the deal—magnets go snap, phone put, charges at 15W if you bought the correct charger. Except… do you know how many “MagSafe compatible” chargers aren’t MagSafe? Like, most of them?
The Good Ones That Work
The Belkin BoostCharge Pro ($80, oof) is perfect. I hate saying that about something this expensive, but it just… it never screwed up. Not once. 15W charging every time, stayed cool even in direct sun, and the magnet is STRONG. Like, concerningly strong. I had trouble getting my PPhone a few times.
But here’s the thing about that ESR HaloLock everyone recommends—mine started rattling after about a month. This ball joint thing loosens up, and once it starts clicking, it never stops. Still works! Charges at basically the same speed as the Belkin. But that sound… tap, tap, tap, tap, every time you turn. My girlfriend started calling it “the woodpecker.” $46 feels like a lot for something that develops an annoying tick.
Oh, and that Anker MagGo everyone loves? The 622 model specifically? It’s good. Good. But Anker has seventeen different MagGo models now, and half of them aren’t even MagSafe certified—they’re just magnetic Qi chargers. The 622 is legit though. It runs for about $7, and this weird cooling design works. My PPhone is still phone-phoneone°F and isn’t charging in the Texas summer heat. Most others hit 110°F+ easily.
The Knockoffs That’ll Make You Sad
I’m not gonna name names on the evil ones (okay fine, avoid TOPK and LISEN), but Jesus Christ, some of these Amazon brands… One of them melted. MELTED. The plastic around the charging coil gave up during a particularly hot day. Was the Phone weighing at highway speed?
Qi2: The “Universal” Standard That’s… Mostly Universal?
Qi2 is supposed to fix everything. One standard for everyone! Magnets for all! And like… it does? But also doesn’t?
The magnetic alignment works with iPhones AND Androids (if you get a case with magnets or stick those metal rings on). However, a big problem is that the magnets are weaker than MagSafe. Not catastrophically weaker. Just… less confident? Like MagSafe grabs your Phone, Phone says, Phone yPhoneQi2 grabs your Phone. Phone says, Phoneink, I got you?”
The Ones That Don’t Suck
Spigen OneTap Qi2 Pro. Fifty bucks. No nonsense. It just sits there and charges stuff. The magnets are stronger than most other Qi2 options (though still not MagSafe strong). No stupid features, no RGB, no auto-clamping BS that activates randomly. It survived the F-150 test better than chargers, which cost twice as much.
The Anker MagGo Qi2 (different from the MagSafe MagGo because it is) works with everything, but has this annoying thing where it loses connection for a split second when you accelerate hard. It’s not enough to drop the phonPhonet’s just enough to stop charging and make that DING sound. Every. Single. Time. Drove me insane on highway on-ramps.
iOttie Velox—man, I wanted to love this one. $40, good reviews, that auto-clamping thing seemed calm. But the auto-clamp has a mind of its own? It’ll randomly grab your Phone when you’re driving. Scared the crap out of me the first time. Turned that feature off, and it’s decent, but why include something broken?
The Heat Problem Nobody Warns You About
Your Phone. Like, hot. Especially if you’re running GPS and charging wirelessly in summer, I’m talking 115-120°F hot. Most people don’t notice because they’re not pointing temperature guns at their phones like a weirdo (hi, that’s me).
The INIU charger ($36, Qi2) has this tiny fan. Sounds like a mosquito having an anxiety attack, but it WORKS. I kept my PPhone 20 degrees warmer than the phone charger. Meanwhile, the Mophie Snap+ ($60, pretty as hell) turned into a phone cooker after 20 minutes. No ventilation at all. Form over function, I guess.
Pro tip: If your Phone’s performance is slow after 10-15 minutes, it’s thermal throttling. Not broken, just too hot. Point an AC vent at it or get a charger to cool it.
Cases: The Thing That Ruins Everything
Nobody tells you this, but case compatibility is make or break. I’ve got… let me count… fourteen cases? (I have a problem, okay?) Everything from those paper-thin Totallee ones to an Otterbox Defender that could probably stop a bullet.
MagSafe chargers? Worked through everything up to 5mm thick—even my ridiculous Spigen tank case.
Qi2? More like 3mm before it gets sketchy. And weirdly, metal buttons on cases can completely break Qi2 charging. My Nomad leather case is organic, but it costs way too much. It wouldn’t with ANY Qi2 charger. The metal camera button interfered with the coils or something. Worked fine with MagSafe, though.
So What Should You Buy?
After all this testing (and spending way too much money), here’s my actual advice:
If you have an iPhone:
Splurge on the Belkin BoostCharge Pro if you can stomach $80. It’s stupid expensive, but it’s the only one that never disappoints men. Not once. That’s worth something when you’re doing 70 on the highway.
Can’t do $80? The ESR HaloLock is fine if you can deal with the eventual rattle. Or grab the Anker MagGo 622 (make sure it’s the 622!) if you live somewhere hot.
If you have an Android:
Spigen OneTap Qi2 Pro. Done. Don’t overthink it. It’s not amazing, but it’s consistently not-annoying, which is the highest praise I can give a Qi2 charger.
On a budget? That INIU with the mosquito fan. Sounds dumb, works excellently, costs $36.
If you have both/multiple phones:
Ugh. This sucks. Get the Anker MagGo Qi2 and accept that it will ding at you sometimes. Or buy those magnetic ring stickers for your Android phones and get a MagSafe charger. They work okay-ish.
The Future or Whatever
Look, Qi2 is probably gonna win eventually. Not because it’s better (it’s not), but because universal standards always win. Remember when every phone had a different phone charger? Now everything’s USB-C. The same thing’ll happen here.
But right now? Today? MagSafe is just better for iPhones. The ecosystem is mature, everything works with everything else, and the magnets hold your damnPhonee.
For AndroPhoneople, you don’t have a choice anyway? Qi2 is your only magnetic option. The good news is it’s getting better. The bad news is that it’s still not quite there yet.
Just… Please Don’t Buy the Cheap Ones
I know $80 for a phone mount seems insane. I KNOW. But after myPhonee ate my braPhonedal at 70mph, I’m done with cheap magnetic mounts. Your phone costs $100 $100Phoneour car costs way more. What are the medical bills if you crash while fumbling for your phone? Yeah.
SpePhonee money. Get something that works. Your future self will thank you when you’re not fishing your phone out from your phone pin in the seat in traffic.
Does anyone have horror stories about wireless car chargers? Or success stories, I guess? Drop a comment—I’m especially curious how these things handle actual winter since Texas “cold” is 40° F, and I’m probably missing something crucial about cold-weather performance.
Questions People Keep Asking Me
Will Qi2 work with my iPhone?
Yeah, if you have an iPhone 12 or newer. It’ll charge at 15W just like MagSafe. The magnets just aren’t as good and might disconnect more often. Not dealbreaker bad, just annoying Phone
My phone gets crazy while charging in the car. Normal?
Normal, unfortunately. Wireless charging makes heat, sun makes heat, GPS makes heat… It’s a heat party. Mine regularly hit 105°F in summer. If it’s throttling charging speed (you’ll notice it gets way slower), point an AC vent at it or get one with a fan. Also, maybe take off that thick case—it’s like wearing a parka in summer.
Do these things kill my car battery?
Nah. Even the hungriest 15W charger pulls maybe 20W total from your car. Your headlights use like 10x that. You’re fine unless you leave it plugged in for weeks while parked. I left one connected for two weeks once (forgot about it at the airport), and my car started fine.
Is the MagSafe tax worth it?
If you have an iPhone and drive a lot, …yeah, probably. I hate admitting that because I’m cheap, but MagSafe works better after testing both for months. Stronger hold, more consistent charging, better heat management. Is that worth an extra $30-40? Your call, but for me? After the brake pedal incident? Yeah. It’s worth it.
