Open a new iPad and you get the tablet and a cable, and nothing else. Apple's own spec sheets for the iPad and the iPad Air list a "USB-C Charge Cable (1 metre)" in the box and no power adapter at all, so the plug is now yours to buy. The awkward part is that almost any USB-C charger will do the job, which makes "which one" a harder question than it sounds. More watts charge an iPad faster, but only up to the point the tablet itself will draw, and Apple prints a hard wattage figure for exactly one model: the iPad Pro (M5), which its support page says needs "a USB-C compliant, 60 W or higher power adapter" to fast charge. Every other iPad is comfortable on far less. The three picks below cover the sensible range, from a plug that quietly does the one job to one that runs a laptop as well.
Top picks
1. UGREEN Nexode 35W USB C Charger (Dual Port GaN) - Best Overall
SPP Score: 8.8 / 10 - 35W with a second port. Our all-round pick for most iPads.
Capability 7.6/10 - Versatility 8.9/10 - Build 9.4/10 - Value 8.9/10 - Fit 9.4/10
Fit for this guide: At 35W it clears any non-Pro iPad with room to spare, and the second port tops up a phone in a foldable travel size.
Every pick here is scored out of 10: four marks rate the product and are the same in every guide, and the fifth rates its fit for this guide - how we test and score.
This is the plug most iPad owners should buy. UGREEN's listing puts 35W on the USB-C port, comfortably above what a standard iPad, an iPad Air or an iPad mini will pull, with headroom left over. What earns it the top spot at this size is the second port: UGREEN pairs the USB-C with a USB-A, so an iPad and a phone charge from one plug. There is an honest limit to that. Run both ports at once and UGREEN's own figures drop the USB-C to 25W and give the USB-A 7.5W, so the iPad keeps charging quickly while the second thing trickles. The pins fold flat and the core is GaN, which is what makes it worth packing. The one thing it is not is enough for an iPad Pro at full tilt, and that is the premium pick's job.
Pros
- ✓ 35W on the USB-C port clears what any non-Pro iPad draws, with headroom
- ✓ A second USB-A port, so an iPad and a phone share one plug
- ✓ Folding pins and a GaN core that pack down for a bag
Cons
- ✗ The spare port is USB-A, so a USB-C phone charges off it slower than on its own plug
- ✗ 35W is short of the 60W Apple says an iPad Pro needs to fast charge
Who it's for: Owners of a standard iPad, an iPad Air or an iPad mini who want one plug that also tops up a phone.
Who it's not for: iPad Pro owners chasing Apple's 60-watt fast-charge figure.
2. UGREEN 20W USB C Charger (PD) - Best Budget
SPP Score: 8.1 / 10 - 20W single port. Our value pick.
Capability 7.1/10 - Versatility 8.0/10 - Build 8.9/10 - Value 8.5/10 - Fit 8.5/10
Fit for this guide: 20W is the cheapest way into charging a standard iPad or mini from a trusted brand, with one port and no frills.
If the plug really is all you need, this is the cheapest sensible way to replace the one Apple left out of the box. UGREEN lists a single USB-C port at 20W with Power Delivery, which is the entry point for charging any iPad at a steady pace. It will not be the quickest here and there is no second port, but for a standard iPad or an iPad mini kept by the sofa it does exactly what is asked and no more. Think of it as the modern stand-in for the small plug that used to come in the box, from a brand with a track record rather than an unnamed one.
Pros
- ✓ The cheapest way from a trusted big-name brand to replace the plug Apple no longer includes
- ✓ 20W with Power Delivery charges any iPad at a sensible pace
- ✓ Small and plain, with nothing on it to go wrong
Cons
- ✗ One port only, so nothing else charges beside the iPad
- ✗ 20W is the lowest wattage here, so a larger iPad tops up more slowly than on the other two
Who it's for: Anyone charging a single standard iPad or mini who wants the plug and nothing more.
Who it's not for: iPad Pro owners, and anyone who wants a second device charging at the same time.
3. Anker 735 GaNPrime 65W Charger (3-Port) - Best Premium
SPP Score: 8.5 / 10 - 65W three-port with PPS. Our pick for an iPad Pro or a laptop too.
Capability 8.5/10 - Versatility 8.0/10 - Build 9.4/10 - Value 8.5/10 - Fit 8.5/10
Fit for this guide: The only pick here that meets Apple's stated 60W or higher for a fast-charging iPad Pro, and it runs a laptop too.
Buy this one if the iPad in question is a Pro. Apple's support page says the iPad Pro (M5) needs a 60-watt-or-higher adapter to reach its fast-charge figure of 50% in around half an hour, and at 65W this Anker is the only pick here that clears that bar. It does plenty besides: Anker lists two USB-C ports and a USB-A, 65W in total, so it feeds the iPad and a laptop, or the iPad and a phone and an accessory, from a single socket. PPS is on the listing as well, a feature that matters more to some Android phones than to an iPad. One thing worth knowing before you pack it: Anker's own page lists the UK version with a fixed plug rather than folding pins, so it lives on a desk more than in a bag. If you are choosing across that whole 65W class rather than for an iPad specifically, our 65W GaN charger guide goes wider.
Pros
- ✓ 65W meets the 60-watt minimum Apple states for a fast-charging iPad Pro
- ✓ Two USB-C ports and a USB-A, so an iPad and a laptop share one socket
- ✓ Anker's GaNPrime build, the equal best made of the three here
Cons
- ✗ The UK version has a fixed plug, not folding pins, so it is less of a travel charger
- ✗ 65W across three ports is more than a non-Pro iPad will ever use
Who it's for: iPad Pro owners, and anyone who wants one plug for the tablet and a laptop.
Who it's not for: Owners of a standard iPad or mini, where two-thirds of the ports and most of the wattage go unused.
Quick verdict
For most iPad owners the UGREEN Nexode 35W USB C Charger (Dual Port GaN) is the one to buy: 35W clears any non-Pro iPad with room to spare, and the second port means a phone charges alongside. If you only need the plug and want to spend as little as makes sense, the UGREEN 20W USB C Charger (PD) replaces what Apple left out of the box and nothing else. And if the iPad is a Pro, the Anker 735 GaNPrime 65W Charger (3-Port) is the only pick here that meets Apple's 60-watt fast-charge bar, and it runs a laptop too.
How we chose
Two facts from Apple shaped this list. Its spec sheets for the iPad and iPad Air now list only a USB-C cable in the box, which is why a charger is a separate purchase at all; and its support pages put exactly one hard wattage on the range, the iPad Pro (M5)'s 60-watt fast-charge floor. With no published speed figure for the other iPads, we ranked on the things that actually vary: wattage against what a tablet can draw, the number of ports, and how each plug is built. Placement here is never paid for. One caveat we cannot check for you is what any given listing ships in its box, so read that before you buy.
FAQ
Q: Do new iPads come with a charger? A: No. Apple's spec sheets list only a USB-C charge cable in the box for the iPad and the iPad Air, so the plug is something you now buy yourself. That is the whole reason this guide exists.
Q: What wattage charger does an iPad need? A: Any USB-C Power Delivery charger will charge an iPad, and more watts is faster only up to what the tablet itself will draw. Apple publishes a hard figure for just one model, the iPad Pro (M5) at 60W or higher; for a standard iPad, an Air or a mini, something in the 20W to 35W range is plenty.
Q: Is 20W enough for an iPad? A: For a standard iPad or an iPad mini, yes, at a steady pace. It is the entry point rather than the quickest option, and it cannot hit the fast-charge figure Apple quotes for the iPad Pro, which needs 60W.
Q: Can one charger do my iPad and my iPhone? A: Yes. The 35W pick adds a USB-A port and the 65W pick has three ports, so either charges an iPad and a phone at once. If the iPhone is the main thing you are charging, our iPhone charger guide picks for that instead.
Q: Will a 65W charger harm my iPad? A: No. The iPad and the charger agree the power between them over USB-C Power Delivery, and the tablet never draws more than it is built to take, so a 65W plug is as safe as a 20W one. A higher-wattage charger just reaches the iPad's own ceiling sooner.
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