The Most Common Types of Chargers Explained

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An in-depth guide on cables and wall banks

Co-authored by Eric McClure Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: July 11, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Charging Cables
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• Wall Chargers
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• Other Types of Chargers
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• Video

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Ready to finally go through that rat’s nest of cables you’ve been hoarding for years and figure out what’s worth keeping? Or are you scratching your head trying to figure out what the weird port on your new phone is supposed to plug into? In either case, we’ve got you covered. We’ll break down all of the different types of chargers you could possibly encounter, including charging cables, wall chargers, and more.

Popular Charger Types

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There are various types of chargers for phones and other electronic devices. Some of the most popular types of chargers include:

• Cables: USB-C, USB-A, Lightning 8-pin, mini-USB, and micro-USB.
• Wall chargers: USB-A, USB-C, GaN charger, and 12V car charger.
• Other types: Power bank, solar charger, portable generator, and EV charger.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Types of Charging Cables

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   USB-C USB-C are those really thin, symmetrical chargers required for most modern smartphones. They’re sort of the gold standard right now for charging, and it’s unlikely they’ll be replaced any time soon.

   • What it’s for: Modern smartphones, newer laptops, modern electronics, wireless headphones, Bluetooth speakers, 3D printers, and more.
   • Should I keep it? Yep! Having a bunch of these lying around is a good idea. You can always donate the extras to a friend in need—everyone requires these chargers nowadays.
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   USB-A These are the larger rectangular connections that typically plug into the power bank of a charger with another connection type on the other end of the cable. USB-A to USB-A cables are typically reserved for connecting computer peripherals. They’re old technology at this point and are mostly being replaced by USB-C cables, although you’ll find tons of USB-A to USB-C cables out there.

   • What it’s for: Connecting to power banks, older PC accessories, and backup cables.
   • Should I keep it? They’re decent backup cables, but you only need one of them unless you’re a huge electronics nerd.
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   Lightning 8-pin “Lightning” is Apple’s trademark charger technology, so you’re right to assume that these chargers are exclusive to Apple products. The 8-pin chargers look like USB-C chargers, except they have visible vertical pins on each side of the metal sheath. Apple abandoned the Lightning charger after iPhone 15—today, they use USB-C chargers for their modern products.

   • What it’s for: Older Apple products. iPhone 14 and any earlier model uses these, and there are many MacBook models and iPads that require them as well.
   • Should I keep it? Only if you still have older Apple products. If you don’t, toss 'em. They’re not going to come back in vogue.
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   Mini-USB The mini-USB was the precursor to the USB-C. Unlike the USB-C, mini-USB connectors are not vertically symmetrical—the top of the connector is smaller than the bottom, and it has a kind of vague house-shape designed to prevent them from being plugged in backwards.

   • What it’s for: Older phones, tablets, and accessories.
   • Should I keep it? Unless you have an older electronic device that needs this one, go ahead and get rid of it. You are very unlikely to need this charger in the future.
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   Micro-USB Before the USB-C cable came out, but after the mini-USB was the popular charging cable for phones, for a brief period, the micro-USB cable was king. These cables are immediately identifiable by the two parallel grooves you find on the underside of the connector. If you grew up with a phone cable that was impossible to plug in when it was dark, it was probably a micro-USB. They’re pretty small and annoyingly sized.

   • What it’s for: Old phones, primarily. The PS4 controller also requires these, and there are some wireless headphones, Bluetooth speakers, and e-readers that need them.
   • Should I keep it? We’re voting yes. Even though it’s old technology, it’s not the kind of ancient cable that the mini-USB was. You’re still going to encounter stuff that needs these from time to time.
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   Lightning 30-pin Also known as the iPod cable, the Lightning 30-pin was that super long and thin cable that had a square-shaped cover protecting it. It was used for iPods and a handful of other Apple accessories.

   • What it’s for: Old Apple products, primarily the iPod.
   • Should I keep it? Nope. It’s dead tech that will never come back. Unless you still use an iPod or a really niche Apple product from back in the day, there’s no reason to keep it around.
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   Sony Ericsson FastPort Probably the weirdest-looking traditional charger to ever be released, the FastPort had two prongs that stuck out the end of it. It was a popular charger for Sony products back in the day, especially their phones and gaming peripherals. Today, it’s basically dead tech.

   • What it’s for: Old Sony phones, accessories, and gaming peripherals.
   • Should I keep it? No, this isn’t one you’re going to need any time soon unless you’re one of those people who like collecting and using ancient phones.
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   USB 2.0 type-B These are the bigger square-shaped connectors with rounded corners on one side to prevent backwards plug-ins. They’re normally used for connecting peripheral devices, like printers, but some older electronics used them for very slow charging.

   • What it’s for: Charging very old devices.
   • Should I keep it? Unless you have a printer or some extremely old portable electronics, no. These things are going the way of the dodo.
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Section 2 of 3:

Types of Wall Chargers

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1. 
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   USB-A wall charger These are probably the most common wall charger banks you’ll find around. They have ports for USB-A cables, but they’re often used alongside USB-A to USB-C cables. They’re not as fast at charging as the USB-C PD or GaN chargers, though.

   • Typical power output: 5-18W
   • What it’s for: Phones (especially older phones), headphones, peripherals, and other accessories.
   • Should I keep it? Yes. These are great, versatile chargers that you can use with a large variety of stuff.
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   USB-C PD charger PD stands for “power delivery.” If you’ve ever had a phone where you plug in a cable and you get a notification that says, “Plug in an ‘official’ charger to charge faster” or something similar, it was referring to a branded PD charger. These wall chargers are exceptionally fast and can provide up to 50% of the battery’s charge in under 30 minutes (so long as your battery is compatible).

   • Typical power output: 20-240W
   • What it’s for: Modern smartphones, laptops, tablets, headphones, and electronics.
   • Should I keep it? Yes. These are not only versatile, but they’re extremely efficient at what they do, and they’re unlikely to go away any time soon.
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   GaN charger GaN chargers have multiple ports for multiple devices to be charged at the same time. They never come with devices when you buy them—you have to buy them separately—but if you’ve got one, you have a powerful charger on hand. “GaN” stands for “gallium nitride,” which is a super efficient material that helps devices charge much faster than chargers that use traditional silicon.

   • Typical power output: 30-200W
   • What it’s for: Charging multiple devices quickly, traveling, or charging everyday items when you don’t have multiple outlets at your disposal.
   • Should I keep it? Yes. These are top-of-the-line devices that will charge your stuff faster than you’d expect, and they can basically charge anything.
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   12V car charger These are the old-school car chargers that plug into the built-in lighter in cars. They typically have USB-A ports, and they’re not particularly powerful. It doesn’t help that modern vehicles don’t have built-in lighters anymore—they usually just come with USB-C or USB-A ports built into the vehicle.

   • Typical power output: 18-100W
   • What it’s for: Charging on the go.
   • Should I keep it? If you don’t have a car with a lighter, no. You’re probably not going to have a use for these ever again.
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Section 3 of 3:

Other Types of Chargers

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1. 
   1
   Power bank Power banks are mobile chargers that don’t have to plug into a wall. You do have to charge them separately, but once charged, they’ll hold enough juice to power a device multiple times over.

   • Typical power output: 10-200W
   • What it’s for: Travelling.
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   Solar charger Solar chargers are basically power banks that you charge using a solar cell that’s built into them. They’re extremely convenient if you do a lot of travelling, hiking, or camping where you won’t have access to an outlet.

   • Typical power output: 10-26W
   • What it’s for: Travelling, hiking, camping, etc.
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   Portable generator Portable generators are used for running appliances and whatnot during blackouts, but they can also be brought on the road to run electronics while you’re camping or doing something outside. They often come with USB-A and USB-C ports built into them for you to charge your devices.

   • Typical power output: Usually thousands of watts.
   • What it’s for: Backup power during emergencies and powering electronics on the road or outside.
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   EV charger EV chargers are designed specifically to charge EVs (electronic vehicles). If you buy an EV, they’ll typically install an EV charger for you in your garage, but you can also find mobile chargers all over the place.

   • Typical power output: There are three types of EV charger:
     • Level 1: These are 120V chargers. They’re slow, and often reserved for hybrids or low-mileage drivers. The nice thing is that they only need a traditional wall outlet.
     • Level 2: 240V chargers. They’re the most common option for home charging. They’ll fully charge an EV battery in 4-12 hours, depending on the battery.
     • Level 3: These pump out 400-1,000V, depending on the battery. They’re also known as DCFC chargers; these ultra-fast chargers will get you to 80% power in a few minutes.
   • What it’s for: Charging an EV vehicle!
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