Stocking stuffers may be one of the hardest places to shop for — limited space and limited budget — but if you want to give your friends and loved ones a gift that will keep on giving all year long, give them my favorite charger on the planet: the Aukey PA-Y18 18W USB-C Wall Charger. Whether I'm sitting at a cafe or waiting for another oversold flight in the airport lounge, this charger never leaves me hanging and is never too big to fit into that overcrowded power strip.
Aukey's PA-Y18 has been part of my theme park essentials for a year now, and even a year of being dragged around Walt Disney World and used as a fidget toy when I'm bored hasn't killed this affordable plug yet. Best of all, you can buy it for less than most holiday lotto scratchers, and it'll last your recipient way longer.
18W Power Delivery is the top speed for wired charging on the newest iPhones and for most Android phones on the market — OnePlus just had to be a special snowflake — and it's even a good charger for the Nintendo Switch and USB-C Power Banks, so you can replenish your devices or your portable battery between those mind-numbingly long international flights.
The fold-in prongs make this the perfect charger for just slipping in your pocket when you don't want the weight of a power bank — there are also some good stocking stuffer options there for under $30 — which is why when I don't bring a backpack to the parks, this Aukey charger is my go-to. Just pair it with a compact USB-C to USB-C cable or USB-C to Lightning cable and you've got emergency charging anywhere you can find a power outlet.
If you like this form factor but 18W is just too small for your friend or family member's needs — if your kid needs to charge a Chromebook or tablet, for instance — you're in luck. Aukey has a newer 30W model that you can get for $30. Upping to 30W means the Aukey PA-Y19 can be used with Chromebooks and even MacBooks, just don't expect it to charge all that quickly while the MacBook in use.
iPhone or Android, charge your phone in a hurry.
18W chargers don't get much smaller than this, and for topping off my phones, power banks, or headphones in a hurry, this pocket-friendly charger is absolutely perfect.
