Can you use your phone charger to charge your laptop?

Nowadays, owning multiple electronic devices has become a natural part of modern life. A phone for personal communication, a tablet for entertainment, a laptop for work, and other supporting devices such as smart watches or wireless headphones, all create a “mobile ecosystem” around you.

However, that convenience also brings with it a problem, which is that you have to use too many different chargers. Every time you go out, carrying all kinds of chargers is enough of a hassle, and at home or at work, the table easily becomes messy because of all kinds of tangled wires.

That’s why the idea of ​​using just one charger for multiple devices has become a desire of many people. Fortunately, modern phone chargers, especially those using the USB-C standard, have opened up that “multi-purpose” possibility. They can charge most of today’s popular mobile devices, from phones, tablets to wireless headphones.

But with laptops, devices that often require more power, will the phone charger be enough? The good news is that in many cases, the answer is yes. You can absolutely use your phone charger to charge your laptop, as long as the charger supports the USB-C standard and meets the power requirements of the device. Of course, this also depends on the specific laptop model and the charger's compatibility.

How can a phone charger charge your laptop?

For a phone charger to work with a laptop, the prerequisite is that the computer must support charging via USB-C port. This is important because not all laptops are equipped with this connection standard. If your device still uses the traditional cylindrical charging port or a proprietary port, then no matter how modern the phone charger is, you cannot use it.

The difference of USB-C lies in its superior power transmission capability. Older USB standards can only provide power from 2.5W to 4.5W, too little to maintain laptop operation. Meanwhile, the latest USB-C standard can transmit a maximum of 240W, more than enough to meet the needs of most mainstream laptops (45W - 65W) and even some gaming laptops that consume more than 200W.

However, not all USB-C phone chargers are compatible with laptops. The key is USB Power Delivery (USB PD), a charging protocol that allows USB-C to transfer high levels of power. If the charger doesn’t support USB PD, the maximum power output is limited to 15W, which is both too low for a laptop’s needs and makes charging so slow that it’s almost useless.

The good news is that most new phone chargers now have USB PD built in. This means that in many cases, you can completely use your phone charger to replace your laptop charger, especially with thin, light or popular models. Of course, to ensure long-term efficiency and safety, you should still choose a charger with a capacity equivalent to or higher than the official requirements of your laptop.

How to choose the right phone charger for your laptop

Not all phone chargers with USB-C ports and USB Power Delivery (USB PD) support are automatically compatible with laptops. In fact, to charge your laptop efficiently and safely, you need to consider many other important factors before making a decision.

The first thing is to determine the actual power requirements of your laptop. The simplest way is to read the specifications printed on the original charger that came with your device. It usually states the voltage (V) and current (A), for example 20V - 3.25A. Multiplying these two numbers will give you the required power, for example 65W. Alternatively, you can also refer directly to the manufacturer's official website to find out the required power of your laptop.

Once you know the wattage you need, choose a phone charger with the same or higher wattage. This information is usually clearly stated in the product description, making it easy to compare.

However, one important detail that is often overlooked is how chargers distribute power, especially with multi-port chargers. Many modern GaN chargers, like the Anker Prime 100W 3-Port, only deliver the full 100W to a single device when plugged in.

But if you charge two or three devices at once, the power from each port will be split, such as only 65W maximum for laptops. This can cause the laptop to charge more slowly, or even not have enough power to charge and use for heavy tasks.

In addition to the adapter, the USB-C cable also plays an important role. Not all USB-C cables are the same, and they also have power transfer limits. Some only support a maximum of 60W, while high-end cables can transfer 100W or more. So make sure the cable you use matches your laptop's power needs.

In short, choosing a phone charger to replace a laptop charger is not just about the USB-C port or the USB PD label. You need to consider the capacity, number of charging ports and cable quality to ensure the laptop operates stably, safely and effectively./.