The 5 Best Portable EV Chargers
When time is of the essence, the last thing you want is to be stranded halfway through your journey with no charge.
Sure, there are more EV charging stations around now, but not quite enough. When you have to be at your destination at a particular time, you just don’t have the time or opportunity to drive around in the hopes of eventually finding a charging station.
But there is a solution. If you always leave the house with a portable Level 2 charger, you need never worry about such a fate befalling you. All you have to do is pull over in a safe spot and charge the car yourself.
Lucky for you, we’ve been checking out some of the best portable EV chargers on the market today, and we put together a shortlist of our top 5 favorites to review for you here.
But we totally get that choosing one can be tricky, so we’ve also put together a buying guide for you. It makes for a handy checklist that you can use to ensure you’ve thought through everything before you buy.
Let’s get straight to it.
5 Best Portable Level 2 Chargers
1. Primecom Portable Level 2 EV Charger
When we saw the customer ratings on this portable EV charger, we just had to see what all the fuss was about. And we weren’t disappointed!
At 16 amps and a range of 100 to 240 volts, this Level 2 charger is 3 to 4 times faster than a standard Level 1 110 volt charger and gives 12 miles of range per hour. It works with all EV brands, PHEVs, and hybrids.
The great thing about this charger is that it features an intelligent chip that automatically adjusts the amperage to your particular vehicle. And this serves to prolong the life expectancy of your battery.
Several indicators in the control box can tell you when it’s not properly connected, when it’s charging and when it’s fully charged.
It has a water resistance rating of IP56, meaning it’s deemed safe for use outdoors, but if you are hit with a heavy shower, you would be best off waiting for it to pass before charging the vehicle.
It also has several other safety features, including overheat protection, overvoltage protection, overcurrent protection, leakage protection, and even flame resistance.
It’s available in a choice of different NEMA patterned sockets, so be sure to check out the product page to see if your particular configuration is covered. To get to the product page, simply click on “Check Price.” Or, easier still, you can refer to the product page to see if your brand of EV is compatible.
It comes with various options for cable length, starting with 30 feet, which we feel is already generous for smaller vehicles, but this goes all the way up to 50 if you have a particularly large vehicle.
Pros:
- Fast. It gives 12 miles of range per hour
- Works with all brands of EVs & hybrids
- Intelligent chip to adjust the amperage
- Several NEMA socket pattern options
- Range of different lengths of charging cable
Cons
- Not the cheapest portable Level 2 charger around
2. Mustart Travelmaster Level 2 Portable EV Charger
Now, this is a charger with an impressive charge time – it can charge your EV up to 6 times as quickly as a standard domestic power outlet. This means you can get back on the road sooner rather than later. A great little time-saver.
It comes from a top brand and is made right here in the good old USA. It allows you to charge your vehicle at any plug outlet, anywhere, anytime. All you have to do is connect the adapting plug and start charging.
One of its features is that it will automatically detect which adapting plug is plugged in and will immediately start charging at the maximum allowed charging power. This way, you don’t have to worry about calculating the kilowatt-hours you can charge, saving you time.
It comes with two adapting plugs as standard. There’s the NEMA 14-50 socket pattern adapting plug that can be used to quickly charge your vehicle at any 32Amp outlet. Or you can use the adapting plug to connect to a domestic NEMA 5-20 socket pattern.
You can also buy additional adapting plugs for NEMA 10-50, NEMA 6-50, TT-30, NEMA 14-30, NEMA 10-30, and NEMA 6-20 sockets.
It has better conductivity than other chargers because of the silver plating on the standard J1772 inlet. Yet it has an excellent water resistance rating, coming in at IP67, which means you can even use it in the rain if you have to.
It comes with a lengthy 25-foot charging cable that will go right around your car.
And it has a lot of safety features, including overcurrent protection, overvoltage protection, overheating protection, and leakage protection.
And it comes backed by a lengthy 2-year warranty, which is reassuring.
Pros:
- 6 times faster than a domestic outlet
- Two adapting plugs as standard
- Automatically detects which plug
- Excellent water resistance at IP67
- Backed by a lengthy 2-year warranty
Cons:
- Troubleshooting can be tricky
3. Morec 16A Portable Level 2 EV Charger
You should check out this little portable charger if you’re looking for something a bit more affordable but with great customer service reviews.
Despite the relatively more affordable price, we can confirm that it is of excellent quality, housed in durable ABS for a long product life expectancy.
It’s received a 4 and a half star average rating from customers on Amazon, thanks to nearly 80% of customers giving it a full 5 stars out of 5. And it’s compatible with a wide range of EV vehicles that meet the J1772 standard.
It comes with a complimentary NEMA 5-15-NEMA 6-20 adapter. And this means that you can use it in a 220V (NEMA 6-20) socket and a 110V (NEMA 5-15) socket.
It comes with a long charging cable that measures 26 feet from the wall plug to the car plug, which means you can get it right the way around your car.
It has an excellent water resistance rating, coming in at IP65, which means that you can even get away with charging it up in the rain.
And it has several other safety features besides, including overcurrent protection, over-voltage protection, under-voltage protection, leakage protection, and overheating protection.
Pros:
- A relatively more affordable option
- Fast charging when in Level 2 mode
- 26-foot long charging cable provided
- Excellent water resistance at IP65
- Free NEMA 5-15-NEMA 6-20 adapter
Cons:
- Doesn’t come with a wall mount
4. Megear Portable Level 1-2 EV Charger
Talk about flying off the shelves – this is a bestseller with the leading online retailers.
It comes with a power plug for a NEMA 6-20 pattern socket to use it as a Level 2 charger, but you also get a free adapter for Level 1 charging since it will then fit a NEMA 5-15 pattern socket. Obviously, the Level 2 charging would be faster, but at least you have the option for Level 1 if you don’t always have the right socket pattern for Level 2 charging.
Incidentally, the Level 2 charger is up to 3 times faster than the EV’s original charger. The plugs are compatible with all major EV automakers and multiple power sources.
It features a handy screen with indicator lights to tell you when the power is on, when it’s connected, when it’s charging, and when there’s a fault.
It comes with a long charging cable, coming in at a lengthy 25 feet, which means it’s long enough to wrap around your entire car if you ever need it to.
It comes with a hook and doc, so you could also use it as a home charger as well as a portable one.
It has a water resistance rating of IP55, which means it’s suitable for use outdoors. But if you get caught in a heavy downpour, you should wait for it to pass before charging up your vehicle. Indoor use is recommended wherever possible.
It has some great safety features, including leakage protection, over-voltage protection, under-voltage protection, and even lightning protection and flame resistance.
We also love how it is backed by a 12-month warranty and lifetime tech support, which is very reassuring. And if all that’s not enough, it also happens to be available at an excellent price to boot.
Pros:
- Up to 3 times faster than the original charger
- Can be used for Level 1 or Level 2 charging
- Comes with lots of great safety features
- Comes with a warranty & lifetime tech support
- It can also be used as a home charger
Cons:
- The water resistance could be better
5. BougeRV Portable Level 2 EV Charger
Here’s another great portable charger to consider. Again, it’s very affordable and has been met with excellent customer ratings and reviews.
It’s suitable for all J1772 connector EVs. And as a NEMA 6-20 Level 2 charger, it will charge up your vehicle 3 times faster than a Level 1 charger. But, if you are met with a NEMA 5-15 socket, you will still be able to charge up your vehicle, thanks to the free adapter for a NEMA 5-15 socket.
It features a handy screen with indicator lights to tell you when the power is on, when it’s connected, when it’s charging, and when there’s a fault.
It comes with a long charging cable, coming in at a lengthy 25 feet, which means it’s long enough to wrap around your entire car if you ever need it to.
We also like how it comes with its own carry case, so you don’t get wires everywhere in your trunk or on the seats.
It features lightning protection, leakage protection, overcurrent protection, and both overvoltage and under-voltage protection. And it comes backed by a 12-month warranty.
Pros:
- Up to 3 times faster than a Level 1 charger
- Can be used for Level 1 or Level 2 charging
- Comes with lots of great safety features
- Comes with its own carry case
Cons:
- Some customers have reported faults, but these have been easily resolved
Buying Guide
As promised, here’s your buying guide.
Why A Level 2 Charger Is Your Best Option
Level 2 chargers are significantly faster than their Level 1 counterparts. For example, a Level 1 charger can only deliver 3 to 5 miles of range per hour, whereas Level 2 chargers on the other hand can deliver between 12 and 60 miles per hour.
Compatibility
One of your foremost considerations should be compatibility. It’s no good spending hundreds of dollars on a portable EV charger only to find that it’s incompatible with your vehicle. Thankfully, however, most portable EV chargers are universal.
All the chargers that made our shortlist of 5 are perfectly compatible with any standard J17772 connectors in North America.
Similarly, you also need to be aware of the pattern of sockets you will use so that you can buy accordingly. This is referred to as the NEMA enclosure.
Long Charging Cable
We also recommend that you look for a charger with a long charging cable that can reach all the way around the whole vehicle. That way, you don’t have to be super careful about how you park up (we all know parking is one of the trickier maneuvers). We recommend you go for a charger with a cable at least 25 feet in length.
Water Resistance
At some point, you’ll want to use your portable charger in damp or humid weather because you may not always be able to find overhead shelter to do the charging. However, not all such chargers are designed for use outdoors.
At the bare minimum, you will need a charger with a portable charger with a water resistance rating of at least IP55. But to charge the EV in the middle of a downpour, you will need it to have a water resistance rating closer to IP67, or preferably higher.
Indicators
An EV charger with light indicators is convenient. You can use them to check, for example, when the power is on, whether the charger is connected correctly when the EV is fully charged, or if there’s some kind of error with the system.
Safety Features
With any electrical equipment, it’s reassuring to be aware of any safety features. You can rest assured that all of the portable EV chargers that made our shortlist are deemed safe to use and have an array of safety features.
Value for Money
Portable EV chargers can vary in price, with some costing as little as $170, while others costing as much as $650. So if (like most people) you have a budget to work with, be sure to check the prices as you go along.
Final Thought
Now that you know what portable EV chargers are on the market and would like to research the market further, check out these in-depth reviews to learn more about permanent home chargers.
