Tethered vs untethered EV chargers: which is better?

The choice looks cosmetic, but it changes how you use the charger every day. A tethered unit has the cable attached to it. An untethered unit is a box with a Type 2 socket, and you carry a separate cable. Everything else about the charger can be identical, which is why many models come both ways.

The two types compared

Two rows deserve explanation. On price, the gap is real but modest: Pod asks more for the tethered Solo 3S, Octopus charges more for its tethered Octopus Charge in London, and Severn Sparks and Charge EV North West publish gaps of the same order. On insurance, the ABI says damage to a hard-wired charger, including a tethered cable, is generally covered under the buildings section of a home policy. Untethered cables and portable equipment are usually treated as motor accessories and are not covered by home insurance, and many policies are silent. Ask your insurer either way.

We found no published UK data on cable theft, so we cannot put a number on the security difference. Common sense says a fixed cable cannot be taken from a boot or a driveway, while a loose one can. If your charger is on a driveway you can see, it matters less.

When tethered is the better choice

Choose tethered if you have one Type 2 car, the charger is on the wall next to where you park, and you want the shortest routine. The cable length is fixed, so measure from the wall unit to the charge port with the car parked as it will normally be, and allow slack. Common lengths in our data are 5 metres, 5.5 metres (Andersen A3), 6.5 metres (zappi and Pod Solo 3S), 7.5 metres and 10 metres (Hypervolt), and Ohme’s Home Pro comes in 5 or 8 metres.

Tethered is also easier for other people in the household. Nobody has to find the cable.

When untethered is the better choice

Choose untethered if you have an early Type 1 car (myenergi says that is when it sells untethered zappis), two cars that need different cables, or you want a tidy wall. It also suits people who want a very long or very short lead. Some untethered units let you lock a cable in so it behaves like a tethered one: Easee says a cable can be permanently locked in through the app.

The trade-off is cost and effort. The charger’s headline price excludes the cable, so compare like with like. Ohme sells optional 5 metre and 8 metre Type 2 cables for the ePod, and we did not capture their prices. See Type 2 charging cables for what to buy.

Examples from our reviews

The Ohme pair shows the choice clearly. They run the same software and the same Intelligent Octopus Go support. The Home Pro is tethered (5 or 8 metres) with a colour screen, from £999 fitted. The ePod is untethered with no screen and no cable, from £949 fitted. The headline gap is therefore small, but the ePod’s price excludes a cable. Our Ohme Home Pro review and ePod review cover each, and the head-to-head comparison puts them side by side.

Pod’s price is for the untethered Solo 3S; the tethered one costs a little more. myenergi itself publishes no fitted price for the zappi; the figure above is OVO’s “from” price, and independent installers list it higher, so ask installers. In our best home EV chargers roundup, the Ohme Home Pro is best overall and the ePod is best untethered, with the Hypervolt Home 3 Pro ahead on owner satisfaction and the Easee One suited to two-EV homes.

A quick way to decide

If you are still unsure, answer three questions. Does your car have a Type 2 socket, as most new cars do? Will one cable serve every car you charge? And is the charger within a cable length of the parking spot? If all three are yes, buy tethered. If any is no, buy untethered and budget for a cable.

Whichever you pick, the installation is the same job, and any registered installer can fit either. Installation costs are similar whichever you choose, apart from the hardware price.