The best portable EV chargers in the UK

Specifications on this page are seller claims from Amazon UK listings, checked on 10 October 2026, plus one manufacturer spec sheet. We have not tested any of these products. Some links go to Amazon UK. We are not yet part of the Amazon Associates programme, so those links earn us nothing today. If that changes they will carry a commission and be marked as affiliate links. A commission never changes what we recommend: see how we make money.

When a 3-pin charger is fine

A granny charger is a Mode 2 cable. One end is a UK 13A plug, the middle is a control box that talks to the car and provides protection, and the other end is the Type 2 connector for the car. At 10A it delivers about 2.3kW, which the RAC gives as the most that most manufacturers allow from a domestic socket. Masterplug quotes an average of 8 miles of range per charging hour. Over eight hours that is about 64 miles, by our arithmetic.

That is enough in four cases:

• You top up occasionally, or your daily mileage sits well within about 64 miles, which is eight hours at 8 miles an hour.
• You are staying with family, at a holiday let or at a second home.
• You want a backup for when the fixed charger or a public post fails.
• You have a short-term move or rental with no fitted charger.

When it is not enough

It stops being enough if you need more than overnight charging, if the socket is outdoors or a long way from the car, or if the wiring is old. Electrical Safety First warns that the load and duration of charging an EV are likely to exceed what a standard socket and standard wiring are designed for. Eight hours at a time, every night, is a very different test from an occasional top-up.

It also helps to know what you give up. A fixed 7.4kW charger delivers roughly three times the power, and the ones we rank have PEN fault protection and 6mA DC detection built in, plus smart tariff control. If you charge every day, a granny charger is a false economy, because you are running a household socket near the edge of what it was designed for. Our guide to 3-pin plug charging covers the practical limits, and charging without a driveway covers the cable-across-the-pavement problem.

Safety rules for 3-pin charging

Keep the current at 10A or less

The RAC says most manufacturers limit the current from a standard domestic socket to 10A or less, which is 2.3kW. The IET describes Mode 2 as the minimal charging solution for single-phase domestic sockets, usually at 10A or less. Product recalls make the same point from the other side. The OPSS recalls of the Flynsu and Lectron portable chargers cite output above the maximum for a 13A plug as an overheating hazard.

Sellers know it. EzGoGo says its 13A setting is for occasional fast charging and 10A or 8A for regular use. GONEO caps at 10A because older UK sockets may not manage 13A for six to ten hours. Our advice, which is our synthesis of these sources rather than a quoted standard: use 10A as the ceiling, 8A or 6A on older or doubtful circuits, and 13A only if an electrician has approved the socket and the circuit. For scale, 8A is about 1.8kW and 13A about 3kW.

Use an EV-rated socket on its own circuit

The IET says BS 7671 requires an EV charging point that uses a 13A socket to be a BS 1363-2 socket marked “EV” on the rear, tested with an inductive load rather than a resistive one. Electrical Safety First says such sockets are made and tested to be more robust and should be on dedicated circuits. Masterplug’s spec sheet says to use its cable only with sockets marked for EV charging. If you plan to charge from the same socket regularly, have an electrician check it, or fit an EV-rated one.

Look for temperature protection in the plug

Heat builds where the plug meets the socket and the fuse, not in the control box. The OPSS recalled the WAI EVCUK216WC cable in February 2023 because its fuse clamps did not grip the BS 1362 fuse firmly, which caused arcing and very high temperatures in the fuse housing. What Car?’s lab tests warn that poor pin contact squeezes the current through a smaller area, risking overheating.

Of our shortlist, only GONEO explicitly claims a temperature sensor in the UK plug. Masterplug claims integrated thermal protection without saying where the sensor sits, dé and EzGoGo claim overheating protection without saying where, and bokman makes no thermal claim. Buyers have reported heat damage: a June 2026 Amazon review of the Masterplug describes a melted plug and socket, and a reviewer of the EzGoGo says it got very warm at 13A.

Check it has an RCD with 6mA DC detection

BS 7671 defines a Mode 2 cable as one that provides RCD protection between the car and the plug or in the control box. A 30mA RCD is also required for socket-outlets up to 32A and for mobile equipment up to 32A used outdoors. The dé, Masterplug and GONEO listings claim 30mA AC and 6mA DC detection. The EzGoGo and bokman listings do not mention an RCD, and if a listing does not say it has one, assume it does not. What Car? bought three 3-pin cables, two from Amazon Marketplace, and all three failed its RCD tests; none met the relevant British Standard for the plug.

Never use an extension lead

The Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) guidance says never to use an extension lead to charge your vehicle. Electrical Safety First’s 2019 survey release said never to use a domestic multi-socket extension and never to daisy-chain, though it conceded a suitable outdoor reel might be a last resort. Masterplug’s own FAQ strongly discourages extension cords. Our position is simple: do not. If you cannot reach a socket, the fix is a properly installed outdoor socket or a fixed charger.

If you need to charge outdoors

Fit a weatherproof outdoor socket on an RCD-protected circuit, installed by a registered electrician. We would look for an IP66 rating on the socket housing; the Masterplug control box is itself IP66 when connected. Do not trail a lead through a window or door. If the car is across a pavement, read our guide to cross-pavement charging.

Check the marks

GOV.UK says the UK recognises the CE mark alongside the UKCA mark for Great Britain. What Car? says goods should show one of them and the manufacturer’s name. The standard for these in-cable devices is BS EN 62752, and the OPSS tests recalled products against its RCD clause. A listing that says “CE, UKCA, TÜV” is making a claim. We have not seen certificates for any shortlisted product.

Recalls and marketplace risk

The OPSS has recalled several portable chargers. None of our shortlist appears below, but we did not search the Product Safety Database exhaustively for 2024 to 2026.

Most of the category is unbranded or marketplace-brand stock. Masterplug, part of the Luceco group, is the only established UK electrical brand among the best-sellers we found.

The best portable EV chargers on paper

We built the shortlist from Amazon UK’s EV charging best-seller lists and searches on 10 October 2026, then dropped listings with contradictory specifications. Ratings pool reviews across cable lengths. Search Amazon UK for the model code to find the exact listing.

Masterplug Mode 2, 10m: safest on paper

The Masterplug is the only mainstream listing we found that caps current at 10A, with 6A as the default, “as per UK EV standards”. Its spec sheet cites EN 62752 and EN 61851-1 and lists an integrated Type A RCD with 6mA DC detection and PEN fault protection, which is unusual in a portable unit. It carries a one-year warranty, and the spec sheet says to use it only with EV-marked sockets. The price has moved: it was £95.99 in an earlier crawl and was £134.99 on 10 October. The 1-star review reporting a melted plug and socket in June 2026 is the counterweight.

GONEO D2E-E10UK-5M: the cheapest well-specified unit

At £89.99 for 5m, the GONEO caps at 10A and claims temperature sensors in both the plug and the control box, power reduction on overheating, an RCD with 6mA DC detection and an earth check on every plug-in. The listing claims CE, TÜV and UKCA marks. Everything here is a seller claim, and its Amazon sales rank is far lower than the best-sellers’. Longer cables cost more: the same model is sold from 8m to 20m.

dé 10m with app: the best-seller

The dé is the number one seller in Amazon UK’s EV charging equipment category and the only unit with app control (Tuya or Smart Life), including scheduling and energy monitoring. It claims a Type A RCD with 6mA DC detection and IP66 on the control unit, with a two-year warranty. It allows 13A, so set it to 10A or less. One buyer reports it defaults to 10A. The listing does not say where its overheating sensor sits.

The two we would pass on

The EzGoGo F096 has the most reviews (773) and is the number two seller, but its listing makes no RCD claim, the seller itself recommends 13A only occasionally, and a verified September 2026 review says it got very warm at 13A. The bokman BKM23610 is rated 4.7 but its listing contradicts itself on 10A against 13A and claims no RCD, thermal protection or certification.

Type 2 cables are not granny chargers

A Type 2 to Type 2 cable (Mode 3) connects a car to a wall charger or a public post. It cannot plug into a 3-pin socket and it has no electronics of its own. You need one if you buy an untethered wall charger. Prices are lower than for a portable charger, and the speed is set by the charger and the car.

The single-phase 7.4kW cable covers any UK home. The three-phase 22kW cable also works on single-phase posts and with cars limited to 7kW or 11kW, but it is heavier and only worth it if your car accepts 11 or 22kW. The bokman listing states no certification marks. The EzGoGo claims CE, RoHS and TÜV, which we could not verify, and buyers note that its end caps hang on thin wires. See our guide to Type 2 charging cables for lengths and ratings.

Why a wall charger is better for daily charging

A fitted 7.4kW charger gives roughly three times the power of a 10A granny cable. It runs on its own circuit built for hours-long loads, and the ones we rank have PEN fault protection and 6mA DC detection built in. It can also follow a cheap overnight tariff. Fitted prices start at £899 for the Easee One and £949 for the Ohme ePod, and our ranking of the best home EV chargers shows which suits your tariff. Whatever you choose, a firm price depends on your wall and your fuse box.