Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more

The ZUS Smart Car Charger paired two USB ports with app-linked car-location and parking-timer features, but the extra convenience did not make its charging performance universally compelling. New Atlas’s March 3, 2016 review reported faster charging than the basic charger it tested, while also noting that ZUS lacked Qualcomm Quick Charge. Today, nonda says the app’s car-location and parking functions can work without ZUS hardware, so those features are no longer a unique reason to buy this charger.

What the ZUS Smart Car Charger offered

New Atlas described the ZUS as a compact, German-designed car charger with two USB ports, illuminated port accents and an app connection over Bluetooth. The review said a smart chip identified connected devices and supplied the maximum charging rate each could accept. It also described a titanium-coated case, German Bayer plastic on the exterior and long retaining springs intended to keep the charger firmly seated in a vehicle’s power outlet. These are product details reported in the 2016 review, not independently verified current specifications. New Atlas’s 2016 review

The two ports let the reviewer charge two iPads at once. The lit ports were another practical touch: they made the connections easier to see in a dark cabin. But a second port and polished finish matter most if you regularly charge more than one device or value those conveniences; they do not establish that the charger will be faster with every phone, cable or charging standard.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

How fast did it charge in the 2016 review?

New Atlas reported two informal comparisons using older iPhones. In a test with two dead iPhone 5s, the phone on ZUS restarted two minutes before the phone on a no-name charger; after 30 minutes, the review reported 23% charge for ZUS and 13% for the no-name charger. In a separate 20-minute iPhone 6 comparison, it reported 24% for ZUS, 20% when connected to a Mac and 7% on a no-name charger. New Atlas, March 3, 2016

#1 Best Overall
SUPERONE Pure Copper USB C Car Charger, 45W Dual Port Fast Charger
  • 🚗Pure Copper Car charger: The upgrade copper exterior is more durable, scratch-resistant and won’t be burnt-out, which is safer than any plastic and Aluminium alloy chargers! PLEASE NOTE: Benefit with all copper body, you may feel the copper shell get hot easier, it actually prove copper body do good in heat dissipation & safety!
  • 🚗27W/20W USB C Power Delivery: Adopt PD PPS Tech., compatible with Apple 27W/20W fast charging Tech., provide up to 27W output for iPhone 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 Pro/ Max/ Plus/ Mini. Charging for iPhone 17 Pro Max near dead to 88%, just need 35 Minutes.
  • 🚗Dual Smart USB Ports: Both the 27W/20W PD USB-C port and 18W Quick Charge 3.0 USB-A port can allow users to simultaneously charge multiple devices at full speed with a max output of total 45W. Perfect for iOS and Android devices!
  • 🚗Premium Design: A soft LED light ring illumination to help you easily find the charging ports while driving at night, and a soft LED light screen will display the voltage of your car battery at any time.
  • 🚗 Warranty and Safety Features: All our products comes with 18-month warranty plus life time technical support. The built-in smart multiple protection system to protect your devices from over-current, over-charging and over-heating ensures superior performance, safety and durability.

Those results suggest ZUS outperformed the particular no-name charger in those tests, but they are not current, controlled benchmarks and should not be treated as a promise about present-day phones. The review also said the charger did not support Qualcomm Quick Charge. It cautioned that non-OEM charging cables might prevent devices from reaching their maximum charging rate. In practice, charger, phone and cable compatibility all affect the result.

What did the app add—and does it still justify buying the hardware?

The 2016 review said the ZUS app used Bluetooth to save where the car was parked and later show the location on a map or provide directions. It also let drivers set a parking timer when leaving the vehicle. New Atlas’s 2016 review

Rank #2
USB C Car Charger, 65W Dual USB-C&USB-A Multiport Cigarette Lighter Adapter
  • [65W 4-Port Fast Car Charger] With the upgrade PD&QC3.0 Fast charging technology, the 65 Watt high speed car adapter can support max PD 30W and QC 18W output simultaneously, fast charging for iPhone, Galaxy, tablets even Macbook, and quick charge 3.0 for most android devices from 0% to 60% in 35 minutes.One car charger with both standard usb and usb-c ports, works with all types of charger cables.
  • [Upgraded 4-in-1 Car Phone Charger] Designed with dual 12V usb-c and usb-a car charging ports arranged on the edge of the car charger, you can easily plug all types of charging cords to power up your devices. It provide multiple charging protocol options and has connections for both standard usb and latest usb-c connectors.
  • [Car Charger with Voltage Display] With a LED voltmeter displayed on the middle of the car adapter, you can easily monitor the status of your car battery and system voltage. It is a plus especially for those whom will use it with a 12V pack when camping or use it to monitor the battery amperage in hot days or area.
  • [Safe and Reliable Type C Cigarette Lighter Adapter] Made of full aluminum alloy, the metal car charger is more sturdy and safety than the plastic ones. It fits snugly in the 12v port without being difficult to insert and makes a decent connection even driving on bump roads. The built-in smart chip enable the cigarette lighter plug automatically stop charging when the power is full and when you turn off and remove the car keys from the ignition, all 12V outlets in the car will turn off.
  • [Wide Compatible] Wide range from dc 12V-24V(6A), the 12 volt usb c car charger outlet works great with smart phones, tablets, car charger mount, dash cams, usb fans and other usbc and usb car accessories. Fast charge compatible with iPhone 16/15/14/13/12/11 Pro Max/Plus/Mimi; Pad Pro/Mini; iPhone XR/SE/XR/Xs/Xs Max/8/7 Plus,Galaxy S24/S23/S22/21/S20/S10/S9/S8+,Note 20/10/9/8, A03S 5G/A13/A14/A15/A53/A54/A71; Motor, L G phones, driving recorder, GPS navigation, car vacuum cleaner, power banks and other devices.

That app feature is less distinctive now. In its current help article, nonda says users can mark a car’s location and set a parking-meter alarm without a ZUS hardware device. The same article says mileage logging no longer requires one of the listed devices. nonda Help Center: using the ZUS app without hardware The charger may still be useful as a physical two-port charger, but the app’s car-finding and parking functions alone do not make the hardware necessary, according to nonda’s description.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

What to check before looking for one

  • Exact model and availability: Current pricing and availability of the exact model reviewed in 2016 are not established here. nonda’s Mileage Log page still refers to ZUS Smart Car Charger hardware and lists two reversible USB ports and “up to 2X” charging speed; those are manufacturer claims, not independent test results or proof that the reviewed model is in stock. nonda Mileage Log
  • Charging compatibility: The 2016 review specifically noted no Qualcomm Quick Charge support and possible speed limits with non-OEM cables. Check the charging standard supported by your phone and any charger listing before purchase.
  • App requirements: nonda’s pairing guide lists iOS 8.0 and Android 5.0 as minimum requirements, but those old minimums may be stale. Check the current ZUS app listing in the App Store or Google Play for up-to-date device and operating-system requirements. nonda’s ZUS pairing guide
  • Price: New Atlas reported a typical retail price of US$35.99 in 2016. That is a historical price, not a current price estimate. New Atlas, 2016
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Is the ZUS Smart Car Charger worth it?

The 2016 review made a plausible case for paying extra if you wanted two ports, illuminated connections and app-linked parking features, and its limited tests favored ZUS over the no-name charger it used. But its reported charging comparisons are dated, it lacked Qualcomm Quick Charge, and nonda now says key car-location and parking features work without the hardware. Whether it is worth buying today therefore depends first on whether you can find the exact model and confirm its compatibility—and whether you want its physical charging features, rather than the app alone.

Best Value
Super Fast Charge USB C Car Phone Charger Adapter 6 in 1 with Voltage Display 250W Multi Port Cigarette Lighter USB Charger with Volt Meter for iPhone 16 15 Pro Max 14 Plus 13 Samsung Android Phone
  • [With Voltage Display] UYUXIO USB C car charger comes with voltage display, inspecting the status of car's battery, when it is pluged into the pluged into cigarette lighter socket, the volt meter area will monitor the battery status of the car all the time
  • [6 in 1 Charging] This powerful 6 in 1 multi ports usb c car charger adapter allows charging 6 phones at the same time, this design of multi port helps you save time when you want to charge some more phones, and also save then number of 12V cigarette lighter socket because you needn't additional cigarette lighter ports if you want to extend some more charging ports
  • [Fast Charging all Phones] If you want fast charging function, please connect super fast charging port. The super charging port of this multi ports usb car charger supports fast charging all phones, like iPhone 16 Pro Max Plus 15 14 13 12 11 Samsung and other phones, and also has super fast charging protocols for some other android phones
  • [With Colourful Atmosphere Light] UYUXIO Multi Ports USB C Charger has additional colurful atmosphere light, the light is dynamic. It will decorate the atmosphere inside of the car
  • [Worry-free customer service] UYUXIO Multiports usb c car charger provides durable products, the product has already been tested good before shipping out, and also experienced aging test to insure it can be used for very long time
Rank #4
JOYROOM Wireless Car Charger,15W Qi Fast Charging Car Charger Phone Holder Mount, Auto-Clamping Alignment Windshield Dashboard Air Vent Cell Phone Holder for iPhone 16 Pro Max/15 Pro,Samsung S24/S23
  • 3-in-1 Car Phone Holder: Combined wireless car charger and car phone mount for a safe drive experience. JOYROOM wireless charger for car has strong suction cups and stable air vent clips for the windshield, dashboard and air vents to meet your different charging needs
  • Super Stable Base: phone mount for car wireless charger's base is equipped with a powerful suction cup and professional 3M adhesive (high temperature resistant). The base's suction cup has been tested thousands of times, it can absorb more than 20 pounds of objects without dropping. Even if passing speed bumps or driving on mountain roads, you don’t need to worry about it falling. In addition, the bracket arm and clip are equipped with silicone pads for anti-slip and anti-vibration
  • Auto-Sensing & Smart Charging: After connecting to the cable, the ZS219 car phone charger will automatically clamp when your phone is dropped in. A gentle touch on the 2 sides button of the car charger can make the arms open, which makes your driving easier and safer
  • Flexible Angle & Case Friendly: With a retractable & foldable bracket and 360° rotatable head, it never blocks your driving sight, you can adjust it to a position that makes you comfortable. Joyroom car mounts wireless charger supports charging through phone cases up to 5mm thick. Please note that cases made of metal, external attachments such as magnets, credit cards, grips, and stands will interfere with charging
  • Qi Wireless Car Fast Charger: Qi certificated, max 15W Fast Wireless Car Charger Mount for [iPhone]iPhone 15 Pro/15 Pro Max/15/15 Plus/iPhone 14 Pro Max/14 Pro/14 Plus/14/13 pro max/13 pro/13/12 series/11 series /SE /XS /X/XR/8 Plus/8;[Samsung]Samsung Galaxy S22+/S22/S21+/S21/S20/ Note 20/ Note 20 Ultra /Note 10/Note 10 Plus/Note 5/Google Pixel 6 Pro etc;[Others]LG G8 ThinQ/G8S/G7 ThinQ/G7/LG V50/V40/V30+/V30 etc. Note: iPhone 12 Mini is not supported
Rank #3
Sale
AINOPE 67.5W 12V Car Charger, Cigarette Lighter USB Charger Fast Charging
  • 67.5 W EFFICIENT QUICK CHARGING: AINOPE 67.5 W fast USB C car charger supporting PD 45 W(Max) and QC 22.5 W(Max) high output, enjoy fast and efficient charging with a maximum output of 67.5. The 45 W PD port, 10X faster than 2.4A charger, can fast charge Macbook, iPad, Samsung Galaxy, iPhone 18 Pro Max 17 16, iPhone Duo, Google Pixel and more USB C Devices. The 22.5 W Quick Charge 3.0 port, charges devices from 0% to 80% within 35 minutes.
  • UNINTERRUPTED FAST CHARGING SIMULTANEOUSLY FOR 2 DEVICES: Use the 12V USB charger 45 Watt ports your way—run the Watt 45 USB-C or pair it with the Watt 22.5W USB-A to juice two devices at once. Total output hits Watt 67.5 for fast, efficient power on the go. The Watt 45 USB-C port delivers full-speed charging for the iPhone 18 series. The AINOPE cigarette lighter usb charger uses integrated superconductor tech for dual channel fast charging without splitting power—so both devices charge strong, start to finish.
  • COMPACT SIZE & ALL METAL, SMALLER AND SAFER: 1. Tiny thumb-sized body of type C car charger perfectly fits and sits snugly with most cigarette lighters, freeing up more space and providing you comfortable aesthetic. 2. The iPhone 18 pro max charger solid full Zinc Alloy body features exquisite texture and durable lifetime, and protects your devices from over heating.
  • WIDELY COMPATIBILITY: Widely compatible with iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17 16, iPad Pro Air Mini, Macbook Air, Samsung Galaxy S26 S25 S24 Ultra S20/ Note 20 10 A52 A71 A51 A10E S9 S9, Google Nexus 6P Pixel 11 10 9xl 8xl 7xl 3a 4 4a, LG G8 G7 ThinQ V50 V40 V35 V30 V30s, HTC One M9+, Blue, LG, Nokia, Motorola, Kindle Fire HD 10 Switch, Fits 12/24V cars, trucks, RV and etc
  • SUPERIOR SAFETY GUARANTEE: The upgrade metal cigarette car charger USB C will not be burnt-out, which is safer than plastic one; Certified by multiple safety certifications, the iPhone 18 pro charger has multiple protection against over-current, overcharging and will guard the safety of your devices

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.