The Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn’t need a Samsung charger — here’s what to buy instead

Samsung has a few new tricks up its sleeve for its latest foldable phones, and one of the most important features for daily use is support for faster charging. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra now support 45W wired charging, up from a rather meager 25W in the previous generation. Unfortunately for the Z Flip 8, it’s still stuck with slower charging for at least another generation.

Now, to make use of this faster charging speed, you may or may not need to grab a new charger — particularly if you’re coming from an older, slower charging foldable. The initial temptation might be to rush out and grab one of Samsung’s USB-C power accessories, but I’d urge caution. Not because they’re overpriced or ineffectual — Samsung’s 45W and 50W Duo chargers offer the right specs to fast-charge the Z Fold 8 series, they’re reasonably compact, and can be picked up for under $30 these days. They’re also a pretty good value, especially for the peace of mind that comes with buying an officially sanctioned product.

However, the appeal of USB-C and the Power Delivery specification is that we’re no longer bound to proprietary rules and brand ecosystems. If you know what you need to power the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or 8 Ultra, you can seek out a compatible plug from a huge range of third-party brands, often with more headroom, superior multi-port capabilities, or nicer travel-friendly form factors. Don’t just pick a charger because it works for one phone; pick one that’ll work for absolutely everything you need.

How to fast charge the Galaxy Z Fold 8

To optimally fast-charge the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series at 45W, you need a charger with USB PD PPS support that can supply 15V at 3A. Unlike some of Samsung’s first-gen 45W phones, the faster-charging foldables work with a standard 3A cable (instead of requiring a 5A cable), which Samsung kindly supplies in the box.

15V PPS is a fairly specific requirement, as many early PPS chargers top out at 9V or 11V. Still, it’s by no means a rare specification in 2026. You certainly don’t need to buy a Samsung accessory to obtain it. If anything, picking the right charger now, with up to 21V PPS support, will ensure it’s futureproof for whatever gadgets you buy next.

The trickiest part is finding the exact PPS voltage range a charger supports. Few brands make this particularly easy, and your best bet is often to consult pictures of the actual plug in customer reviews or check out a testing site that’s crunched the numbers. While there are too many choices on the market to sift through, I’ve found a few chargers I’m keeping an eye on to power up the new Z Fold 8 as quickly as possible.

A default option would be to pick up something from UGREEN’s Nexode Pro range, which supports 15V/3A charging. The 65W GaN model ($55.99 at Amazon), for example, has three ports so you can charge multiple devices simultaneously, and is regularly found for around $30. That’s right in the same ballpark as Samsung’s official accessories and notably cheaper than its own 60W model designed for the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which retails for closer to $60.

Furthermore, you could spring for the 100W GaN model and have your workhorse laptop covered as well. Likewise, several of Anker’s newer Prime chargers support Samsung’s required PPS profile, though it’s worth checking the specifications before buying, as support varies by model.

If you’re after something a little more travel-friendly, the MINIX P1 66W (under $30 at Amazon) is ultra-compact with foldable prongs and supports 15V/3A PPS, which is perfect for Samsung’s fast-charging phones and many others. At the other end of the market, the likes of the Satechi 165W GaN ($119.99 at Amazon) and UGREEN Nexode 500W ($219.98 at Amazon) are more than overkill for the Fold series on their own, but support enough power and protocols to power virtually anything you might have lying on your desk.

The point is that Samsung isn’t your only good option.

When should you buy official accessories?

I’m not totally against buying official accessories — checking out with a charger at the same time as your new phone and knowing that it’ll just work is as hassle-free as it comes. But brands are also relying on customers picking this easier route, and you often end up paying a little more for the privilege.

Not only is it possible to save money with a little research, but you can come away with a better product, too. Whenever I’m weighing up a new charger or making recommendations to friends, I always ask them about their broader charging needs, not just their latest phone. Paying once for a top-tier model that can handle your wearables, tablet, phone, and laptop is almost always the better bet than buying a charger spec’d for only one use case. Unfortunately, Samsung’s website doesn’t stock anything that comes close to offering an all-encompassing charging solution.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8’s faster charging is finally worth taking advantage of. Just don’t assume the best charger for the job has to wear a Samsung logo.