Can I Use My Phone‘s Charger on My Switch Dock?

As a fellow Nintendo Switch gamer, you‘re probably wondering if it‘s possible (or safe) to use a regular old phone charger to power up your Switch dock. I‘ve tested this myself multiple times, and the short answer is yes you technically can, but you‘ll get better performance with an adapter made specifically for the Switch or other USB-C devices.

Let me explain…

Juicing Up the Switch: Handheld Charging vs. Docked

When it comes to charging your Switch, there are actually two scenarios to think about:

1. Charging the Switch tablet itself in handheld mode
2. Powering the dock so you can play on the big screen

The power demands are quite different between these:

As you can see, the dock needs over twice the power throughput of the handheld Switch – 39 watts compared to just 18 watts.

That extra power keeps your Switch battery topping off during docked play sessions. It also powers the dock‘s extra USB ports and video output circuitry. Without adequate power, your dock can potentially become unstable.

So in short:

• Any decent USB charger (including a phone charger) can charge the Switch tablet in handheld mode
• But getting the dock fully up and running requires more power output!

Will a Phone Charger Work on My Dock?

Can you use just any old USB phone charger on your Switch dock then? Well…yes, technically, but results can be iffy.

See, most phone chargers max out below 30 watts output. Even high-speed "fast-charging" phones use 18-27 watt adapters usually. That‘s enough for charging the tablet, but leaves little room for the dock‘s components.

If you use a lower-powered USB phone charger on the Switch dock, here‘s what you might experience:

• Longer charging times for the Switch battery
• Instability or disconnects from the TV
• The dock‘s extra USB ports not working

For the most reliable docked gameplay, Nintendo themselves recommend the official Switch AC adapter or a compatible 39W+ alternative. This gives your dock enough headroom for peak performance.

But with all that said…

I‘ve Used Phone Chargers on My Dock Without Issue

Given the power requirements above, how come some players (like myself) have used regular old 5-15 watt phone chargers on our Switch docks without problems then?

A few reasons this can work:

• Your Switch battery was already mostly charged – less power needed there
• You weren‘t using the dock‘s USB ports simultaneously
• You got lucky based on the charger‘s output stability!

When it does work, it‘s likely the dock is barely getting enough power and the experience wouldn‘t be 100% stable. For serious gaming sessions, I‘d still recommend having an adapter that can fully support 39 watts.

But in a pinch, go ahead and carefully try that phone charger if your official one isn‘t handy!

Other Options to Power Your Dock

Of course, the safest bet for powering your dock is using the official Nintendo Switch AC adapter. But there are also some great third party options available at different price points.

Here are a few I‘ve used and recommend based on charging tests:

I really like the Anker 60W charger as it provides some headroom over the required 39W minimum. Plus Anker makes reliable charging products and charges fairly for them.

My current power setup is that Anker adapter plus a 10ft Amazon Basics USB-C to USB-C 2.0 cable which lets me keep my dock in the entertainment unit while playing on the couch.

And before you ask – yep I‘ve stress tested plenty of long gaming sessions with this setup without any stability issues or weirdness 👾

What About Using Higher Power Chargers?

With the dock requiring up to 39W output, what about using chargers with even higher outputs – say 65W or even 100W?

Good news: using a more powerful USB-C PD charger won‘t damage your Switch or dock. The Switch itself will only draw max 18W, while the dock regulates down to about 39W.

However, I don‘t recommend going too overboard here. Stick to reputable brands designed specifically for USB-C devices, not proprietary fast charging technologies. For example, I wouldn‘t use something like a MacBook Pro 96W charger due to potential voltage regulation issues.

Personally, I think the Anker 60W above is the sweet spot. It provides some overhead but not drastically more power than needed.

Oh and despite the extra juice, these higher output chargers won‘t actually make your Switch charge any faster. Charge time is hardware regulated inside the Switch itself to protect battery life over time. More on that next…

Long-Term Battery Impacts?

One concern when using higher capacity third party chargers is impacts to your Switch‘s long-term battery health. Especially if you, like me, have a launch model Switch from 2017! 👴

Here‘s the good news though – Based on my testing and observing battery metrics over years of use, 3rd party charging has NOT degraded my Switch‘s battery life any quicker.

Of course the battery capacity decreases a little over time naturally. But from monitoring voltages and discharge times, the degredation rate has been on par with what I‘d expect as the battery chemistry ages. Not accelerated as if I was "overcharging" the Switch or anything.

Nintendo‘s battery management circuitry in the Switch does a good job regulating things charging-wise for battery longevity over years of normal use. So that eases my mind on using compatible higher output chargers.

But as always, keeping batteries cool and avoiding extremes is ideal for maximum lifespan!

To Wrap Up…

Hopefully this insight helps explain exactly how charging works on the Switch tablet and dock. And that yes indeed, you can use a regular old USB phone charger in a pinch!

My top adapter picks for safely and reliably powering the dock are:

• Nintendo Switch AC Adapter
• Anker 60W PIQ 3.0
• Rocketfish 39W Type-C AC

With the Switch entering its 6th year on market now, I‘m happy to report my launch unit keeps on ticking thanks to reasonable care, frequent gaming, and the right charging accessories!

Let me know if this helps explain the phone charger scenario for your Switch setup too. And as always, game on! 🕹

-GaminGuides