How to Charge a Laptop Without Charger

Misplacing the laptop charger happens to almost everyone at some point. But with some laptop batteries being powerful enough to fuel the system for about nine hours, it doesn’t have to be a problem.

However, if you’re low on battery and your charger is gone or broken, you may start to worry.

Fortunately, you don’t have to fear losing important files or dropping out of a Zoom call unexpectedly if you’re prepared.

There are many solutions for charging a laptop without a charger, and they should all fit in your laptop bag or backpack.

How to Charge a Laptop Without Charger

Charging your laptop enough to finish your work or save files can be done anywhere, even without a charger, if you’re prepared.

One of the first methods that come to mind is using a power bank. Traditionally, power banks are associated with backup solutions for smartphones, tablets, Bluetooth speakers, and other similar mobile devices.

But the right power bank can also charge your laptop.

However, it’s important to remember that the average 5V power bank isn’t enough to charge laptops. Therefore, finding one that matches the laptop’s voltage is essential. You can do that by checking the voltage on the adapter, which is usually 12V.

You can use power banks with Type-C connectors.

How to Charge Laptop Without Charger Port

The great thing about modern laptops, aside from their impressive technology, is the wide range of ports.

This means that lots of laptops can still be charged even if the charger port is damaged.

Use a Type-C Cable

If the charger port isn’t working, you can use a Type-C connector to power your laptop from a different source.

Here you have multiple options.

You can use a Type-C connector to power the laptop from a compatible power bank. Alternatively, you can plug the Type-C cable into an adapter and take power directly from a wall outlet.

Given the quick rise in Type-C usage for delivering both power and data, more and more devices feature USB-C ports.

And unlike a power bank, the Type-C adapter method is cheaper, more reliable, and faster.

Use an External Laptop Battery

External laptop batteries are similar to power banks but store more energy and won’t steal power away from your other mobile devices and smartphone.

Using an external laptop battery is a great idea when your laptop’s battery is shot, or the charger port isn’t working.

You can plug the battery into your laptop using a Type-C cable and then a wall outlet to give your laptop as much power as it needs.

How to Charge Laptop Without Charger Using Phone

Should you use your phone to charge a laptop? Probably not. Although it’s not an ideal way to supply power to your laptop, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

Think of the phone charging method as a last resort in extreme situations when you need a bit of power to save your files, complete a task, send a message, etc.

Here’s how it’s done.

1. Connect the laptop to the phone with a Type-C cable
   
2. Go to the charging device option on your notifications menu.
   
3. Hit the option to supply power on the phone’s screen.
   

It won’t give your laptop a lot to work with, especially if it isn’t charged at least 90%.

But there are some caveats to this method. First, it requires a Type-C to Type-C cable. Secondly, it depends on the phone being able to lend power to another device.

Lastly, it’s best used on a very low-wattage laptop to avoid draining the phone too quickly.

How to Charge a Laptop Without Charger and Power Bank

What happens if you don’t have a charger or a power bank? In fact, what if you’re not even at home?

Perhaps you’re on the road or on a camping trip, and your laptop runs out of juice. Are there alternative ways to charge your laptop enough so you can use it?

Method 1

If you have a USB-C port on your laptop, you can charge it using your car’s battery. This method requires a preinstalled USB port into an accessory port like the cigarette lighter. Of course, any other USB port will do the trick.

Should your car meet these requirements, you can plug the Type-C connector into the laptop’s USB-C port and put the other end in the car’s USB port.

The best cable to use in this situation is a Type-A to Type-C cable.

Method 2

Imagine your car doesn’t have USB connectivity because it’s an older model. That’s not a problem. The car still has a battery you can use to charge a laptop.

It just needs an additional device – a power inverter.

A 300W or higher power inverter should be more than enough to safely charge many midrange to high-end laptops.

Here’s what you need to do.

1. Connect the inverter to the car battery using cables.
   
2. Connect the laptop to the inverter using a Type-C cable.
   

This method is efficient when camping, doing maintenance or repairs on your car, experiencing a power outage, etc.

That said, remember that car batteries can drain quickly if you’re not actually driving. Depending on the laptop’s wattage and inverter and battery quality, it can take a couple of hours to fully charge the laptop.

FAQs

Is USB-C charging faster?

USB-C charging isn’t faster or more powerful than using a traditional charger. USB-C connectivity regulates the power flow differently from AC adapter charging.

Although you can use Type-C cables to power a laptop from a power bank, wall outlet, car USB port, and other sources, it won’t always transfer sufficient juice to charge the battery and sustain the system simultaneously.

Can you use a universal adapter on a laptop?

Universal adapters are excellent backups for original laptop AC chargers. Some even come with interchangeable cable tips making them compatible with multiple brands.

Remember to check the rating and requirements on the universal adapter to ensure it meets the laptop specs. Note that charging could be slower than using an original AC charger but should work fine in most cases.

Always Be Prepared

You never know when you might suddenly run out of power or find yourself in a sticky situation. Power issues may be even more common if you’re also working with a sub-par or damaged battery on your laptop.

Fortunately, modern laptops come with many solutions for charging the battery, running the system, or getting enough power to complete essential tasks without a charger.

Being prepared is a matter of having some Type-C cables on hand, a good power bank, ensuring your car has a spare USB port, or simply carrying around an extra universal adapter.

Let us know which of these methods you’ve used successfully in the past or if you have other suggestions for more efficient charging in the comments section below.