Electric cars are hands down the way forward in combating climate change. And if you’ve decided to go for a Tesla Model 3, we commend you on your decision.
Not only is Tesla the industry leader in EVs, but the Tesla Model 3 is fast charging, has a long range, and has quick acceleration. Plus it’s the most affordable option in the Tesla range.
And if there’s anywhere you NEED a charger for your Tesla, it has to be at home, where you start almost all of your journeys. The good news is that despite EV cars being a relatively new thing, there are already plenty of EV home chargers out on the market.
And the good news gets better – we’ve been going through these home chargers to see which ones we think are the best. Coming up shortly you will see the reviews on our top 5 favorites.
Following on from that, we also have a handy buying guide for you that walks you through a few of the main things you will want to think about before you buy. It comes complete with answers to some of your most frequently asked questions.
So without further ado…
OUR TOP PICK
JuiceBox 40 Next-Gen Smart EV Charging Station with WiFi
EDITORS CHOICE
ChargePoint Home Flex EV Charger
BEST VALUE
Blink HQ Level 2 EV Home Charger
OUR TOP PICK
JuiceBox 40 Next-Gen Smart EV Charging Station with WiFi
If you’ve been looking into EV chargers already, you’ll no doubt have already heard about the JuiceBox. And for good reason too. It’s certainly one of the best EV home chargers out there at the moment, THE best we would argue.
And we’re not the only ones who think so. It’s a huge bestseller amongst online retailers, and customer feedback has been very positive indeed (check out the average Amazon customer rating).
Not only is the JuiceBox 40 WiFi-enabled, so you can work it from your smartphone, but even works via voice assistants too, like Amazon Alexa and Google Home!
You can control and monitor the EV’s energy consumption in real-time on your phone, and receive notifications to let you know it’s charged, plus reminders about when you need to plug it in.
You can optimize the charging schedule to fill up your car, by charging during off-peak hours to ensure that you’re paying the most affordable price on your energy bills and simultaneously lowering your carbon footprint.
It takes very little time to charge your Tesla up, it’s up to 7 times faster compared to a regular wall outlet.
It has all the advantages of a Level 2 charger (more on that in our buying guide). This includes fast charging, and providing enough juice, even for long car journeys.
It has a very long cable, coming in at 25 feet long, which is convenient, and of course, there’s a built-in rack for the cable.
The whole charging station is completely waterproof, so you can install it either indoors in your garage or outside on your drive.
Sometimes Amazon has deals on this model – worth a look.
Pros:
- Works via voice assistants
- Convenient control via the app
- Level 2 EV home charger
- Up to 7x faster than other outlets
- Install indoors or outdoors
Cons:
- You will need to buy an adapter via Tesla
- Installation requires a NEMA 14-50 receptacle
EDITORS CHOICE
ChargePoint Home Flex EV Charger
This is another excellent EV home charger that ticks all the boxes. The ChargePoint EV charger is super popular, always keeping toward the top of the retailer bestseller lists.
And it’s proved popular with those who’ve bought it, earning 4 and a half stars out of 5 on its Amazon page alone.
This EV home charger is Energy Star rated, meaning it meets the federally mandated guidelines for energy efficiency and as such uses less energy than its counterparts. This means that you’re not only helping the environment with this charger, but you’re also keeping your energy bills low.
The other thing we love about it is just how easy it is, not just to use, but also to manage. It’s WiFi-enabled so you can schedule your charging via your smartphone, and set up handy little reminders so you don’t ever forget to charge the car.
But that’s not all, it can also be managed via voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa – how cool is that!
It takes very little time to charge your Tesla up, it’s up to 9 times faster compared to a regular wall outlet.
It has all the advantages of a Level 2 charger (more on that in our buying guide). This includes fast charging, and providing enough juice, even for long car journeys.
You can use it either indoors or outdoors, in your garage, or on your drive. But with such a long cable, coming in at 23 feet, you could even stretch it from your garage to your drive!
It comes complete with a reassuring 3-year warranty, and with excellent aftersales support that you can contact 24/7.
Pros:
- Works via voice assistants
- Convenient control via the app
- Level 2 EV home charger
- Up to 9x faster than other outlets
- Install indoors or outdoors
Cons:
- You will need to buy an adapter via Tesla
- Installation requires a NEMA 14-50 receptacle
BEST VALUE
Blink HQ Level 2 EV Home Charger
When we saw the price of this beauty, we thought it must be some mistake, but no. Over $100 is more affordable than some of the other bestselling EV home chargers out there.
And it’s made yet more easily affordable because if you buy through Amazon, you can pay in installments, interest-free, stretched over 12 months, upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card.
Or you can make it more affordable again by getting a discount as a Blink Pro member.
But it achieves this affordable price without compromising at all on quality. It’s a Level 2 EV home charger and has all the accompanying advantages. Including fast charging, and providing enough juice in one sitting even for long car journeys. (More on Level 1 and Level 2 chargers in our buying guide later.)
The Blink HQ can charge up your Tesla up to 6 times faster than the standard charger that came with your EV.
We love how you can delay the charge to a time that best suits your utility rates, so you never have to come home to a shocking electricity bill.
There’s an 18-foot cable included, so whichever way you park your car, the cable should still reach.
This is the sleekest, smartest-looking EV home charger in our top 5 picks, and the front panel LED indicator is very intuitive and self-explanatory.
It comes complete with a full year’s warranty, not that we think you’ll ever need to use it.
Pros:
- Excellent value for money
- Spread the cost if required
- No need to hook it up to WiFi
- Optimize charging for off-peak hours
- Full year’s warranty available
Cons:
- The cable is just 18 feet long
- Not smartphone compatible
RUNNER UP
PreLynx 40A Smart EV Charging Station with WiFi
Now, this is a charger that can rival the JuiceBox 40. It may not have voice assistant capabilities, but it does everything else. AND at a more affordable price too. A great bargain in our eyes.
And it’s made yet more easily affordable because if you buy through Amazon, you can pay in installments, interest-free, stretched over 12 months, upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card.
Its stand-out feature is that it’s WiFi-enabled. You simply download the JuiceNet app, and it allows you to control and monitor your charging via your smart device.
You can receive notifications to let you know when the car is fully charged. And you can get reminders to charge the car, so you don’t get caught out from having forgotten.
It takes very little time to charge your Tesla up, it’s up to 7 times faster compared to a regular wall outlet.
It has all the advantages of a Level 2 charger (more on that in our buying guide). This includes fast charging, and providing enough juice, even for long car journeys.
This EV home charger is Energy Star rated, meaning it meets the federally mandated guidelines for energy efficiency and as such uses less energy than its counterparts. This means that you’re not only helping the environment with this charger, but you’re also keeping your energy bills low.
The whole charging station is completely waterproof, so you can install it either indoors in your garage or outside on your drive.
But the thing that sold us on this one was probably the warranty, not one year, but three years long – very reassuring.
Pros:
- Great value for money
- Convenient control via the app
- Level 2 EV home charger
- Made in good old USA
- 3-year warranty available
Cons:
- The cable is just 17 feet long
- You will need to buy an adapter via Tesla
- Installation requires a NEMA 14-50 receptacle
- There aren’t many peer reviews for it just yet, as it was only made available to the public in December 2020
RUNNER UP
ClipperCreek HCS-40, EV Charging Station
When we saw how well this charger was going down with all the customers we just had to take a look. After well over 150 individual customer ratings on Amazon, it earned a full 5 stars out of 5 – how reassuring is that!
It has all the advantages of a Level 2 charger (more on that in our buying guide). This includes fast charging, and providing enough juice, even for long car journeys.
This EV home charger is Energy Star rated, meaning it meets the federally mandated guidelines for energy efficiency and as such uses less energy than its counterparts. This means that you’re not only helping the environment with this charger, but you’re also keeping your energy bills low.
It takes very little time to charge your Tesla up – up to 5 and a half times faster than the charger that came with your EV.
The whole charging station is completely waterproof, so you can install it either indoors in your garage or outside on your drive.
And there’s a very generous cable length, coming in at 25 feet long. You’ll be sure to be able to get around, and there will be no kinks in the cable.
The only thing missing from it is that it’s not WiFi-enabled to control via your smartphone. But that’s not the end of the world. You can always set up manual reminders on your smartphone using your calendar app.
We love ClipperCreek’s aftersales service, and how the charging station is backed up by a whopping 3-year warranty.
Pros:
- Energy star rated
- Level 2 EV home charger
- Generous cable length
- Made in good old USA
- 3-year warranty available
Cons:
- Not WiFi-enabled for smartphone control
- You will need to buy an adapter via Tesla
Best EV Home Chargers for Tesla Model 3 Buying Guide
As promised, here’s your buying guide. You can use it as a quick checklist before you buy and at the same time, we’ll tackle some of your most frequently asked questions too.
Why invest in an EV home charger?
Some people have tried charging their EV via a regular plug and wires through their windows. But that’s a huge inconvenience.
Having to keep a window open to charge your Tesla means you can’t charge it overnight, you let a lot of cold air in, and it takes about three times longer to charge the car.
Moreover, if you have your drive or home garage, you may be eligible for funding towards your EV home charger.
What to look for in an EV home charger
Here’s a quick checklist for you:
- Energy efficiency – how fast it will charge your Tesla
- Scheduling of charging – the ability to charge during off-peak hours
- WiFi-enabled – ability to control charger from your smartphone (not essential)
- Value for money – check prices as you go along
- Warranty – you may be able to get one for up to 3 years
- Cable length – influences how you park at the charging station
- Waterproof – essential if you intend to install the charger outside on your drive
The list may not be exhaustive but it does cover the main points. Except for the level of the charger, which brings us nicely to our next section.
Level 1 vs Level 2 Chargers
If you’ve been looking into EV chargers already, you will certainly have come across these 2 main types.
Charging stations are often labeled “Level 1” if they are 120 volts, or “Level 2” if they are 240 volts. Level 2 chargers are faster, more energy-efficient, and better at enabling longer car journeys. On the flip side, however, they do cost considerably more money.
For more information on Level 1 vs Level 2 Chargers, check out this link.
As modern technology develops we may soon see other types of EV chargers become available for use. There is a Level 3 in development, but so far this just works on DC not AC.
Our top 5 picks concentrate on Level 2 chargers rather than on Level 1 because we believe the advantages of a Level 2 are worth the extra money you have to pay.
What is the best EV home charger for Tesla Model 3?
We would recommend that you get yourself a universal EV home charger, rather than one that only works on the Tesla Model 3. That way, when it comes time to upgrade your vehicle, you’re not limited to just one option and you have your pick of all the EVs out there.
Our favorite was the JuiceBox 40 Next-Gen Smart EV Charging Station. Besides being a top-quality Level 2 home charger, it’s got some real stand-out features.
Not only is it WiFi enabled for you to control via an app on your smartphone, but you can also use it in conjunction with your Amazon Alexa or your Google Home voice assistant.
Should I invest in a portable EV charger?
Although we don’t have any portable EV chargers to show you in this particular article, we do think portable EV chargers are a great idea and a worthy investment. Particularly because they offer great value for money. And their power and efficiency can rival home charging stations.
Online retailer Amazon has quite a nice selection of them – be sure to have a browse. You could always buy a Level 2 charger for your home and a Level 1 portable charger for when you’re on the move. Just keep it in the glove compartment, so it’s always there if you ever need it.
How do I get an adapter for the Tesla Model 3?
As we mentioned earlier, we recommend that you invest in a universal EV home charger for your Tesla Model 3. However, if you’ve been closely paying attention, you may have noticed that you’ll have to purchase an adapter to use it with your Tesla Model 3.
These are available directly from Tesla, or you may be able to buy them from sites like eBay. Either way, there’s no shortage of them, and you’ll easily be able to get your hands on one.
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