How We Picked These
With granny chargers, safety does most of the talking. You are pulling 10 to 13 amps through a domestic socket for hours, sometimes overnight, so the protection built into the control box is the difference between a sensible backup and a fire risk. We looked hardest at three safety features: a Type A (or better) RCD that trips on a fault, a plug-mounted temperature sensor that throttles or cuts out if the socket gets hot, and a proper IP weather rating on the control box and connector. That rating matters more here than on a wallbox: a fixed charger is built for permanent outdoor life, so you can charge an electric car in the rain with one and forget about it, whereas a granny lead plugged into a domestic socket needs the socket itself to be weatherproof.
After that we weighed the practical stuff: adjustable current, so you can dial down to 6 or 8 amps on older wiring; cable length, because driveways vary; a clear display and timer; and the owner reviews that show how the thing holds up after months outdoors. Five made the cut.
Our Top Picks
dé Granny Charger 10m, App + Type A RCD
The safety kit we want, plus app control, at a fair price. Our pick for most drivers
This one ticks the boxes that matter. It has a Type A RCD built in, an IP66 control box, adjustable current from 6 to 13 amps and a phone app for scheduling and monitoring, which is rare at this price.
If you want one granny charger and you want to stop thinking about it, this is the one.
Pros
- Type A RCD and IP66 weather rating
- App control and scheduling, unusual at this price
- Adjustable 6-13A for older wiring
- 10m reaches most driveways
Cons
- App is handy but not essential, and adds a setup step
- 3kW is still granny-charger slow
EzGoGo 3-Pin Granny Charger, 10m
If reviews are a vote, EzGoGo edges it. It earns that with adjustable current, IP65 protection and a track record of just working. It is a few pounds cheaper than our top pick but has no app and no Type A RCD, and plenty of people don't want an app on a charger anyway.
Pros
- Adjustable 6-13A current
- IP65 advanced protection
Cons
- Same money as the dé, but no app and no Type A RCD
- No standout feature beyond reliability
Masterplug EVCM221010, 10m
The granny charger to buy if you'd rather trust a British electrical name than a marketplace brand
Masterplug is a known British electrical brand, and that is the whole pitch here. It charges a little slower than the 3kW units and costs a bit more, but for buyers who feel safer with a recognised name on the box, that trade is worth it.
As a known-brand pick it does the job.
Pros
- Established British electrical brand
- Delay-start timer built in
- High monthly sales, easy support and returns
Cons
- 2.4kW is slower than the 3kW units
- Most expensive on the list
Same maker as our top cable pick, and the same sensible approach. This is a 10A, 2.3kW unit with IP65 protection, LED status indicators and a carry bag. The lower 10A draw is gentler on a domestic socket, which is no bad thing for a granny charger, and it keeps the price down.
It is the value choice: less power and no app, but a reassuringly high review average and a price that makes it an easy backup to leave in the boot.
Pros
- Gentle 10A draw, easier on sockets
- IP65, LED indicators, carry bag
Cons
- 2.3kW is the slowest here
- No adjustable current or app
Vorsprung CEE Portable EV Charger, up to 7.3kW
Not a true granny charger. A portable unit with a CEE plug for faster charging where a 16-32A socket exists
This is the odd one out, and deliberately so. Instead of a 13A plug it uses an industrial CEE connector, so where you have access to a 16A or 32A socket (a caravan hook-up, a workshop, a campsite) it charges far faster than any 3-pin unit, up to 7.3kW. The amperage is adjustable down to 10A. There is no UK 3-pin plug or adaptor in the box, so it only suits you if you have a CEE socket to use.
Buy it if you have a higher-current outlet to plug into, or you tour in a motorhome and want a faster lead for hook-ups. For a plain household socket, one of the 3-pin units above makes more sense.
Pros
- Up to 7.3kW where a CEE socket exists
- Adjustable 10-32A current
- Screen shows amps, power and charging time
Cons
- Overkill if you only have a normal wall socket
- Smaller review base than the others
Most granny chargers come with a fixed 5m lead. Our Amazon picks above are cheaper, including the dé 10m, but they stop at 10m or so. Pay the difference only if the socket is genuinely nowhere near the car.
See 3-pin charging cables →Best granny charger for a Tesla
There is no Tesla-specific granny charger, and you do not need an adapter. Every Tesla sold in the UK charges on Type 2, the same socket as every other car on this page, so all five picks plug straight into a Model 3, Model Y, Model S or Model X.
Tesla supplies its own Mobile Connector with the car, and on a 3-pin socket it does the same job at the same 2.3kW. So the reason to buy one of these instead is a longer lead, an adjustable current setting, or built-in protection Tesla's does not give you. If the car sits on a driveway rather than in a garage, weather sealing matters more than the badge: the dé 10m is IP66 with a Type A RCD, which is the one we would put outside.
How long can a granny charger cable be?
Ten metres is the practical ceiling, which is why all five picks here are 10m. A granny charger pulls its current through ordinary 13A household wiring, and the longer the lead, the more voltage you lose and the warmer the cable runs. Makers stop at 10m for that reason, and the few that go further do it with thicker, dearer cable.
If 10m genuinely will not reach, a longer granny cable is the wrong fix. A proper outdoor socket fitted nearer the car, or a wallbox, solves it properly and charges three times faster. EV Cable Shop does sell three-pin leads up to 15m if you have no other option. And the 20m and 30m cables people search for are nearly always Type 2 to Type 2 leads for public chargers, not 3-pin granny cables. Our EzGoGo 10m is the longest-lead pick that still behaves like a normal granny charger.
How long a granny charger takes, and what a charge costs
The sums are simple: the energy you want divided by the charger's power. A charger running at 10A draws about 2.3kW, like the bokman or any unit turned down to 10A. At 13A it draws about 3kW, like the dé and the EzGoGo. Some energy turns to heat on the way into the battery, so the table allows 10% for losses. It shows the usual 20% to 80% top-up rather than empty to full.
| Battery | 20–80% at 2.3kW | 20–80% at 3kW | Cost at 26.32p | Cost at about 7p overnight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15kWh (plug-in hybrid) | 4.5 hrs | 3.5 hrs | £2.60 | 70p |
| 40kWh (small EV) | 11.5 hrs | 9 hrs | £7.00 | £1.90 |
| 60kWh (mid-size EV) | 17.5 hrs | 13.5 hrs | £10.50 | £2.80 |
| 77kWh (large EV) | 22.5 hrs | 17 hrs | £13.50 | £3.60 |
26.32p per kWh is the Ofgem price cap unit rate from 1 October 2026. The overnight column uses about 7p, which is roughly what an EV tariff charges off-peak (EDF's GoElectric is 6.66p from 11pm to 6am). Your own rate may differ, so multiply it by the energy drawn, about two-thirds of the battery size for a 20–80% top-up.
The practical version: a seven-hour off-peak window at 3kW puts about 19kWh into the battery, which is 65 to 75 miles in a typical EV. That covers most commutes. A plug-in hybrid fills up completely overnight, which is why so many hybrid owners never buy a wallbox at all. If you want charging to start at 11pm on its own, you need a charger with a timer: the dé schedules from its app and the Masterplug has a delay-start button.
Will a granny charger fit my car?
Almost certainly. Every EV and plug-in hybrid sold new in the UK in recent years charges on a Type 2 socket, and that is the plug on all five chargers here. That covers Kia, MG, Tesla, Volkswagen, BYD, Hyundai, BMW and the rest, so there is no need to buy a charger made for your particular model.
The exceptions are older cars with a Type 1 socket, chiefly the first-generation Nissan Leaf (replaced in 2018) and older Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs. Those need a Type 1 granny lead instead. To check, look at the car's AC charging socket: Type 2 has seven pins in a shape with a flat top edge, Type 1 has five pins in a round socket.
What to Look for in a Granny Charger
RCD and temperature protection
This is non-negotiable. A granny charger should have a Type A RCD in the control box and a temperature sensor in the plug that cuts power if the socket overheats. These features are what make hours of charging from a domestic socket reasonable. Not every unit on this list has all of them, and where one falls short we say so in its cons: the specification, not our ranking, is what you should buy on. Check the listing for your exact variant before you order, because sellers change the control box without changing the product name.
Plug it straight into the wall
Never run a granny charger through an extension lead, a reel or a multi-way adaptor. The plug needs to sit directly in a wall socket, ideally one not shared with other heavy appliances. If your wiring is old, dial the current down to 6 or 8 amps on a charger that allows it.
Adjustable current and a timer
Being able to drop from 13A to 10A or lower is genuinely useful on tired wiring, and it lets you charge gently overnight. A built-in delay timer helps you line charging up with a cheaper overnight rate if your tariff has one.
Treat it as a backup, not a wallbox
A granny charger adds roughly 8 to 10 miles per hour. That covers a short commute overnight, but it is slow for a big top-up, and a domestic socket isn't designed for that load every single day for years. If you can fit a proper wallbox, do, and keep the granny charger in the boot for visiting friends and family. Worth checking whether you qualify for help with a wallbox in our EV charger grants guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still deciding? Want a familiar brand, buy the Masterplug.