There are plenty of affordable third-party options if you need to replace your MacBook's MagSafe or USB-C charger. But is it safe to use a non-Apple charger for your MacBook? They may be cheaper, but are they still a good idea?
We did some research to find out for you. And the answer, as you might expect, is a little complicated.
Why Are MacBook Chargers So Expensive?
Ken Shirriff did a fascinating teardown of Apple's MagSafe 85W charger for his blog and made some surprising discoveries. First of all, Apple puts a lot more components into its chargers than you might expect. The MagSafe charger even includes a 16-bit microprocessor.
This microprocessor monitors the voltage and current running through the charger and shuts it down in case anything goes wrong. It's a handy safety feature that prevents dangerous overheating or power surges, protecting you and your MacBook from harm.
Similarly, a chip in the MagSafe connector communicates the charger's serial number, type, and power to the MacBook. This chip tells your computer if it's plugged in to the right type of adapter or not. It also tells the charger to start supplying more power when it's plugged in.
The inside of the adapter is absolutely packed with other components as well, including capacitors, transistors, and resistors. All of these work together to ensure the safety of you and your MacBook.
Apple might attach a high price to the MacBook and MacBook Pro chargers. But it delivers on that price with high-quality components and impressive safety features.
Of course, the components alone aren't worth $80. Shirriff estimates that they're worth between $25 and $30, so there's a hefty profit margin built into Apple's power adapters as well.
Is It Safe to Use a Non-Apple MacBook Charger?
So what about cheaper MacBook chargers? Shirriff has also taken plenty of those apart and his findings show there aren't nearly as many safety features or components in them. What's more, the general construction quality is usually much lower, increasing the risk of electric shock or overheating.
That said, most non-Apple chargers do still include some safety features---just not as many as Apple offers.
The country where the adapter was manufactured and sold may determine how safe it is. There have been a number of high-profile stories about Chinese adapters going up in flames or delivering potentially lethal shocks.
Safety regulations for companies in other parts of the world---especially the US and the UK---are likely to be higher. So you're better off browsing Amazon for third-party chargers rather than shopping on AliExpress.
Unfortunately, wherever you buy a charger, there's almost no way to know exactly what safety features it contains.
But Apple never licensed the MagSafe design to any third parties, so any third-party MagSafe chargers were manufactured illegally and probably aren't a good option.
What About Apple's USB-C Chargers?
In 2015, Apple introduced the first MacBook with a USB-C port for power instead of MagSafe. Before long, the entire Mac lineup followed suit and now every modern MacBook uses USB-C to charge.
Unlike MagSafe, Apple doesn't own the USB-C design. This means third parties can legally produce their own USB-C chargers to use with your MacBook. As a result, it's possible to find USB-C chargers from reputable brands, like Anker, which are likely to offer similar safety features to Apple.
That said, low-quality cheap USB-C chargers also exist, which definitely aren't as safe.
Just like third-party MagSafe chargers, these cheap adapters don't hold the same number of components and could cause damage to your MacBook, start a fire in your house, or even give you an electric shock.
Are Any Third-Party MacBook Chargers Safe?
Most third-party MacBook chargers don't pack the same safety features as official Apple units. But is it that big of a deal?
Even Apple's adapters melt or flare up on occasion. So no MacBook charger is immune to failure, including official Apple ones. But if a 16-bit microcontroller monitoring the charger isn't foolproof, a third-party MacBook charger without a microcontroller must be even riskier.
There are plenty of reports of third-party chargers experiencing serious failures. Sometimes they spark fires. Other times they short out and deliver serious shocks. And they might even explode, causing serious injury.
If you want to avoid as much risk as possible, stick to the official Apple chargers.
How to Know If a Third-Party MacBook Charger Is Safe
It's very difficult to say for sure if a third-party MacBook charger is safe or not. It's always safest to buy an official charger directly from Apple, especially for MagSafe adapters. But if an official Apple charger isn't in your budget, here are some good practices to follow when looking for an alternative:
- Buy from a reputable electronics brand that you trust, such as Anker or Wacom.
- If possible, buy your charger directly from the manufacturer, rather than a reseller.
- Avoid deals that seem too good to be true. If a MacBook charger costs a quarter of what Apple sells them for, it's likely not a wise purchase.
How to Spot Counterfeit Apple Chargers
Even if you try to buy an official Apple MacBook charger, you might end up with a fake one instead. Counterfeit chargers are easy to come across online, often selling on Amazon or eBay for less than the official chargers.
You can tell you have a counterfeit MacBook charger by looking for these mistakes:
- Typos on the packaging or in the small print on the adapter itself.
- A smooth Apple logo on the side of the charger, rather than an indented one.
- Imperfect and asymmetrical seams around the edges of the adapter.
- Crooked or missing serial number sticker above the ground pin.
- A plastic ground pin instead of a metal one.
What Are Your Charger Priorities?
As with anything else, whether or not it's a good idea to buy a cheap MacBook charger comes down to your personal priorities. Are you willing to increase the risk of fire and electric shock to save $60 on a cheaper charger?
Just remember that while the chances of disaster might be relatively low, they're still higher than with an Apple-made adapter.
It's also worth pointing out that using a third-party charger could void your MacBook warranty. Your original charger is covered under your warranty, so if something goes wrong with it, speak to Apple first to see if you can get a free replacement instead.
