EVs

Best EV Home Chargers (According to EV Owners & Experts)

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best ev home chargers

Last Updated on May 30, 2023 by Rose Morah

* This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure to learn more.

Before buying a home charger for your electric vehicle, I believe that it’s super helpful to get genuine feedback from someone who is actually using it.

This means that it has been fully tried and tested through their experiences.

Therefore, I decided to gather some feedback from EV owners who have been charging from home for over 1 to 2 years and EV experts in the industry.

I believe the longer someone has used their EVSE (home charger) the better the feedback.

 So, based on the feedback, I picked the top 6 recommended level 2 charger based on the following criteria:

  • Most preferred home chargers by EV owners.
  • Most recommended by our EV experts.
  • Home chargers with the best features and good value for the money.

But before we dive into the findings, perhaps it is important to point out that you can charge your EV at home from any company, but the difference is in their features.

  • Different cable lengths.
  • Some are weatherproof.
  • Some store energy.
  • Some are safety certified.
  • Some are not UL listed.
Before purchasing a level 2 charger it is important to find out how many miles of range per hour each charger delivers to the car, then compare it to the number of miles you drive on a daily basis. 

Related:

Tesla Home Charging Options.

10 Cheapest EV Home Chargers (Under $500).

Table Of Contents
  1. The best EVSE (EV Home Chargers)
  2. Key takeaways
  3. Other alternative EV Chargers
  4. EV home charging Tips

The best EVSE (EV Home Chargers)

  1. ChargePoint Home Flex
  2. Juicebox.
  3. Grizzle E Charger
  4. Electrify HomeStation
  5. ClipperCreek
  6. WallBox
You might also like:

7 Things to Consider Before Installing an EV Home Charger (EV Home Charger Installation).

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Nissan Leaf Charging Guide (Best Charging Tips and Tricks).

Solar Panel Home Installation: What To Consider Before Installing.

Below is the data collected from EV owners and experts.

Data collected from EV owners:

Best EV Home Charger

Data collected from EV experts:

Best EV Home Chargers

1. ChargePoint Home Flex

ChargePoint Home Flex turned out to be the most recommended home charger by most EV owners due to the following reasons:

  1. ChargePoint allows them to track their charging on their app and website (when using public chargers).
  2. You can set your charging times, especially when you live in areas that have off-peak times, to help save on electricity costs.
  3. You can estimate how much it will cost you to charge based on your utility company’s time of the day electricity rate.
  4. ChargePoint has public Level 2 chargers located in most locations (everywhere).
  5. It has a high output.
  6. It has a great reputation.
  7. The ChargePoint app is user-friendly and better than its competitors.

The only downside for most EV owners was the price, but most of them agreed it is completely worth it.

See also: 5 Best Electric Car Charging Cable Protector.

Most EV experts recommend ChargePoint Home Flex because:

  1. It is capable of flexible power deliveries.

This means you can set the power output to match the socket you have at your home, so you won’t overload your socket.

Additionally, it automatically sets the maximum amount of power that it will deliver to the vehicle.

NOTE:
To automatically set the maximum amount of power, you will have to install the ChargePoint app. It will then ask you to provide the ratings of the socket to automatically set it.
  1. It has a good charging cable size compared to other home chargers.

ChargePoint comes with a cable size of about 23-foot. A longer charging cable is usually the best option when planning to buy an EV home charger.

  1. Installation is very simple. 

It does not involve quite a lot of technicalities when installing. However, this home charger is not the simplest to install at home.

You may also like How To Calculate The Solar Panels Needed To Charge An EV.

  1. The charging cable works very well in cold/snow environments. 

In frozen conditions, it may be hard to charge your EV, especially if your charger is installed outside.

However, ChargePoint works well.

The cable performs very well in freezing weather conditions because it easily bends.

And additionally, this makes it great for outdoor use.

  1. It has a lot of great features.

It is definitely a smart charger that comes with some great features, such as:

  • Allowing you to view previous charging sessions to see how much it cost you and how much energy the car took in.
  • It is WIFI-connected.
  • You can schedule the time for the car to charge. You can also set a reminder to plug in to charge. This is great for the new EV owners who are not used to charging.
  • You can ask the app how many miles of range are added during a charging session.
  1. It automatically restarts charging 

In case of a power outage, it automatically restarts after it is restored. 

  1. It is energy star certified

You can check the price on Amazon.

See also: How Do EVs and EV Batteries Work?

2. JuiceBox

JuiceBox was the second most preferred VSE by EV owners because of the following reasons:

  1. JuiceBox has got more feature interfaces.
  2. It is not very costly.
  3. It is highly rated for outdoor charging.
  4. Some owners got it for free through a rebate program.
  5. JuiceBox has some nice features, such as TOU.
  6.  It is a reputable manufacturer.

You can check the Juicebox price on Amazon.

See the electric car rebates and incentives in California.

Enel X JuiceBox was the second most preferred VSE by EV experts because of the following reasons:

  1. The power is adjustable.

This is great because in the future if you plan to upgrade your socket for more power delivery, you will not need to buy a new charger (EVSE).

  1. It is great for outdoor charging.

Enel X Juicebox is a great outdoor charger, simply because it is NEEMA 4X Rated. 

This means that it can withstand even the worst weather conditions, such as very heavy rains and snowstorms.

Therefore, if you live in areas that receive hurricanes or severe weather conditions, this home charger would be the best option for you.

  1. It automatically restarts.

In case of a power outage, it automatically restarts after it is restored. 

However, some EVs may refuse to take back the power after it is restored mainly because of some communication issues between the Enel X Juicebox and the car.

This is usually not the chargers but Ev’s fault for failing to wake up to receive the charge.

Therefore, you will have to unplug and then plug it back in for the charging to start.

  1. It has a long charging cable.

It comes with about 25-foot of cable.

However, it may be a little heavy, thicker, harder to bend, and not very flexible compared to its competitors.

Hence, the cable does not work very well in freezing conditions when compared to its competitors.

  1. It has a lot of great features.

Enel X Juicebox is a smart charger that comes with great features, such as

  • Schedule charging.
  • Voice commands with Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
  • Reminder notifications.
  • Power share cable.
  • View charging sessions.
  • Start and stop sessions.
  • Set TOU schedule.
  1. It is safety certified.
  2. It is really simple to install.
  3. It is energy star certified.

3.   Grizzle E-Classic Charger

Grizzle was the third most recommended home charger by EV owners because according to them:

  1. Grizzle works great with no issues after years of use.
  2. It is affordable.

According to EV experts, the Grizzle E-Classic charger:

  1.  Allows you to choose your preferred cable

When purchasing this charger, you can:

  • Choose your preferred cable based on the length.
  • Choose between a regular cable VS. a premium cable.

Premium cable is best for outdoor charger installation, especially in colder weather areas. 

This is because they are made to potentially withstand extreme cold weather conditions.

The Premium charging cable is hence not that bad in freezing weather conditions.

  1. It has adjustable power. 

You can easily change the power levels.

Note: You will have to open it up to set it to the amount of power you want.

  1. It is a NEEMA 4-rated charger.

This means that it can withstand very severe weather conditions. 

  1. It is very easy to install.
  2. It comes with a lock to prevent it from being stolen when installed outside.
  3. It is a very tough, durable, and very strong charger.
  4. It is very affordable compared to other chargers.
  5. It is not energy star certified. 
  6. It automatically restarts.

You can check the price on Amazon.

See the different types of electric vehicles (EVs) and which one you should buy.

4. Electrify HomeStation EV charger

14% of EV owners recommended Electrify Home’s HomeStation mainly because:

  1. They are able to track both public and home charging through the Electrify America app.
  2. You can schedule charging time.
  3. Volkswagen recommended the Electrify America HomeStation.
  4. Its good/affordable price.

11% of EV experts recommended Electrify HomeStation EV charger because:

  1. It has a long 24-foot cable.
  2. The cable works fairly well in cold conditions.
  3. You will have only one app for your public and home charging. The fewer apps the better.
  4. It has a lot of app features.

Here are a few of the features:

  • You can view your current charging session and your last charging history.
  • It has start and stop sessions.
  • It is WIFI enabled.
  • It has voice commands with Google Home and Amazon Alexa e.t.c.
  • You can schedule charging time.

5. ClipperCreek HCS-40P

Clippercreek HCS-40P is a popular charger.

EV drivers who use ClipperCreek home chargers reported have used it for more than 10 years with no issues.

However, if you are looking for a smart charger, then Clippercreek HCS-40P is not your ideal charger.

9% of the EV owners recommended Clippercreek because according to them:

  •  It is a great option for those who have lower-current circuits.
  • It is a good option for those EV owners who really don’t care about the app features.

Well, 10% of EV experts recommended it because:

  1.  It has a good reputation. This percentage of experts preferred ClipperCreek mainly because their products are:
  • Very durable.
  • High quality.
  • Made in the USA.
  • Safety Certified.
  • Have good warranties.
  • It has the widest variety of home chargers.
  1. It is NEMA-4 rated.

This makes it good for outdoor installation because it offers good protection against severe weather.

  1. It is energy star certified.

This means it is very efficient when it is not being used because it does not waste much energy.

  1. It is safety certified.

 Clippercreek HCS-40P is UL Listed/ETL Certified.

  1. It has a long charging cable.

It comes with a 25-foot cable.

  1. It is a tough and strong charger.

It is built to last!

  1. The home charger comes with a lock.

This means that you can easily lock the charger connector to prevent someone from unplugging your car while charging in public.

6.   Wallbox pulsar plus

Well, 2% of EV owners recommended this EVSE because it has got no issues, and were satisfied with the purchase.

Additionally, its app is easy to use.

  1. You can de-rate the power output from the app.

If you would like the unit to deliver less power, you can easily de-rate the power from the app.

Wallbox pulsar plus is a smart charger that comes with some great features.

Here are some of its features:

  1. Its a Wi-Fi & Bluetooth enabled smart charger.
  2. Schedule charging.
  3. It has OTA updates.
  4. View charging sessions.
  5. Start and stop sessions.
  6. It has voice commands with Google Home and Amazon Alexa e.t.c.
  1. Wallbox Pulsar Plus 48 has power-sharing.

This means that it can intelligently balance the amount of power that goes to multiple units so that the socket is not overloaded.

This is great for families that have more than one EV and don’t have more space to add another charging socket. Or that simply want to save on the cost of adding another socket.

  1. It is NEMA-4 rated

It is 100% waterproof, which makes it good for outdoor installation.

  1. It is portable.

You can take it with you wherever you want to go because it is a good small size EV home charger. 

  1. It has a long charging cable.

Wallbox Pulsar Plus comes with a long 25-foot cable.

  1. It is safety certified.

Key takeaways

Based on EV experts’ recommendations, the best EVSEs seem to share some similar features. 

And again, when it comes to home charger features that most EV owners look for when choosing the EVSE to buy, most of them narrow it down to:

  • Price.
  • Specific needs. For instance, do you want to install it inside or outside your garage?

Here is a summary of the unique features of the best home chargers

Home ChargerBest Feature

1.
ChargePoint 		It is capable of flexible power deliveries

2.
Enel X Juicebox 		The power is adjustable

3.
Grizzle E-Classic Charger		It has adjustable power. You can change the power levels.

4.
Electrify HomeStation EV charger		You will have only one app for your public and home charging.

5.
ClipperCreek HCS-40P		It is UL Listed/ETL Certified and built to last!

6.
Wallbox pulsar plus		It is 100% waterproof.
BEST EVSE home chargers, cable sizes

Other alternative EV Chargers

  • Shell Recharge EV Charging Station.
  • Tesla J1172 Wall Connector.
  • Chargify Electric Vehicle Charging.
  • Alpha EV Charger.
  • Tesla Generation 3 Wall Connector.

See also: Tesla Wall Connector VS Mobile Connector.

EV home charging Tips

1. If you have more than one EV or planning to own more in the future, I recommend you install your home charger in the garage where it is easily accessible by all your EVs.

For example, mounting it in the middle of the garage from the ceiling would make it easier for the cable to reach all the cars.

2. Some rebate programs will give you some of these home chargers for free.

3. Ensure that you have a qualified/licensed electrician to install your EV charging equipment.

4. If you are going to be using an old socket to charge your ID.4, and you are not sure whether it is safe to draw a lot of current from it, turn on the “Reduced AC charging current” so it does not overload the socket.

See also: Volkswagen ID.4 Charging Guide (ID.4 Charging Speed and Tips).

DISCLAIMER: 
The information provided is purely based on our research, feedback from experienced EV owners, and Certified EV experts in the industry. 

Additionally, some of the home charger features are prone to change over the years/months due to constant improvements. Therefore we will constantly be updating the list.

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