Our team did the research on where to buy a used MacBook or MacBook Pro charger, and we ultimately determined that the best places are eBay, Amazon and Facebook Marketplace. We ended up choosing these websites as they are the most common places to find a pre-owned or used MacBook charger for much cheaper than Apple sells them new.
If you are looking to purchase a new aftermarket (non-Apple OEM) charger, we think the best places to purchase one of these third-party power adapters are Amazon, B&H Photo and eBay. These are all reputable retailers which offer quality products, safe payment processing and excellent customer support if your aftermarket charger should be defective.
- Largest online marketplace of used items
- Safe and secure payment processing
- Excellent feedback system & support
- Largest online marketplace of used items
- Safe and secure payment processing
- Excellent feedback system & support
- Reputable photo, video & electronic retailer headquartered in NYC
- Competitive pricing and lots of sales promotions
- Excellent support and easy returns
Is your MacBook charger lost, broke, or you'd just like a spare ? Buying a replacement MacBook charger can be a real hassle since Apple charges just under $80 for a new one. I ran into this dilemma when I had my old 15″ MacBook Pro and the charger completely stopped working randomly around 2 years into my ownership.
SEE ALSO: Is your aging Mac feeling slowing? Read our CleanMyMac X review for an affordable solution to help speed it up!
Unfortunately, I was not within the warranty period and I had not purchased AppleCare for that particular MacBook Pro, so I was out of luck trying to repair this particular MacBook Pro charger. My only other choices were to spend almost $100 on a replacement charger from Apple or find an alternative solution. Since I didn't want to drop that much cash on another charger at that particular time, I did my research on how I could get around the issue and here is what I came up with:
Option #1: Buy A Used Charger
Buying a used charger from someone who has an extra or doesn't need theirs anymore is an excellent alternative to paying full price for a new one from Apple. Always sure to verify the charger is in working condition before purchasing.
Top 3 Places to Find a Used Charger
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Option #2: Buy An Aftermarket Charger
You can buy a brand new replacement Macbook charger from a 3rd party manufacturer for a fraction of the price Apple charges for a new one. This is the route I ultimately went with and it paid off as I was able to get a brand new working charger for less than $40. This lasted 3 more years of use before I ultimately sold that laptop and upgraded to a new one.
Places to Find a New 3rd Party Charger
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Things To Keep In Mind Before You Buy A New Charger
Be Sure to Check Power Adapter Compatibility With Your MacBook Model
With the variety of MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models on the market in the past 5 years, there are multiple chargers available so it is important you purchase the correct one for your particular model. For example, there are 60W or 85W models as well as MagSafe and MagSafe 2 models. For more information on which charger is right for you, reference this Apple support article.
MacBook Air Charger Compatibility
Apple 30W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C Charge Cable
- MacBook Air models introduced in 2018 or later
45W MagSafe Power Adapter with MagSafe 2 style connector
- MacBook Air models introduced in 2012 through 2017
45W MagSafe Power Adapter with “L” style connector
- 13-inch MacBook Air models introduced in 2008 through 2011*
- 11-inch MacBook Air models introduced in 2010 through 2011
MacBook Pro Charger Compatibility
Apple 67W or 96W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable
- 14-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2021
Apple 140W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable
- 16-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2021
Apple 96W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C Charge Cable
- 16-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2019
Apple 61W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C Charge Cable
- 13-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2016 or later
Apple 87W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C Charge Cable
- 15-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2016 or later
85W MagSafe Power Adapter with MagSafe 2 style connector
- 15-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2012 through 2015
60W MagSafe Power Adapter with MagSafe 2 style connector
- 13-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2012 through 2015
60W MagSafe Power Adapter with “L” style connector
- 13-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2010 through 2012
85W MagSafe Power Adapter with “L” style connector
- 15-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2010 through 2012
- 17-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2010 through 2011
85W MagSafe Power Adapter with “T” style connector
- 15-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2006 through 2009
- 17-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2006 through 2009
60W MagSafe Power Adapter with “T” style connector
- 13-inch MacBook Pro models introduced in 2009
MacBook Compatible Chargers
Apple 29W or 30W USB-C Power Adapter and USB-C Charge Cable
- MacBook models introduced in 2015 or later
60W MagSafe Power Adapter with “L” style connector
- MacBook models introduced in late 2009 through 2010
60W MagSafe Power Adapter with “T” style connector
- MacBook models introduced in 2006 through mid 2009
Be Sure to Check Out Customer Reviews (New) or Seller's Feedback (Used)
If you are buying a new aftermarket charger, be sure to check out the customer reviews on the model before purchasing. I'd recommend that you stay away from any aftermarket chargers who do not have any reviews yet and try to avoid those who have under an average 3.5-star rating overall.
If you're worried about a low rating, I suggest checking out the reviews in more detail and seeing which factors customers complained the most about. Sometimes you'll see complaints and poor reviews simply due to a customer's own wrongdoing or lack of knowledge (IE they bought the wrong model) so you should verify the complaints are legitimate before judging too harshly.
If you are buying a new or used charger from eBay or Amazon, I highly suggest verifying the seller has positive feedback and lots of it. When I bought my replacement charger from eBay, I found an eBay Powerseller with great feedback who had multiple recent feedback from satisfied eBay users who purchased the same charger.
This helped me decide to choose to buy from him and it ended up being an excellent purchase that saved me money and lasted several years of use with no issues.
