There’s nothing like an Apple product. Whatever you think of the company, you can’t deny that the iPad was groundbreaking and is still the king of tablets. Modern generations even pack more power than a laptop. Plus now you can get your hands on the Pro, mini, and Air. So when you plug in to recharge, how much power are you consuming?
Below we will discuss and test iPad wattage, explain how to work it out for yourself, and calculate the total electricity required.
How Many Watts is an iPad?
An iPad uses between 10 and 30 watts when charging.
The exact number depends on the size and model of your iPad. For example, an older iPad mini uses a maximum of 10W, while an iPad Pro charger is rated to 30W.
There are two main factors that determine the power consumption of charging an iPad. Firstly, the larger the charger the more power it can draw. Modern iPads have high-speed power adapters which draw 15W or more. Plus the iPad Pro charger can use upto 30W!
Secondly, the type of iPad and its charge status will affect the wattage. Larger iPads have bigger and more powerful batteries which can handle an increased input.
How to Find Out Your iPad Wattage
There’s 3 ways you can work out the wattage of an iPad.
- Check Product Specification
The quickest way is to look at the iPad’s specification. The max watts (W) is usually written on a sticker on the base of the charger. If not, you can check the user manual or Apple’s website for technical details.
- Use a Wattmeter
A wattmeter is brilliant for getting a live wattage reading and tracking total energy usage of any appliance. You can simply plug it into your iPad charger to get instant information.
I used one to test my iPad which gave a live reading of 12.8W while recharging.
- Wattage Formula or Calculator
If you know the amperage and voltage of your iPad you can use this to find the running watts. Simply use the formula Amps x Volts = Watts. Or you can head over to the ‘Watt Calculator’ to work this out.
iPad Wattage Examples
Let’s take a look at specific examples of how many watts an iPad draws. Below is a collection of modern iPads with their listed power ratings.
| iPad Model | Adaptor Power Rating (Watts) |
| iPad Air | 10 |
| iPad Air 2 | 10 |
| iPad Mini 2 | 10 |
| iPad Mini 3 | 10 |
| iPad Mini 4 | 10 |
| iPad 2 | 10 |
| iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation) | 12 |
| iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) | 12 |
| iPad Pro (10.5-inch) | 12 |
| iPad Pro (9.7-inch)* | 12 |
| iPad Air (3rd generation)* | 12 |
| iPad mini (5th generation)* | 12 |
| iPad (5th generation)* | 12 |
| iPad (6th generation)* | 12 |
| iPad (7th generation)* | 12 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch | 18 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) | 18 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd generation) | 18 |
| iPad Pro 12.9 inch (4th generation) | 18 |
| iPad mini (6th generation) | 20 |
| iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation) | 20 |
| iPad Air (4th generation) | 20 |
| iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation) | 20 |
| iPad (8th generation) | 20 |
| iPad (9th generation) | 20 |
As you can see, the power ratings vary between different iPads. So you should take the time to check your own device.
How Much Electricity Does an iPad Use?
You can use iPad wattage to work out how much electricity it uses. Plus this can be useful in understanding how much it costs to run your iPad.
A watt (W) is a measurement of power at a single point in time. A watt-hour is the total amount of electricity used in an hour. For example, an iPad drawing 15W would use 15Wh when running/charging for an hour.
Happily, electricity bills are recorded in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt is simply 1000 watts. So a 15W iPad running for 1 hour uses 0.015kWh.
In reality, you might charge an iPad for 1 hour a day or recharge about 50% battery. This means an iPad uses about 15Wh or 0.015kWh electricity a day. That’s 0.45kWh a month and 5.475kWh a year.
That’s a rough electricity cost of $0.82 a year to recharge your iPad for 1 hour or 50% battery every single day.
This is probably an overestimation for most casual users unless you use the device for work. I can’t give you an exact answer as this will be based on your own usage, but you can see the amazing efficiency of these electronics!
Using an iPad Off-Grid
If you’re planning to use your iPad in an off-grid situation like a power outage, car, RV, boat, or semi-truck, the information above is important. It enables you to pick the correct power products and know how long you charge your tablet.
You can either use a power inverter, portable power station, or generator to supply electricity.
To make sure everything runs smoothly you should check two things on this equipment – wattage capacity and total energy capacity.
Your power source, like an inverter, should have a wattage capacity of at least 20% more than your iPad. This ensures it will be able to deliver enough power as they are never 100% efficient. To charge an iPad in your car, you will need at least a 75W of power inverter. This gives you more than enough power but it is the smallest size you can find the equipment.
Secondly, you need to ensure your energy source, like a battery, has enough energy to run the iPad for the required amount of time. It will use about 30Wh electricity for a full charge. This is the equivalent to 2.5Ah on a 12V battery. If you’re charging in a car, just keep the engine running to avoid depleting your starter battery.
How Many Watts Does an iPad Use Summary
I hope you now understand how many watts an iPad uses.
As these are battery powered tablets, the power consumption is only a factor when plugged in and charging. These electronics get more powerful and have bigger capacity batteries with every new generation. With adaptor power ratings growing to between 15W and 30W it is not far off the consumption of a laptop charger. And to be fair, an iPad Pro is pretty much a full computer!
