The one decision every buyer faces
It's the question that trips up almost every first-time buyer, and it sounds more technical than it is. There's no speed difference and no wrong answer, just a straight trade between convenience and flexibility. Here's how to decide in a couple of minutes.
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Tethered means the cable is attached to the charger for good, so you just plug into the car. Untethered means a socket on the wall, and you bring your own cable each time. Both deliver the same 7kW on a normal NI home supply, so this is not a performance decision. It is about how you'd rather live with it day to day.
The cable is permanently attached to the unit. Pull up, plug into the car, done; there's nothing to fetch or store. The trade-off is that the cable length and connector are fixed, and a coiled lead on the wall is a little less tidy.
Just a socket on the wall; you plug in your own cable each time and unplug it after. The wall stays clean, you choose the cable length, and it adapts if you change car or move the charger. The cost is the small daily ritual of plugging the lead in at both ends and storing it.
Beyond the daily routine, three things quietly tip the decision. None is a dealbreaker, but they are the points buyers wish they'd weighed up first.
A tethered lead lives outside on the wall, so it takes the weather and the odd knock, and in rare cases can be a target for cable theft; a good unit locks the connector while charging and treats the cable as replaceable. An untethered lead stores in the car, out of the weather, but you handle it every day. It comes down to whether the cable sits outside or travels with you, not to safety.
Tethered fixes the connector and length to the car you have now. Untethered rides out change more easily: switch to an EV with different needs, extend your reach, or hand the charger to the next owner without the cable being wrong for their car. If a house move or a new car is on the cards, that flexibility is untethered's quiet advantage, and the lead simply goes with you.
Keep this front of mind: cable style changes nothing about charge speed. A 7kW single-phase supply delivers the same 7kW whether the lead is bolted on or plugged in, so you are choosing purely on convenience and tidiness, never on performance. Anyone who tells you one charges faster has it wrong.
Three quick questions settle it for most people.
1
If plug-in-and-forget matters most, go tethered. The cable is always there and ready.
2
If a clean, cable-free unit matters, go untethered and store the lead in the car.
3
New car, longer run, moved charger? Untethered adapts, because you control the cable.
Genuinely torn? It's a low-stakes call. Note "not sure" on your quote and the installer will advise for your driveway, parking and car.
Some ranges force your hand: the Hypervolt is tethered only, while the Easee One is untethered only. Others, like the Zappi, Ohme and Wallbox ranges, come both ways, so you pick the cable style separately from the charger. Here's how the main NI units line up.
Want the full picture on features and cost too? See the charger comparison and our best home EV charger shortlist.
Last reviewed: 11 July 2026.
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A tethered charger has the charging cable permanently attached to the wall unit, so you just pull up and plug into the car. An untethered charger is a socket on the wall; you bring your own cable, plug it in at both ends to charge, then unplug and store it afterwards. Electrically they are identical: both a typical NI home unit deliver 7kW single-phase. The choice is purely convenience versus flexibility.
Neither is better outright. Tethered suits convenience-first drivers and single-car homes: nothing to fetch, just plug in. Untethered suits tidy installs and changing setups: the wall stays clean, you pick the cable length, and it adapts if you change car or move the charger. Pick tethered if you value grab-and-go, untethered if you value flexibility and a clean wall.
No, there is no speed difference. Both tethered and untethered home chargers deliver the same 7kW on a standard NI single-phase supply. Cable type affects convenience and tidiness, not charging speed.
It is worth a thought rather than a worry. A tethered lead stays outside on the wall, so it weathers the elements and, in rare cases, can be a target for cable theft; reputable units treat the cable as replaceable and lock the connector while the car is charging. An untethered lead lives in the car, out of the weather and out of sight, but you handle it every day. Either way a quality Type 2 cable is built for outdoor use, so this is a preference rather than a safety issue.
Not always. Some ranges are tethered only, some untethered only, and a few are sold both ways so you genuinely get to choose. If having the choice matters to you, mention it on your quote and the installer can point you to units that offer both.
An untethered charger is the more future-proof choice if your car or cable needs might change, because you supply the cable and can swap it. A tethered unit fixes the connector and length to what you have today. That said, most modern EVs use the same Type 2 connector, so a tethered unit suits most people fine.
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