sooo i actually went through a minor heart attack with a cheap charger once, so i'm super cautious now lol. for your 8a, i would suggest the Ugreen Nexode 30W USB C GaN Charger. it's usually around $15-18 which is a total steal. it has pps so it stays cool, and honestly, safety is everything cuz you dont wanna fry your battery to save ten bucks. basically just make sure it's GaN tech, it's safer and more efficient. gl!

Just sharing my experience: I went through this exact same thing last year when I realized Google stopped including the bricks in the box. Ngl, I was kinda annoyed cuz I didn't wanna drop another 30 bucks on the Google 30W USB-C Power Charger after already spending a ton on the phone.

I've been messing with these PD and PPS standards for years, and honestly, it's a bit of a headache. I first tried a cheapo generic brick I had lying around, but it was sooo slow and made my phone feel like a literal toaster. Not great. Basically, the "why" behind it is that these Pixels are super picky. They need PPS (Programmable Power Supply) to talk to the charger and adjust the voltage in real-time, which keeps the heat down.

After some trial and error, I realized that chasing the "official" brand isn't always the best for the wallet. I ended up grabbing the Anker 511 Charger Nano 3 30W and it's been a beast. It's tiny, way cheaper than the Google one, and handles the 18W charging on the 8a perfectly without getting hot. I also tried the UGREEN Nexode 30W GaN Charger which is also solid for the price.

My lesson learned? You definitely dont need the official one, but dont go too cheap either. Look for "GaN" tech if you can, cuz it stays way cooler. Anyway, just my two cents from someone who's wasted too much money on chargers that ended up in the junk drawer lol. good luck!!

Quick question—are you planning to use the same brick for anything else like a tablet or laptop, or is this literally just for your phone? I remember being so confused when I first started looking into PPS and PD because it honestly sounds like tech gibberish lol. I ended up just grabbing a random one from Anker and it works great. Basically any high-wattage one from a brand like Ugreen or Anker will handle the 18W speed no problem... but yeah, lmk if you need it to charge other stuff too!

tbh i was in the same boat last week. i really didnt want to spend more money after buying the phone so i went on a bit of a diy mission through my junk drawer. i basically spent a whole afternoon testing every single old adapter and usb-c cable i already owned to see if any of them would actually trigger the fast charging message. iirc i found that the cable actually matters just as much as the brick itself? it was a bit of a learning curve for me since i'm not a tech pro or anything. my current setup is actually just an old one i found from a different device and it seems to stay cool enough. i guess my advice is maybe try what you already have around the house first before buying something new? ngl it saved me some cash even if it took a while to figure out which combination worked best. do you have any old bricks lying around from older phones or even a laptop? might be worth a shot just to see if they play nice with the 8a.

Just caught up on this thread and its fantastic to see everyone being so proactive about battery health! I have been a long-term owner of several Pixel devices and prioritizing safety over raw speed has always served me well for battery longevity. Quick question before I give a full recommendation tho: are you mostly charging overnight on a nightstand or do you need something for quick top-offs at work? Quick tips for your 8a:

• Stick with chargers that have ETL or UL certifications for maximum safety.
• Always choose GaN technology since it manages heat much more efficiently. I have had an amazing experience with the Belkin BoostCharge 25W USB-C Wall Charger with PPS. It is incredibly reliable and stays very cool during use! Another fantastic option is the Spigen ArcStation Pro 27W USB-C GaN Wall Charger. It feels very premium and the power delivery is super stable. Honestly, you cant go wrong with either if you want to keep your phone safe for the long haul.

Honestly, I've tried many over the years... my current setup works great because:

- it uses PPS tech to stay cool
- its way cheaper than the official brick

Basically, any PPS brick works!

^ This. Also, had a moment to think about this more and everyone here is basically saying PPS and GaN are the way to go, which is true, but they are also right that the cable is a huge factor. Unfortunately, my own attempt at a DIY solution was not as good as expected. I tried repurposing an old high-wattage power hub I had for my desk, but it ended up being a total headache... it kept dropping the connection every time I bumped the wire. I had some serious issues with it overheating too, which is the last thing you want with a brand new 8a. Honestly, I learned the hard way that just because a brick has the right numbers on the side doesnt mean it handles the handshake well. Its kinda disappointing that we even have to worry about this stuff now. Just be careful with older tech you might have lying around, because even if it says it is fast, it might not be communicating right with the Pixel. I am around if you need any help checking the specs on anything else you find!