Mophie Powerstation Plus With PD
Durable portable charger with integrated Lightning cable
Baseus Magnetic Mini Wireless Portable Charger
Best value MagSafe-compatible power bank
Baseus Magnetic Wireless Power Bank
Best high-capacity magnetic wireless portable charger with flip-out kickstand
Mophie Powerstation 10K Stand with MagSafe
Best official MagSafe portable battery with kickstand
Otterbox Folding Wireless Power Bank
Power bank that converts into wireless charging stand
There’s nothing quite annoying like realizing your iPhone is about to die when you don’t have access to a charger. A great way to avoid this is by picking up a power bank for your phone. Because even though new phones, like the iPhone 14, boast an impressive battery life, navigation, taking videos, gaming and other functions can still drain it quickly. So unless you like scrambling to locate an outlet, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a dependable, portable charger or power bank in your possession.
Portable power banks and battery chargers come in all shapes and sizes. The more affordable options tend to require use of a cable for charging, but we’re seeing more and more magnetic wireless chargers that stick to the back of your MagSafe-enabled iPhone or MagSafe-enabled case. I personally like portable power banks for iPhones that have an integrated Lightning cable, which offers fast charging.
While this list is geared toward iPhones, any portable battery pack on the list with a USB-C or USB-A out ports will work perfectly well for charging an Android smartphone (or any other portable gadget), so long as you provide a compatible smartphone cable.
So what’s the best portable charger for juicing up your iPhone on the go? Here are our top picks, all of which I’ve tested and reviewed. I’ll update this list as other top portable chargers hit the market.
Read more: Best iPhone Chargers
Best battery packs with built-in Lightning cables and fold-out wall plugs
Infinity Lab is Samsung-owned Harman Kardon’s new accessories subsidiary, and I like its InstantGo 5000 and InstantGo 10000 power banks, which come with an integrated Lightning cable for easy charging of iPhones. The larger 10,000 mAh costs $20 more and is heavier and bulkier, but it can charge most iPhones twice.
While I can’t say how well this portable battery from iWalk will hold up over time, it’s a good power bank for the money, if it does manage to hold up. Along with an integrated Lightning cable that tucks away into a slot when not in use, it’s got an integrated 9,600-mAh battery, which should charge most iPhones almost twice. There’s also an LED in the battery that lets you know how much juice it’s got left.
Zagg hasn’t promoted its Mophie Powerstation Plus With PD charger much, but it’s one of the best portable batteries with an integrated Lightning cable. It houses a 6,000-mAh battery (that’s enough to fully charge even larger iPhones) and the Lightning cable offers 18-watt fast charging and tucks into a storage slot when not in use (a flap covers the storage slot so you may not realize there is a built-in cable at first).
MyCharge’s Hub portable chargers come in a few different sizes and not only have an integrated foldable wall plug but integrated Lightning and USB-C cables, so you can charge both Apple and Android devices. It’s a little bulky, but with a 4,400-mAh battery, it should be able to almost fully charge your smartphone, depending on its size. The step-up 6,700-mAh model is about $10 more.
Thanks to gallium nitride technology, chargers have been getting more powerful while shrinking at the same time. The latest example of that trend is Anker’s new line of GaNPrime chargers with next-generation GaN 3 technology, which the company says is even more energy-efficient. The Anker Power Bank 733 combines a 65-watt charger with a 10,000-mAh portable battery and is part of the new GaNPrime line. It’s pretty compact for what it is and offers two fast-charging USB-C ports and one fast-charging USB-A port. You can charge up to three devices at once, but note that to get a full 65-watt charge for a laptop, you can only plug in the laptop. Also note that you can save $30 at Amazon by activating the instant coupon on the product page.
Best MagSafe-compatible magnetic battery packs for MagSafe-enabled iPhones
What’s cool about Anker’s 622 magnetic battery is that it’s a wireless battery that has an integrated magnetic flap that converts into a stand. You won’t get fast wireless charging from this 5,000-mAh battery (it charges at up to 7.5 watts), but it’s slim and easy to carry around.
The Baseus Magnetic Mini Wireless Portable Charger is a compact, 6,000-mAh, wireless power bank that sticks to the back of MagSafe-enabled iPhones (or MagSafe-enabled iPhone cases) and charges your iPhone at 7.5 watts. If you’re looking for faster charging, you can plug a USB-C to Lightning cable into the battery and get 20-watt charging speeds. It also offers pass-through charging, meaning you can charge the battery while charging your phone.
If you’re looking for a bigger portable battery that charges your phone wirelessly, the Baseus Magnetic Wireless Power Bank is an excellent option. It houses a 10,000-mAh battery that can charge an iPhone 14 around two times — but it’s still somewhat compact.
You don’t want your phone to go dead on the mountain, so it’s always good to pack a battery pack.
Like some competing magnetic wireless chargers, Mophie’s magnetic power bank isn’t an official Apple MagSafe accessory, but it magnetically adheres to the back of your MagSafe-enabled iPhone or MagSafe case — yes, it sticks nicely — and is svelte for a 5,000-mAh battery. It can also be used with other phones that support wireless charging and comes with a stick-on magnet.
Mophie’s Powerstation Wireless Stand with MagSafe is currently only sold through Zagg (Mophie’s parent company) and Apple. It’s not cheap but is a versatile 10,000-mAh battery battery with both a stand and MagSafe charger built in, and also has a threaded tripod mount at the bottom.
Best battery packs for iPhones with fast charging USB-C out
If you’re looking for a compact external battery pack for your iPhone (or any smartphone), Mophie’s pocketable Power Station Mini (2022) features a 5,000-mAh internal battery and 20-watt USB-C PD fast charging. (You’ll need a USB-C to Lightning cable to take advantage of that fast charging if you’re an iPhone owner.) That battery will allow you to fully charge your iPhone.
The Anker 523 PowerCore Slim 10K PD is impressively slim for a 10,000-mAh portable phone charger and has a fast 20-watt USB-C out charging port (it’s also a USB-C input to charge its battery), plus a 12-watt USB-A out port. While the Anker 313 PowerCore Slim 10K is cheaper, this offers fast USB-C out charging, which makes spending the extra dough a big plus if you have a USB-C to Lightning cable.
Nimble’s Champ portable charger uses recycled plastic in its construction. You have to pay a bit more for going green, but it is a nice, compact 10,000-mAh charger that features PD 4.0 fast-charging (18 watts) via its single USB-C port. Also, the coupon CNET25 will get you 25% off at checkout.
Best battery packs that convert into wireless charging stands
Otterbox gears its Folding Wireless Power Bank (10,000 mAh) toward those who like to watch movies on their phones or play games with a controller. It has a built-in stand that folds down when you take it on the go. It also has USB-C and USB-A ports that are capable of fast-charging your phone at up to 18 watts. The wireless charging is up to 7.5 watts with the iPhone and 10 watts for Android devices.
How to choose a power bank for your iPhone
Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for an external battery pack or power bank:
- A higher power output rating (mAh, short for milliamp hours) means more charges — but also a heavier portable charger weight.
- For the latest iPhones (everything after the iPhone 7) you should buy a battery with at least a 3,000-mAh capacity, which should give you at least one full charge for a device. With the exception of the Atom XS, all of the models featured above hit that mark.
- Multiple integrated charge cables or USB-out ports will allow you to charge more than one device at a time, such as an iPad or another iPhone.
- These best portable chargers for iPhone all use lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, and should thus always be stored in carry-on luggage when flying. Airlines and regulatory agencies are increasingly banning li-ion batteries in checked baggage.
- If you want maximum power output, opt for chargers with USB-C PD (power delivery) models, which should charge nearly every device smaller than a laptop, such as a tablet or Nintendo Switch.
