Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • Travel Guides
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2021

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2021. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Deals
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Festivals and Events
    • Bus and Trains
    • Flight Deals
    • Budget Travel
    • Hotels and Resorts
    • Disney Vacations
    • Airlines and Airports
    • Ground Transportation
  • Travel Guides
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Style
  3. Travel Accessories
  4. The Best Charging Phone Cases for More Battery Life on the Go

The Best Charging Phone Cases for More Battery Life on the Go

By Rena Behar
October 19, 2018
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Getty Images
When you’re on the road, your phone usually ends up performing at least quadruple duty. It's your camera, map, in-flight entertainment system, communication device, and who knows what else. You could carry a portable power bank to fight off battery drain, but then you have to remember the pack and its cords, which might start to weigh down your bag — and that’s all assuming you remembered to charge it in the first place. Built-in battery cases, on the other hand, will take out all of the guesswork so you won’t be stuck in a foreign country without a way to look up the word for “bathroom” when you need it most.

Battery cases work by passing power through the case rather than through a wall charger, explained Chad Taylor, a technology expert at Abt Electronics. “The difference is: The more premium brands have better hardware and software that does not allow the device to overcharge the phone or tablet,” Taylor said. “They also use better batteries that are tested. Make sure you have a product that does not overcharge your phone.”

Most cases charge both themselves and your phone via one input, so you can just plug the combination in overnight and you’ll have two full batteries ready to go by morning.

Related: The Best Waterproof Phone Cases for Admittedly Accident-prone Travelers

The other key piece to pay attention to when looking for a charging phone case is milliamp hours, or mAh, a measure of energy capacity. The more mAh your battery has, the more power it can hold, and the more phone charges you’ll get out of it. 2400 mAh equates to about 33 hours of extra battery life according to Taylor, depending on what you’re doing. Though in many cases, more mAh also means a larger battery and therefore a bulkier case.

If you opt for a sleeker case with less power, you can conserve your battery by keeping your phone in airplane mode when you aren’t actively using it and disabling unnecessary notifications, which consumer education and travel writer Janice S. Lintz recommends. Choose a case that won’t add too much additional weight to your phone and is easy to use. Whether you want a bright color for easy spotting in your bag or a darker one to blend in with the crowd is up to you.

If you have an iPhone, you may want to make sure your case is MFi (Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad) certified, the official Apple seal of approval for accessory compatibility. It’s not mandatory, but it is helpful if you’re worried about non-compatible cases potentially damaging your phone.
Start Slideshow

1 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Mophie

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

Mophie is one of the oldest (and most popular) charging case brands, regularly placing first in roundups and tests around the tech space. The brand makes options for iPhones from the 6 through 8 Plus, along with Samsung Galaxy S9, S8, and Note8 onward; HTC one M7; and LG G4.

It’s also Lintz and Taylor’s personal choice. “The case is fantastic and saves me on an almost daily basis,” Lintz said, citing its light weight, ease of use, and subtle design.

To buy: amazon.com, from $15

1 of 5

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Apple

Credit: Courtesy of Apple

Go straight to the source with the Apple Smart Battery case and you definitely won’t have to worry about whether your accessory is Apple compatible.

To buy: apple.com, $99

2 of 5

3 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Trianium Atomic Pro

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

IGN recommends Trianium Atomic Pro cases in it's battery case round-up, as do many other publications, and they’re Amazon’s top choice in the category. The cases come in a variety of colors and are available for iPhones 6 through X and Galaxy S6, S7, and S8.

To buy: amazon.com, from $24

3 of 5

Advertisement

4 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

ZeroLemon

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

ZeroLemon has a wide range of Android cases available and high marks from tech reviewers.

To buy: amazon.com, from $30

4 of 5

5 of 5

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Unu

Credit: Courtesy of Amazon

Unu offers a range of cases with capacities up to a whopping 5000 mAh for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.

To buy: amazon.com, from $20

5 of 5

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Rena Behar

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 5 Mophie
2 of 5 Apple
3 of 5 Trianium Atomic Pro
4 of 5 ZeroLemon
5 of 5 Unu

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Travel + Leisure Sites
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

The Best Charging Phone Cases for More Battery Life on the Go
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.