I tested six MagSafe battery packs, this is the best one for iPhone

Since launch iPhone Air And Apple MagSafe batteryI was trying to determine which MagSafe battery would work best for most people. So I went to Amazon, ordered a few, and tested each one on iPhone 17. There are five batteries in the competition, all at different price points and sold as 5000mAh batteries. I also included the Apple MagSafe battery, but it only fits the 3133mAh battery.

Here are the contenders:

I will mention that since I bought them, UGreen and Kuulaa updated their models; however, many of the findings I discovered will still help you make an informed purchasing decision. The above prices are what I paid for each battery, but due to Amazon's quirks I've seen them fluctuate a lot.

What is a good battery

We're actually looking for two things here; How does the dough feel in your hand and how much does it charge your phone? Many new batteries are marketed as having faster speeds, but when it comes down to it, it doesn't really matter.

Another thing to be wary of are extra features. After all, you'll be using this several times a week (or month) to top up your phone at the end of the day, so in reality, a lot of the extra promise is likely to be something most people will never use. And why pay more for features you don't need?

Efficiency is important here, too, but ultimately all the models I tested, with the exception of the Apple model, performed about the same. A more important characteristic is the waiting time. How long a battery can last in your bag before it turns into a brick is a question that doesn't sell much, but is crucial for this type of charger. That said, I wasn't able to detect any drastic differences in latency in my testing, but if anything emerges in the long term I'll update.

What did I find

I prefer thinner batteries because I enjoy holding them more in my hands, and the Kuulaa battery wins in that regard. It easily disappeared into my pocket. Keep in mind that the smaller they are, the hotter they get, so I would try not to charge wirelessly this way while in a small bag.

The quality of the magnet was also of great importance. While Winners' Press Play model ultimately proved to be a good (but slow) battery, its magnets were so weak that it would likely never be used again after the testing phase.

The last thing that's nice to have is actual MagSafe support. Most batteries don't actually interact with your iPhone's software, but Kuulaa's version does, allowing you to conveniently check how much charge is left in your battery using the built-in iOS battery widget. However, this definitely falls into the “nice to have” category rather than a “must have.” What must be there is a backlight somewhere in the back or on the side to quickly assess the battery level. This was the case for all models except Apple. Apple, on the other hand, has a single light that turns green when charging and orange when the battery is low.

While design played a role, at the end of the day there aren't many good options, so it doesn't really matter. The Anker models are probably the best due to minimal branding, but nothing really compares to the polish and hand feel of the Apple model. The Iniu model also includes a nice stand and a wrist strap that doubles as a USB-C cable. However, I think that since these batteries are intended to be used in a pinch, most people won't actually use them enough to make these additions worthwhile.

My favorite

In the end, my favorite from my testing was Kuulaa branded charger. It was thin and sleek, felt good in the hand, and offered good charging speeds and class-leading efficiency.

Right behind it is the Anker model, and I found all the others a little less attractive. The Iniu was good, but the overall build quality was not as good as the other two. My UGreen model has been discontinued, but the new one that replaces it still looks thicker, so I'd probably avoid it.

Apart from all this, I would also advise avoiding the technical cart at Winners. The cables are probably fine, but this battery is complete junk. I found Apple's version to be the easiest to use (on the iPhone Air), but its low overall charge and high price will make it a deal breaker for most.