The best battery cases in 2021 to keep your smartphone going - Business Insider

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Upgrade your case to one of the best battery cases to juice up your phone away from a power outlet.
Our favorite all-rounder is the Mophie Juice Pack Access with its wireless charging and low price tag.
When choosing a battery case, consider things like power capacity, type of port, and fast charging capability.

As we've become more and more reliant on our smartphones, a battery pack to give your phone an extra boost of power has become essential. Unfortunately, that means having to carry an extra device, adding clutter to your life and just one more gadget to recharge at the end of the day.

The beauty of battery cases is that they'll let you have that extra bit of juice when you need it without forcing you to keep track of yet another device every day. It's a case and a battery pack blended into a single unit, often with passthrough charging so you can charge the case's battery and your smartphone's battery without the need for another port or another cable.

These battery cases are so nifty and convenient, in fact, that we're actually surprised so few people utilize them – though they do have the disadvantage of only offering half or one full charge typically. In any case, they're a boon to anyone whose life revolves around their phone. Here are the best ones we found.

The best all-rounder battery case

Affordable, robust, and feature-rich, the Mophie Juice Pack Access gets our vote as the best all-rounder if you’re looking for a bit of extra juice on-the-go. — Affordable, robust, and feature-rich, the Mophie Juice Pack Access gets our vote as the best all-rounder if you're looking for a bit of extra juice on-the-go.

Mophie's best battery case, the JuicePack Access, is available for iPhone X through 11 models as well as the base JuicePack available for the Samsung Galaxy S10 models, giving you the best of several worlds. It has a compact design with a removable top, so you can easily slide your smartphone in and out, as well as a rubberized finish that feels matte yet silky while boasting great grip — no more accidental drops. Inside, there are also rubberized support pads to keep your phone protected should you drop it.

Performance-wise, this battery is more for that extra bit of juice to get you through the day, with just 30% extra power at full charge (up to 32 hours on the Galaxy S10 model I've found). Still, it offers wireless and passthrough Priority+ charging, which means that not only can your phone charge wirelessly while inside the case, but it also gets charged first. Of course, if wireless chargers aren't your thing, there's a USB-C port on hand. The best part is that this case is incredibly cheap.

Shop the Mophie JuicePack Access for different phone types from Zagg or Amazon

The best iPhone battery case

Casely’s Power 2.0 battery cases not only give your phone another full charge, but they also look good doing it.

You may be familiar with Casely's gorgeous cases, thanks to the brand collaborating with digital artists for its smartphone case designs. But, did you know that it makes some of the best iPhone battery cases right now? The Power 2.0 is just as sleek and compact as the Mophie case (and thinner than its predecessor, the Power 1.0), but now it also comes in several appealing colors. If you love a good design, you'll appreciate the 40 patterns this battery case is available in, and you'll enjoy that the top section is incredibly flexible, making it easy to peel your phone out of the case.

There's plenty of power here as well, giving my iPhone 11 Pro Max one full recharge. That's on top of the priority passthrough and wireless charging it offers, although there's no USB-C on hand sadly. Not an iPhone user? Casely has these on hand for Galaxy S10, Note 10, and Galaxy S9 phones as well. The case itself is also a protective one, ensuring your phone won't break or get scratched up when dropped. It isn't the cheapest option, but trust us, it's worth the splurge.

Shop the Casely Power 2.0 Charging Case for different phone types from Casely

The best Galaxy phone battery case

iBlades’ Galaxy Smart Cases boast an innovative modular design, making it more than just a battery case.

Whether you have a Samsung Galaxy S21 or a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, you'll find iBlades' line of smart cases a nifty upgrade to your Android smartphone. iBlades' Galaxy Smart Cases have a modular design. So, while one of the best things about them is that you can attach the brand's 3,600 mAh battery pack (called Turbo 3 SmartBlade) to extend your phone's daily longevity, you can also expand its storage with the included micro SD slot. Furthermore, it comes with a 4-in-1 EnviroSensor inside that allows you to check air quality wherever you are.

It's worth noting that the battery pack itself is a separate unit from the case. However, not only does it come bundled with the case — alongside a microSD card — but it is also designed to attach to the case so you can make the case as thin as can be when you don't need the extra juice then simply snap the battery on when you do. And, it will give you more than 6 hours of browsing or more than 10 hours of talk time. Need more than that? You can get another slim battery pack that you can store in any pocket. The idea is that even though you are technically packing an extra battery, having it securely attached to your phone allows you to still have a single device when it's doing its thing.

Shop the iBlades Galaxy Smart Case for different phone types at iBlades

The best high-capacity battery case

Those with more robust battery life needs should go for ZeroLemon’s 10,000mAh battery case options. — Those with more robust battery life needs should go for ZeroLemon's 10,000mAh battery case options.

If a heftier battery solution is what you need, then ZeroLemon has found a way to give you that without forcing you to carry a battery pack separately. As long as you're willing to lug around a thicker smartphone — more or less an inch thick. The cases themselves come in two versions: a rugged one and one that supports wireless charging.

These battery cases include a power bank that sits right between your phone and the back of the case, allowing you to carry two devices in one single unit for convenience. And, the power banks themselves offer a whopping 10,000mAh of power (there are 8,000mAh and 5,000mAh options, too) which translates to more than double battery life for some phones. Should you find yourself out in the field or out in the middle of nowhere, you'd be well served by one of these battery cases. The best part? The whole thing costs less than $75!

Shop the ZeroLemon Battery for different phone types at ZeroLemon and Amazon

Best slim battery case

Nueby’s slimline ReCharge Charging Case gets our vote for the most elegant battery case. — Nueby's slimline ReCharge Charging Case gets our vote for the most elegant battery case.

While most of the battery cases out there either look big and bulky or homogeneous, Nueby takes on a slim and sexy approach with its ReCharge battery case. The beauty of ReCharge is simply that it's beautiful, with glossy accents on an albeit robust case that's both shockproof and dirt-resistant, keeping your phone protected. The way it's designed makes it easy for users to slip their phone in and out as well.

Depending on your iPhone, you'll get up to two charges from the built-in battery pack – impressive considering how sleek and slim it is. That's not all: it also has temperature protection, so that its battery inside stays cool even when it's scorching outside, as well as over-discharge protection. For something that's less than $50, you're certainly getting a lot of bang for your buck.

Shop the Nueby ReCharge Charging Case for different phone types at Nueby

What we look forward to testing

We are looking to test more cases that cover the broader range of mid-range and high-end Android phones available, especially in categories such as slim cases for Android phones. Also, we're looking to expand our testing of battery cases available for the latest Samsung phones.

Michelle Rae Uy

Michelle Rae Uy is a Los Angeles freelance tech, gadgets and travel writer covering everything from computing to the latest in green commutes to the best hiking trails. She currently contributes for TechRadar, T3, IGN and Thrillist, as well as Insider. When not testing cool gadgets, she spends her time gallivanting around the world and cuddling with her cats. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.