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After its debut in the iPhone 12 models, Apple carried over its MagSafe charging system to the iPhone 13 series and we expect it will be integrated into all iPhones moving forward, hopefully some improvements along the way. Since the system relies on simple magnets that attach directly to the phone (or a MagSafe-enabled case), a variety of official and third-party MagSafe accessories have hit the market, some more useful than others.
With so many MagSafe accessories out there — and even more on the way — we thought it would be a good idea to round up the best ones we’ve encountered. Some, as we said, are official Apple-licensed products while others aren’t. The main difference is that accessories that aren’t Apple certified won’t be able to charge at the highest speeds (up to 15W). But in a lot of cases, the lack of certification isn’t a factor in how well the product performs, though some non Apple-certified MagSafe-compatible accessories sometimes lack strong enough magnets.
Here’s a look at our current favorite MagSafe accessories. Note that I’ve personally, if anecdotally, used all of the products listed below. Again, the unofficial MagSafe device offerings are fine if you’re not concerned with charging speed (such as if you’re charging overnight). We’ll update this list as we discover new top accessories.
Read more: Best MagSafe and magnetic wireless chargers for Apple iPhone 13
Magnetic wireless battery chargers
David Carnoy/CNET
You don’t want your phone to go dead on the mountain so it’s always good to pack and battery pack.
MyCharge calls its new line of magnetic power banks Superhero MagLock, implying that they’re real saviors. I was impressed by their design. Not only do the batteries, which come in various capacities, have strong magnets and stick really well to the back of your iPhone 12 or 13, but they have raised coils, which are supposed to help with reducing heat levels while charging. It does seem to work.
The 3,000-mAh battery is lightweight and slim and is nice to have around for some emergency charging. However, it won’t get you a full charge, so you’ll probably want to step up to one of the higher-capacity options like the 6,000-mAh model that retails for $60 but is currently being discounted to $40. The 9,000-mAh version is beefy and feels like your phone is attached to a small brick (the battery and phone do fit in your hand nicely but the combo certainly isn’t pocket friendly).
All the MagLock batteries charge Qi-enabled iPhones at 5 watts, although you can get faster charging if you go wired and use a USB-C to Lightning cable. I also liked how there’s a chime when the charging starts and your phone tells you how much juice is left in the battery pack (it’s tied into iOS15). You can wirelessly charge Android devices as well but the MagLock won’t stick unless you have a metal ring on back of your phone’s case (stick-on rings are available for sale).
The SuperHero MagLock is available in a few color options and has a nice glossy finish. It currently is the best-designed magnetic power bank — better even than Apple’s.
David Carnoy/CNET
What’s cool about Anker 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.
It charges via USB-C and if you use a USB-C to Lighting to charge your iPhone, it will charge at a faster rate of 12 watts. That’s not as fast as what a 20-watt USB-C power adapter can deliver, but it’s faster than 7.5 watts.
David Carnoy/CNET
Mophie’s magnetic power bank is similar to Anker’s but is slightly slimmer and doesn’t have an integrated flap that converts into stand. Like the Anker, this 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 5,000-mAh battery. It can also be used with other phones that support wireless charging as it comes with a stick-on magnet.
Wireless charging speeds are limited to 7.5W for iPhones but if you need a faster charge, you can connect a USB-C to Lightning cable to bump the speed up to 12W. This has enough juice to fully charge an iPhone 13 or 13 Pro once but it’ll fall a little short of a full charge with an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Magnetic folding stands/wallets
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Clckr makes iPhone cases integrated with its signature Stand and Grip but they aren’t MagSafe compatible. However, the Clckr Stand & Grip is — it adheres directly to your iPhone or a MagSafe-enabled case.
It’s one of the best MagSafe stands out there, allowing you to prop your phone up vertically or horizontally. And, as it same implies, the stand also converts into a ring-like grip so you can hold your iPhone more ergonomically. It has strong magnets and adheres well to your phone or case.
David Carnoy/CNET
The accessory from Moft not only acts as a magnetic wallet that adheres to the back of your MagSafe-enabled iPhone (or case), but it converts into a stand that can be used to prop up your phone horizontally or vertically. The wallet fits a couple of credit cards (you can stretch it a bit to get three in there) and the accessory has a fairly strong magnet so it stays on your phone pretty well.
I’m showing it in light blue but it’s available in several colors. You can also buy this as a bundle for $60 with Moft’s MagSafe case, which is a nice case.
David Carnoy/CNET
The Anker 610 Magnetic Phone Grip is one of the more affordable MagSafe accessories. It has a strong magnet and you can use the retractable ring to hold your phone securely in your hand or as a kickstand. It allows you to prop up your phone horizontally but not vertically. Some other MagSafe stands do both.
Amazon
If you’re PopSockets fan, you have a couple of MagSafe options. There’s the more standard PopGrip ($30) and the PopWallet+ for MagSafe ($40), which combines a magnetic wallet that stores a few credit cards and a PopGrip that gives you a grip and kickstand option.
Moft
Available in multiple color options, this simple, lightweight flip-out kickstand has a strong magnet and takes up minimal space on the back of your phone (it works better for propping your phone up horizontally).
Apple/Screenshot by CNET
Apple’s official MagSafe Wallet is more expensive than a lot of third-party magnetic wallets, but the one thing it has that the other ones don’t is compatibility with Apple’s Find My network. But don’t expect to track it down like an AirTag: It really just signals if and when it becomes detached. It’s available in 5 color options.
Magnetic charging stands
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The Anker 637 Magnetic Desktop Charging Station has a magnetic charging pad on one side and seven charging ports on the back: two USB-C, two USB-A and three standard AC outlets. The USB-C ports deliver up to a 65-watt charge when charging one device — or 45-watt and 20-watt if charging two devices simultaneously. So yes, you can use it to charge most laptops that charge via USB-C.
For MagSafe-enabled iPhones, the wireless charging pad charges at 7.5 watts. You can only charge Android phones if you stick a metal ring accessory (sold separately) on the back of your device — and place it in the right spot.
Jared DiPane/CNET
Anker’s 633 2-in-1 MagGo Charging Stand has more components than you might think at first glance. Not only is it a charging stand that also has a spot to charge your AirPods (or any earbuds with a wireless charging case and even a second phone), but wireless charging pad is actually a 5,000-mAh portable battery, which is why I put it in the wireless battery section.
Since this isn’t an Apple blessed MagSafe charger, it only charges at up to 7.5 watts (not 15). It comes in black, white or light blue.
Read our first take of Anker 633 2-in-1 MagGo Charging Stand.
David Carnoy/CNET
The 3-in-1 Boost Charge Pro Portable Wireless Charging Pad with MagSafe is an Apple-certified MagSafe accessory so it offers fast wireless charging (15-watt) for your MagSafe-enabled iPhone as well the Apple Watch 7.
It includes a 40-watt adapter and I charged an iPhone 13 Pro, the AirPods third-generation and Watch Series 7 at the same time. Like the Boost Charge Watch fast-charger, the adjustable Watch module accommodates any Apple Watch case size in either flat or in nightstand mode. You can also charge a second phone on the AirPods slot, but you don’t get fast-charging there — it only offers 5-watt charging.
The 3-in-1 Boost Charge Pro Portable Wireless Charging Pad with MagSafe is certainly a nice charging station for Apple devices. It has a sleek, elegant design, with a nice soft-to-the-touch silicone finish. My only gripe is that finish is a dust magnet and I had to wipe it down with an alcohol towelette to remove any dust particles before I photographed it. The black shows more dust so I’d recommend getting the white version (of both chargers) rather than the black.
Read our first take of Belkin Boost Pro 3-in-1 Charging Pad with MagSafe.
Magnetic car mounts and chargers
iOttie
iOttie has released a nice MagSafe-compatible wireless car charger with a car vent mount. It has a strong magnet, so your iPhone stays on the mount, and it also has an integrated USB-C cable and cigarette-lighter power adapter so you’re ready to start charging out of the box. Note that iPhone “fast” charging caps out at 7.5 watts.
Amazon
Spigen’s OneTap magnetic car mount comes in a few different versions, including an air vent and dashboard versions. It features feature a telescopic arm and fairly strong magnet. However, it’s not quite as strong as the the one in Belkin’s car mount (see below). While it’s quite affordable at less than $25 (there’s currently an instant 30% off coupon), but no cigarette lighter power adapter is included (a USB-C cable is, however). Like the iOttie, iPhone “fast” charging caps out at 7.5 watts.
Belkin
Belkin’s Car Vent Mount Pro with MagSafe technically isn’t a charger. It’s just a certified MagSafe vent mount. Belkin also has a wireless charging version of this (it costs $40 without the car charger, $60 with it), but you’d have to connect a cable to it anyway for charging. The advantage of a wireless version would be that unlike with this vent mount, you wouldn’t have to plug a cable into your phone every time you want to charge it (I have a USB-C-to-LIghtning cable set up in the car for fast charging, but I don’t love the extra step of having to plug in the cable each time I want to charge the phone).
All that said, what sets this Belkin apart from other generic, non MagSafe-certified mounts that look similar (and some even offer wireless charging), is that the Belkin has a very strong magnet while many of these other vent mounts don’t. If you have a MagSafe case on your phone (or just a naked newer iPhone model), the phone really sticks to the mount. The clip also keeps the mount securely in your vent and you can rotate the mount from portrait to landscape mode as needed.
Magnetic photo and video accessories
David Carnoy/CNET
Joby makes bendable tripods for cameras and smartphones and its products are a staple of vloggers and other content creators. Sometimes it’s a little cumbersome to get your phone out of their clamping mounts, which is what’s appealing about the company’s new MagSafe options. You can simply stick your phone to the mount; it adheres magnetically.
My iPhone 13 Pro stuck pretty securely to the GripTight mount. I was testing it with an Otterbox MagSafe-enabled case, so I wasn’t really worried about the phone getting jostled and falling off the mount. But if you want a more secure fit, you have the option of using the “hybrid” clamp to really lock your phone onto the mount. The clamp works in both vertical and horizontal modes and when you’re going the magnetic route only, you can easily swivel your phone into a horizontal or vertical position.
Joby is currently selling three GripTight for MagSafe accessories. There’s a simple wall-mount option, a GripTight Mount for MagSafe that can be added to any GorillaPod (or tripod for that matter), as well as a bundle that includes a GorillaPod and GripTight Mount (arms for the GorillaPod are sold separately). All three new MagSafe options are also compatible with Joby’s Wavo Mobile, Beamo Mini and RangePod accessories.
Amazon
Belkin’s Magnetic Phone Mount with Face Tracking is designed for folks who who shoot their own selfie videos for TikTok, Instagram and other social media platforms with a MagSafe-enabled iPhone (the device has a companion iOS app but not an Android app). There are competing products out there like the Pivo Pod Lite ($80), but this is MagSafe-enabled so all you have to do is stick your phone on the mount (you can simply turn your phone to place it in landscape or portrait mode). The pedestal automatically turns as your phone follows your face while you’re shooting yourself.
To be clear, this is not for FaceTime or WhatsApp or WeChat video calls. It doesn’t have to be plugged so it’s easy to move around the room and place wherever you want. However, it’s not equipped with rechargeable batteries. It’s powered by three AA batteries that do give the pedestal some added weight for stability.
Amazon
Moment makes a few different photography-oriented MagSafe accessories, including a couple of tripod mounts. The Pro Tripod Mount You can choose to just use the magnets or lock your phone in for added security. This may not work as well with the larger Max models but the standard iPhone 13 and 13 Pro are lighter and are less likely to become detached (magnets are only so strong).
Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying MagSafe-related accessories, particularly so-called MagSafe charging products:
- A true MagSafe wireless charger will get you the potential for the fastest wireless charging rate (up to 15 watts instead 7.5 watts or 10 watts that some chargers deliver) on iPhones.
- Official MagSafe products — those blessed by Apple — include a Made for MagSafe badge on the box. However, plenty of other manufacturers have created magnetic wireless chargers that look and feel like MagSafe accessories. These MagSafe technology copycat devices are also far more affordable than the official MagSafe offerings, but here’s the catch: they offer less powerful charging (limited to 7.5 watts). We’ve included these non-official products in this list, but know that they’ll charge only half as fast (for iPhones), even if they are capable of wirelessly charging certain Android smartphones at up to 15 watts (those that support 15-watt fast wireless charging).
- To get that maximum power, you’ll need a 20 watts USB-C PD charger — ideally one that is Power Delivery 3.0-certified. (The iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 13 Mini include a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box, but not the charger.) Some companies offer bundles that include a MagSafe wireless charging puck with a USB-C power adapter while others, like Apple, sell the puck and power adapter separately.
- Most of the MagSafe chargers (aftermarket and MagSafe-certified) will charge other Qi-compatible devices, like select older iPhones and Android phones. You just won’t get the magnetic adhesion.
- If you need to also get a charger, our list of best USB-C chargers has plenty of options. That will, of course, work for wired charging, too — which will always be faster than MagSafe or other wireless charging options.
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