Best Qi Wireless Charging Power Banks Android Central 2019

Wireless PowerShare is a cool gimmick on stage for devices like the Galaxy S10, but in practicality, you're sacrificing your phone's battery to recharge your headphones, smartwatch, or another phone. It's far, far easier to just buy a power bank that supports Qi wireless charging for all of your accessories and Qi-enabled phones, and while Qi power banks aren't quite as popular as traditional power banks, there is still a good variety to choose from right now.

Fast wireless charging: Hokonui 10000mAh 10W Fast Qi Wireless Power Bank

Staff pick

This sleek-looking 10,000mAh power bank from Hokonui is roughly phone-sized, making it easy to slip in your pocket and get going. It also supports 18W Power Delivery charging through the USB-C port for input and output, as well as sporting a QC 3.0 USB-A port.

$34 at Amazon

Name brand pack: Mophie Powerstation Wireless External Battery Charger

Also great

Mophie is known for its battery cases, but it's also recognized the value of a battery booster that you don't have to keep stuck to your phone at all times. This 10,000mAh battery gets dinged for still using Micro-USB instead of USB-C, but this name-brand battery pack will easily charge your phone wirelessly or wired.

$45 at Amazon

Fancy fabric: Moshi Porto Q 5K Portable Battery with Built-in Wireless Charger

This portable battery may only be 5,000mAh and its USB-C port may only be for input charging rather than output, but this bank is high quality and high-class, with a lovely heather grey fabric covering the front. Use it on the go or leave it plugged in as a nightstand Qi charger.

$85 at Moshi

Flexible, functional power: Omni Mobile 12800mAh and 25,600mAh

Supporting 60W USB-C Power Delivery output and 10W fast wireless charging, Omnicharge's latest generation includes two Qi-enabled models that can power phones, laptops, and every peripheral you throw at them. These chargers will be heading to Amazon later this spring, but for now, they're available on Indiegogo.

From $69 at Indiegogo

Budget pick: BONAI 12,000mAh Aluminum Slim Wireless Charger

We all know that some metallic materials can interfere with Qi charging, but don't worry, this aluminum-covered 5W model from BONAI works perfectly fine and is available in fun colors like teal and pink alongside the sensible silver. This bank charges a bit more slowly.

$26 at Amazon

Higher capacity: AIDEAZ 20,000mAh Wireless Power Bank

Wireless charging isn't the most efficient charging method, and as such having a bigger bank that will last longer is probably a good idea. This 20,000mAh bank is big enough to charge your phone several times over, wired or wirelessly, or charging a tablet or sleeping laptop with 18W Power Delivery charging.

$40 at Amazon

Wirelessly charging your phone is still worse than wired charging

Wireless charging by its very nature will lose more power to during the charging process than regular wired charging — Qi charging has a lower transfer efficiency, so more energy is lost generating the wireless charging current than would be lost through wired charging — and it will be slower than wired charging on almost any wireless charger on a power bank today. That's just how the science involved here works. That said, charging with a Qi bank rather than a wire sticking out of your pocket or tangling around your desk can be a very beneficial thing, especially on the go.

On the note of pocket charging, wireless charging generates heat, so if you intend to slap your phone on a wireless charger in your pocket you need to be mindful of that heat and its possible buildup, as well as making sure the phone stays properly aligned on your power bank instead of sliding around and charging nothing.

This is still an emerging space

We have some Qi power banks from traditional power players like Mophie's Powerstation Wireless Charger, but for the most part, you'll need to expand your horizons when looking for Qi power banks. The Hokonui has the benefit of fast wireless charging and being phone-shaped, while the Omni Mobile 12,800mAh has the 60W Power Delivery charging for recharging your laptop while your phone sits on the Qi charger.

Moshi is a smaller capacity but also a smaller, more premium look, which makes it great for travelers looking for a power bank that will draw the right kind of attention during that 4-hour boardroom meeting during your business conference.

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