The ultra-portable Belkin Boostcharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank with Qi2 ain't cheap, but its versatility won me over anyway

Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Power Bank with Qi2: Two-minute review

The 15W Belkin BoostCharge Pro Magnetic Power Bank with Qi2 (10K) has a long name, but writing out its title might be the only challenging part of using it. Easily pairing with my iPhone 15, it instantly felt like a high-end accessory, snapping onto the back with a satisfying click and staying firmly in place.

I’ve been testing the white model (it also comes in black in the US and Australia, and many other colors in the UK) for the past few weeks and I really like the smooth, slightly soft finish and sleek minimalist design. It magnetically latches securely onto any Qi2-compliant phone or MagSafe iPhone without leaving any scratches. When holding the phone in awkward or unusual positions, I did find it can slide a little (or if you give it a deliberate push), but in my day-to-day use it's stuck very firmly in place.

My favorite thing about the power bank is how easy it makes it to use your phone while charging it. It makes charging-and-using your phone more convenient and comfortable than using a wired cord, making it ideal for content creators or anyone needing a quick power boost on the go. Its compact, lightweight design means your phone remains easy to hold and use, even for smaller hands. Plus, since it sits comfortably under the camera bump on iPhones (and most other phones), you can take photos or shoot video as you normally would.

I also appreciated its built-in kickstand and the versatility it provided. It's sturdy enough that I never felt like I had to worry about its stability (even when using larger, heavier phones like the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL) and I liked that it stays hidden away until you need it. It was especially handy for propping up my phone in both portrait and landscape orientations when watching video, which also makes it a great bedside wireless charger – effectively transforming iPhones into smart display thanks to Apple's StandBy mode.

As the name of the power bank suggests, its standout feature is the Qi2 MagSafe charging. Since most Apple phones since the iPhone 12 offer MagSafe (or Qi2) charging, it's widely compatible with Apple devices. Conversely, built-in magnets are much rarer on Android devices (even flagship models), so this power bank is decidedly one that's best suited to iPhone owners. Although the power bank can technically function as a regular wireless charger without the phone needing its own magnets, its ability to attach magnetically is a big part of why the premium price tag ($99.99 / £79.99 / AU$129.95) is justified.

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When charging wirelessly, the power bank has two speeds. It uses 7.5W charging when used as a standalone power bank, but that output is upped to 15W when it’s plugged in to mains power and you're, for example, using it as a charging stand.

While fast charging speeds are all the craze these days, with many flagship devices offering up 125W speeds with a wired connection, in practice I found the 15W wireless charging plenty fast. When your phone is idle during charging, you can expect about a 10% battery gain in the first five minutes. While charging slows as it progresses, I was able to fully charge my iPhone 15 from about 20% to full in just over an hour. Though keep in mind that, even when plugged in, the Belkin does slow to 7.5W if it's charging two devices simultaneously (one wireless, one wired).

When plugged into a wall outlet you can use it in passthrough mode, and it delivers the full 15W wireless charging speed more consistently, and recharges both the phone and itself.

In real-world use, I found the 10,000mAh capacity incredibly useful with my iPhone 15 (which has a roughly 3,349 mAh battery), as it could provide just under three full recharges. This will obviously vary depending on your phone, but iPhones often have smaller battery capacities than the best Android handsets, with even the monster iPhone 16 Pro Max sporting a battery capacity of around 4,685mAh.

For comparison, a 5,000mAh capacity is about the expected size for even mid-range Android phones. For devices of that capacity or more, this power bank would only provide two or fewer recharges, meaning you'd need to be more careful about keeping it charged to ensure it's ready when you need it.

Luckily, it's easy to see the bank's current battery level. A button on the side activates four LEDs, clearly showing the remaining battery level (25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%). Recharging the Belkin from empty using a 20W wall charger typically takes about 2.5 to 3 hours. The unit does get warm during prolonged wireless charging, especially if using your phone at the same time, but it was never uncomfortably hot.

While it won't offer multiple full recharges for larger, power-hungry devices, its true value lies in its effortless 15W magnetic charging convenience – making it a great pick if you own an iPhone 12 or newer and value the ability to continue using your device on the go even when it's low on battery.

However, if you need a large-capacity power bank for several full charges, or are looking for a more budget-friendly option without magnetic or wireless charging, other devices might be a better fit.

This particular family of Belkin power banks is also available in 5,000mAh and 8,000mAh variants, costing $59.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.95 and $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$109.95 respectively.

Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Power Bank with Qi2 review: Capacity and output testing capacity

For capacity and output testing, I handed off the Belkin BoostCharge to my colleague, who put it through some deeper benchmarks. Wireless charging efficiency depends on the device being charged, but generally it was excellent. For wired phone charging, we were able to get 30Wh (out of 37Wh), which is around 81% – a reasonable but not standout efficiency.

The power bank is rated for 20W output at 9V (used when charging devices like phones) and could supply this, but not for sustained periods. In testing, it could only maintain 20W (9V 2A) wired charging for 15Wh (about 50% of its capacity) before dropping to a slower 5V/10W output.

Charging the power bank took 32Wh, which is less than the 37Wh rated capacity. This suggests Belkin has opted for a conservative approach to cell management, not making the full rated capacity available to the user. While this doesn't change that it charges phones and other devices just fine, it’s still a slightly underwhelming result considering the premium price.

Belkin BoostCharge Magnetic Power Bank with Qi2 review: price & specs

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