Battery capacity: 5,000 mAh
Dimensions: 3” x 1” x 1”
Charging power: One full phone charge
As someone who keeps their phone at a chronically low battery level, portable chargers are the most common stocking stuffer, bonus birthday gift, and regifting fodder I receive. My own device maintenance shortcomings aside, this charger from Veger is the one that finally helped the habit stick. I appreciate how discreet and simple the design is (a bevel-edged power bank about the size of my palm with just one button to switch it on). There’s no fussing with any distracting and buzzy haptics; when you charge the bank itself, five subtle lights blink to indicate its power level. I’m also a big fan of the fact that there’s no proprietary charging cable. The bank plugs into a regular USB-C cable, so if I happen to have it on hand while I’m charging my laptop or my Switch Lite, giving it some juice is all but instinct. And since it fits snugly at the bottom of my phone when charging, I can charge on the go, slipping my phone into my jacket pocket and making my commute just as easily as I would without it.
This is a great option for a portable charger if you’re the kind of person who needs as few obstacles in the way as possible to charge your phone. The one downside is the narrow range of devices the bank works with: This charger only works for iPhones prior to the iPhone 15, but Veger has plenty of other options compatible across device types. —Kat Chen, editorial assistant, destinations
Pros: Dscreet design; one button switch
Cons: There’s only one lightning plug and it takes longer to charge devices (around two hours) than others on the list