How to Never Plug Your Phone to a Wall Again
Why Having Two Battery Cases May Solve All Your Power Needs
Since the dawn of civilization, which is when the first iPhone was released, man has always been hunched back, phone charging cable in hand, searching for that AC power plug that can juice up your phone again. Connecting it to the charger, watching that sexy charging symbol appear on the screen, it’s like that first swallow of water after you crossed the desert.
But alas, it is not to last. Minutes after hooking up your phone, you’ll notice you cannot go anywhere. You can’t leave your phone unattended at a coffee shop to go to the bathroom! You can’t leave it next to the wall at the airport and jump on a plane! You have to sit there for a good hour or so like a good boy or girl, watching that battery level slowly move up. Sometimes I think when it knows we’re watching, it gets extra slow… like that diva you dated back in high school who would become extra diva-ish (divish? dish?... I digress) knowing you were paying attention. Suddenly you start hating your phone, your charger cable, your wall charger, all of it! To hell with Snapping at the airport or gramming that delicious dish. Damn technology and everything that has to do with it!
So are we without options? Do we just HAVE to sit there next to the wall each time? There are other options, but not all are ideal.
You COULD use a battery pack (also known as a power bank). These are bulky bricks with batteries inside and usually 1 or more USB outlets you can plug into so you can charge your phone on the go. It helps not having to sit by a wall, but the resulting product is bulky and hard to move around. You have a phone (most people also have a case on), with a cable, tied to a brick, in your pocket or hand. Imagine walking around with that. Phones are getting bigger and bigger each year, so having a big phone and a bigger battery in hand while being on the go is not an easy feat.
You COULD use a case with a built-in solar panel so that it’s not too bulky, but still you have the problem of having to sit in bright light. What if the sun is not on your side of the car, train, or airplane? What if you’re traveling at night? And solar charging is usually slower anyway.
In my experience, the best option is usually using a phone battery case, also known as a phone charging case, phone charger case, or any other way people call it. I once heard a customer call it a “cover charger”... Sounds to me like the guy at the dance club charging people to get in! Anyway... these are cases that have a built-in battery, while the case is shaped to fit your phone snugly so the battery and the phone become one and you don’t have to carry around 2 bulky items. I like this solution MUCH more than the first option. I do not have patience for power banks and refuse to carry them around unless I have a bag. However, I still don’t like my giant iPhone 13 Pro Max becoming even bigger because the case has an extra battery in it. So what to do? I bought myself a suitable slim case, while the battery case is close by (in my backpack, nightstand, car, etc. etc.) so I can slip it on if and when I need a charge, taking it off once charging is done.
Using this method, I NEVER have to worry about making sure to have a wall plug next to me, or whether my charging cord is long enough to allow for convenient use of my phone. At night, my battery case is on my phone and charging it while I browse online. In the morning, I take it off and bring it with me to work so it can get charged while I’m working away. I don’t have to worry about being next to it all the time, because it’s not a $1500 gadget. So I can put it on its short little charging cable next to a wall while I carry my phone around from meeting to meeting, in its slim case.
If I anticipate being away from power for longer, such as while traveling on a long flight, while camping, etc, then I take two battery cases with me. For example on a long flight, I use one battery case to charge my phone during the flight, then when I get to my destination or hotel, my phone is charged up and good to go. I put the used up battery case back in my backpack/suitcase and put my slim case back on for my day’s adventures. At night, I put the second battery case on my phone to charge, connecting the first one to a wall to charge it back up. Now I don’t have to worry about a cable going to my phone, an AC or USB plug being available next to my bedside, etc.
In the morning, I take off my phone from the battery case and put it back into the slim case so I can easily take it around with me. I take with me the battery case that was charged overnight, plugging the other one that was charging my phone all night into the wall to charge. This way I never have to be next to a wall, and I always have power to charge my phone. While my phone is being charged, it’s slightly thicker but not big enough to cause major inconvenience or nuisance, and once it’s done charging, it’s back to its normal slim profile again.
On a longer journey or adventure where I don’t have access to a wall plug (such as camping), I plan on what I personally call battery stacking. This is basically planning for your basic charges during the day (such as taking two battery cases), while also packing battery packs of various sizes so you can charge up your daily backups as needed. For example, on a recent 5-day camping trip in Yosemite in early September, I took with me my basic 2 battery cases, plus a 20,000 mAh battery pack with 2 USB outlets, plus a 400Wh Power Station with 2 AC plugs, 2 USB plugs, and a 12W car power outlet built into it. I used the 20,000 mAh battery pack to charge the battery cases, and the Power Station to charge the battery pack and power other camping equipment such as lights, pumps, etc.
You can check out the full line of our iPhone Battery Cases and Samsung Galaxy Battery Cases on our website, and let us know if you have any questions about your power management strategies.
Let us know the genius ways YOU have come up with to charge up on the go.
Things to note: Never leave a battery case in a hot car, in direct sunlight, or expose it to excessive heat/cold/moisture/drops. When planning to charge a battery, plan accordingly so you are present throughout the charging session. Discontinue charging and use if you see any adverse events such as overheating, smoke, or fire. Take the battery case to a safe place, away from fuel or sources that can burn.