Best iPhone accessories
From cases to bags and chargers, the right accessories can take your iPhone experience to the next level. Simon Jary reports
Whether you’ve recently bought your first iPhone or are a veteran of Apple’s smartphone world, you might not be aware of how many excellent accessories are available to make your experience even better. From iPhone cases and wireless battery chargers to Bluetooth trackers and cleaning kits, there’s something for everyone. But, with so much to choose from, where do you start? Here’s our guide to the best accessories for your iPhone.
CASES
If you don’t own an iPhone case, then your smartphone will be vulnerable to knocks, drops and scrapes. And if you already own one, slipping on a new case can transform an old iPhone into something that feels brand new again. Here are our favourites.
Price: £47 from fave.co/3uLww1g Pros: Iconic city choices; robust protection
We love this nostalgic series of iPhone cases (iPhone 15 family only, sadly) that are styled with aerial maps of famous cities such as New York, London, Paris and Tokyo, They feature OtterBox’s usual drop protection and grippy edges, so they are not just for show but offer robust protection. OtterBox’s Lumen range of iPhone cases features different designs for owners of older iPhones, and is well worth checking out.
Price: £31 from fave.co/42TYrJ5 Pros: Nice woven kevlar design; extremely protective but slim; MagSafe compatible
Many protective iPhone cases are big bulky things, but the Benks ArmorPro
is deceptively slim, with metal buttons and a tough drop-resistant exterior.
POWER BANKS
Hands up if your iPhone has never run out of juice during the day when you are far from a convenient power socket. Yeah, right. Apple used to make a special Smart Battery Case for the iPhone but stopped selling these when it added MagSafe magnetic wireless charging to the iPhone 12 and later. It then sold its own MagSafe Battery Case but stopped making these when it launched the iPhone 15. But fear not, as there are some great MagSafe power banks out there that clamp onto the back of your iPhone (12/13/14/15) and can recharge the phone for long enough that you can reach a power source.
3. Baseus Magnetic Power Bank
Price: £54 from fave.co/42SDnCC Pros: Huge 10,000mAh battery capacity; built-in USB-C cable; 7.5-watt wireless or 30-watt wired charging
This iPhone power bank uses MagSafe to magnetically stick to the back of your iPhone when you need a power boost. In our tests, it recharged an iPhone twice over with its 10,000mAh battery capacity. Better still, it features its own builtin USB-C cable for charging up the battery pack or wired-charging the iPhone 15 family that has a USB-C port rather than Lightning. Using the cable rather than MagSafe will charge an iPhone 15 at an impressive 30 watts. MagSafe wireless charging is slower at 7.5 watts, but it will still rescue a fading iPhone 12 or later – or you can supply your own Lightning cable (or USB-C for iPhone 15 users) and connect with a wire.
4. Anker Nano Power Bank
Price: £45 from fave.co/49u7nXY Pros: Huge 10,000mAh battery capacity; built-in USB-C cable; 30-watt wired charging; colour choices
Similar in charging power to the Baseus Magnetic power bank – 30 watts via the built-in USB-C cable for the iPhone 15 family – but without the wireless charging function. Users of iPhones earlier than the iPhone 15 will need to supply a Lightning cable. What it does boast over the Baseus is its battery-life percentage LED screen so you know how much juice the power bank has left in it before you head out. Available in black, white, green, and blue colour options.
5. Belkin BoostCharge Power Bank 5K + Stand
Price: £44 from fave.co/49qHCYM Pros: Built-in stand; 7.5-watt wireless or 10-watt wired; colour choices
This MagSafe power bank charged our nearly drained iPhone to close on a full extra power refill. It also doubles up as a handy kickstand so you can watch a movie while your iPhone is recharging. It is available in pink, purple, black or white.
USB-C CHARGERS
A simple charger sounds like a boring present but we think any iPhone users would be delighted to receive one of these beauties now that Apple no longer includes one in the box with
new iPhones. And which iPhone users couldn’t do with at least one more spare charger at home or in the office – or a special one for travel?
An iPhone charger should be rated at least 20 watts, and we’d recommend 30 watts or better as newer iPhones can accept higher wattages than even Apple admits. A 30-watt charger can handle an iPad Pro and has just enough to power up even a 13-inch MacBook Air.
6. Anker 30-watt Nano Charger
Price: £19 from fave.co/49uZ9io Pros: Smallest, lightest 30-watt charger; foldable plug; multiple colour options
Measuring just 49x49x32mm, the 30-watt Nano Charger is the smallest 30-watt USB-C charger we’ve had in our labs for testing, and it weighs just 72.6g. It’s available in a range of pastel colours, including Misty Blue, Lilac Purple, Phantom Black, Aurora White and Natural Green.
7. Ugreen Nexode 30-watt USB-C GaN charger
Price: £13 from fave.co/3wrWGqu Pros: Small, light 30-watt charger; foldable plug
The tiny Ugreen Nexode 30-watt GaN Charger is slightly larger than the Anker Nano, but the difference is barely noticeable. It also features foldable prongs. Choosing between this charger and the Anker Nano might come down to colour choice and price. We can heartily recommend both.
MAGSAFE CHARGERS
While charging using a USB-C cable (USB-C to Lightning for older iPhones, and USB-C to USB-C for the iPhone 15 family) from your charger is the fastest way to charge an iPhone, more convenient is wireless charging. Since the iPhone 12, wireless charging has become more efficient and therefore faster with Apple’s MagSafe technology that magnetically clamps the iPhone more securely to the wireless charger.
You can buy a simple USB-C to MagSafe charging pad, like Apple’s MagSafe Charger (£45 from fave. co/49tPw3m) or a third-party alternative, or a multi-device charger that includes a MagSafe charger for iPhone plus a charger for AirPods or Apple Watch.
8. Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe
Price: £149 from fave.co/3OYch7z Pros: 3-in-1 charging; 15 watts (MagSafe); fast charge Apple Watch; adjustable pad
If the person you are buying for owns an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, then a 3-in-1 charging station will tidy a desk or bedside table of cable clutter and keep everything nicely in place. The Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe is the best of the bunch, with a small footprint, certified fast iPhone and Watch charging plus a Qi charger for AirPods. The MagSafe charging pad is adjustable unlike most of its rivals.
If you prefer a 3-in-1 charging stand in white, consider instead the similarly priced and featured OtterBox 3-in-1 Charging Station.
9. Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe
Price: £149 from fave.co/3IaXtPd Pros: Compact 3-in-1 charging; 15 watts (MagSafe); fast charge Watch
A more compact 3-in-1 charger is Anker’s Cube, which can wirelessly
charge your iPhone and Apple Watch as fast as Apple allows, plus power up your AirPods at the same time. It’s also so small that you won’t use up too much wrapping paper.
LIGHTNING AND USB-C CABLES
If you thought that chargers might be a boring gift, I hope we’ve persuaded you otherwise. But how would you feel unwrapping a charging cable? I’d be delighted as you can’t own enough charging cables, can you? They are always handy. Sure, it’s not a pony or a new TV but it’s easier to wrap.
Older iPhones will need a USB-C to Lightning cable. Pair one of these with a USB-C charger, for the fastest charging. An older USB-A to Lightning cable doesn’t support iPhone fast charging. The iPhone 15 family now has a USB-C rather than Lightning port so you can use the same cable as you have for your MacBook.
10. Casetify PowerThru USB-C to USB-C Cable
Price: £41 from fave.co/3SVp77P Pros: Colour options; robust braided design with rounded head
No wrapping paper is going to look as good as this gift when unwrapped. It’s cute, it’s tough, and it is available in a range of super colours. It can charge up to 60 watts, which is more than enough for iPhone charging so could also be used for your USB-C iPad or MacBook.
11. Anker 643 USB-C to USB-C Cable
Price: £15 from fave.co/42UXikj Pros: Colour options; tough but flexible silicone
Another range of colourful USB-C cables is available from Anker. These are also tough and ready to charge anything from an iPhone 15 to a MacBook Pro.
BEST OF THE REST 12. Pureport Multi-Tool Phone Cleaning Kit
Price: £35 from fave.co/3OV3SSh Pros: Cleans fluff from iPhone charging port; cleans cable connectors
If your iPhone stops charging via its cable, it’s understandable to think it’s old and broken and you’ll have to rely on wireless charging or just buy a new one. What is more likely the reason that your wired charging isn’t working is a dirty charging port or duff cable. Stick your iPhone in your pocket and it inevitably attracts dust, fluff, and lint. Clear out the port (gently) and cablebased wired charging should return. This iPhone cleaning kit has more than you need to keep your iPhone and cables clean, and is available for iPhones with Lightning ports (any iPhone before the 15) and for iPhones (from 15) and iPads with a USB-C port.
Quick tip: if you need to clear out the accumulated fluff from your iPhone’s port you can use a small wooden cocktail stick with utmost gentleness. But a cocktail stick does not make much of a gift, does it? And this cleaning kit offers a whole lot more.
13. Belkin AirPods Cleaning Kit
Price: £14 from fave.co/3UUaPGV Pros: Removes dirt and earwax
Belkin’s AirPods Cleaning Kit is a safer way to clean your AirPods than soap and a cotton bud. There’s no nice way of saying it but AirPods can get messy – that is yellow and waxy after spending time in your ears for a few hours. Follow the gentle cleaning process to safely remove dirt and earwax from your AirPods.
14. Apple AirTag
Price: £35 from fave.co/3iww2DT Pros: Easy to set up and track with Find My; replaceable battery
Apple’s AirTag is a great Bluetooth tracker that is easy to use and syncs wonderfully with the iPhone’s Find My app. You can buy just one or a pack of four. You can add it to a keyring or other accessory. If you want a tracker for your wallet or something that requires a flatter tracker, we like the Chipolo Card Spot.
15. Joby GorillaPod 1K GripTight Mount PRO Kit
Price: £50 from fave.co/3T9ylP1 Pros: Keeps iPhone stable for photos and videos; hold it or wrap it
As good as image stabilization gets, you can’t beat resting your camera in a stable place for taking the best photos and videos. The GorillaPod phone tripod’s articulated legs wrap around to bars, rails, branches and many static objects. It rotates to portrait or landscape for photos or vertical video and with 90-degree of rotation and 150 degrees of tilt.
16. Tripped Travel Gear Tech Bag Organizer
Price: £40 from fave.co/49RLiTf Pros: Multiple compartments; colour choices
Available in a range of colours, the Tripped Tech Traveller is a premium, medium-sized tech bag that’s as happy next to your desk or in your tent as it is in your suitcase or backpack. It boasts multiple compartments and is tough enough for travel – made from tough 900D Polyester with weatherproof YKK zippers, soft protective padding, and a leather handle and zipper pulls. There are two internal pockets (one mesh so you can see what’s inside) for extra security for your most valuable kit, such as SD cards or a mini SSD. One external side pocket is big enough for your phone or whatever else you need
fast access to. In the centre, there are nine different-sized, divided, tight pockets for cables and small devices.
17. Bellroy Tech Kit
Price: £49 from fave.co/3SOTsot Pros: Colour choices; tough shell
We also love this tech case that is very well organized and will open flat so you can easily see all your cables and gadgets at a glance. If you know a friend who carries a lot of gear with their iPhone, there’s no better gift.