ESR Power Bank Wallet review: The best MagSafe portable charger around

Nov 25, 2023

ESR's Power Bank Wallet is like Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack and MagSafe Wallet all rolled into one, and unsurprisingly, it's great.

Ever since Apple introduced MagSafe as a new way to connect with accessories alongside the iPhone 12, accessory-makers have been trying to find the perfect product to complement it. Apple itself tried a few different options, like the MagSafe Battery Pack and the MagSafe Wallet, but those accessories were flawed, with poor battery capacity, design, price, and build quality making them hard to recommend.

ESR, a trusted accessory maker that developed a HaloLock system compatible with all the best iPhones in 2023, has an alternative with its Power Bank Wallet. This is the best of the MagSafe-compatible portable chargers and wallets, all somehow fit into one accessory. But due to its large form factor, it's best for people that only carry one or two physical cards at a time.

About this review: This review was written after three weeks of testing a Power Bank Wallet provided by ESR. The company did not have input in this review.

The ESR Power Bank wallet is a 5,000 mAh portable charger with a built-in wallet. Plus, ESR's HaloLock system is compatible with MagSafe, so it'll connect to your iPhone cord-free. It uses USB-C for charging and can use that port to connect to other devices.

It's impossible to talk about the Power Bank Wallet without mentioning the elephants in the room: Apple's MagSafe Battery Pack and MagSafe Wallet. Before trying out the Power Bank Wallet, I used the official MagSafe Wallet for more than a year, and I actually needed to replace the wallet because the leather peeled off over time and revealed the metal underneath. Put simply, I was extremely disappointed. I never gave the company's MagSafe Battery Pack a shot since the charger's 1,460mAh battery won't even fully charge my iPhone.

ESR's option blows Apple's battery pack out of the water, with a 5,000mAh capacity, and that showed in daily use. A fully-charged Power Bank Wallet could easily charge my iPhone 14 Pro on Low Power Mode to full wirelessly. You can use the USB-C port to charge a device via a wire, but you can't charge devices wirelessly and wired at the same time. I was disappointed in the Power Bank Wallet's standby time — if I left it sit for a few days fully charged, it would have considerably less juice over time — but that shouldn't be an issue if you charge your devices nightly.

The Power Bank Wallet's HaloLock system means it'll snap onto an iPhone 12 or newer (excluding the iPhone SE), but at its core, ESR's charger is just a Qi-compatible portable charger. That means it can be used to charge other devices, like earbuds or Android phones. With the USB-C port, you can charge just about any device. Wired charging is faster, with a 12W maximum that beats the 7.5W maximum via wireless charging.

The key benefit of the ESR Power Bank Wallet is the accessory's versatility. Before trying out the Power Bank Wallet, I used three accessories: Apple's MagSafe Wallet, Anker's MagGo Battery Pack, and Belkin's iPhone Mount. Now, I can carry just the Power Bank Wallet and get all three accessories in one: a wallet, a battery pack, and a phone stand.

I wish the Power Bank Wallet could fit more than one card, so I could carry an extra card, but at least for my workflow, one credit card and driver's license is perfectly fine. Considering a thicker slot would make the Power Bank Wallet even bulkier, I can understand the design choice.

More importantly, the Power Bank Wallet's mechanism for storing and releasing cards is one of the best I've used. You can easily slide cards in through the top, and there's a window at the bottom of the slot that allows you to push cards out as needed. To access cards on Apple's MagSafe Wallet, you need to completely remove it, so I'm glad you can get your cards without detaching the Power Bank Wallet from your iPhone.

The fact that the Power Bank Wallet doubles as a stand is just a bonus, but I might've preferred a thinner version of the accessory without one. Regardless, the stand does everything you'd want, offering both horizontal and vertical positioning with a 50-degree range of adjustability. It's worth noting that the Power Bank Wallet fits perfectly on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but will look oversized on other iPhone sizes. The Power Bank Wallet extends a few millimeters longer than my iPhone 14 Pro, and it's enough to feel annoying when I'm holding both in my hand.

You should buy the ESR Power Bank Wallet if:

You shouldn't buy the ESR Power Bank Wallet if:

The Power Bank Wallet is for someone who can live with its thick form factor and will carry it daily. A power bank is only useful if it's there when you need it, so the Power Bank Wallet works best when it is your everyday wallet and portable charger. If you plan on storing this in a bag or at home, you might be better off purchasing a dedicated portable charger or stand. More importantly, if you carry more than two cards daily, the Power Bank Wallet won't fit your needs.

But if you only need two cards and want to carry a portable charger daily, the Power Bank Wallet might be the perfect solution. It's about the size of an average bifold wallet, so it won't feel out of place in your pocket. Plus, you get the added benefits of a kickstand and a robust battery pack. It retails for $66, which is a fair price for the accessory since it performs three functions and is made out of high-quality materials. ESR's Power Bank Wallet is definitely one of the best MagSafe accessories out there, and buyers won't be disappointed.

The ESR Power Bank wallet is a 5,000 mAh portable charger with a built-in wallet. Plus, ESR's HaloLock system is compatible with MagSafe, so it'll connect to your iPhone cord-free. It uses USB-C for charging and can use that port to connect to other devices.

Brady Snyder is a technology journalist that has written about mobile devices and computers for multiple publications. He graduated from St. John's University in 2023 with a B.S. in Journalism and a minor in English. Prior to joining XDA Developers, Brady wrote over 500 articles for Screen Rant's tech team, where he covered an Apple beat. Based in New York City, he reviews consumer technology, software, and services. Brady is an expert in iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS — but experiments with Android and Windows as well.