8 Tiny Backup Batteries That Could Save Your Trip

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto: "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at cteel@smartertravel.com.

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I rely on my smartphone for pretty much everything these days—it’s a GPS, camera, and computer all in one. When I’m traveling, snapping photos and looking up what to do next my battery drains even faster than normal, and there’s nothing worse than being stuck in a strange place with no way to order an Uber or look up the nearest subway stop.

A backup battery can be a lifesaver by making sure you don’t run out of power when you’re on the go. But if your emergency power source is too big and bulky, you’re more likely to leave home without it. These eight amazingly small batteries (including options for iPhones, Samsung phones, and everything else) are shockingly small and thin, and might just save you when you need it the most.

(Please note, that all prices were correct at the time of writing, but are subject to change after publication.)

Fuel Micro Charger 2

The Fuel Micro Charger 2 is more of an emergency charger, as it will only give you enough power to talk on your phone for an extra 1 to 2 hours, but it's tiny enough that it will fit in the coin pocket of your jeans!

Dimensions: 1.2" x 1.5" x 0.6"

Weight: 0.6 oz.

mAh: 420 mAh

Price: $19.99

Fuel Micro Charger 2

Dimensions: 1.2" x 1.5" x 0.6"

Weight: 0.6 oz.

mAh: 420 mAh

Price: $19.99

TravelCard

I love the TravelCard because it has built-in charging cables (for either the iPhone or micro USB) which means you don't have to worry about bringing a cord with you. Another bonus: it charges itself and your phone simultaneously when it's plugged in.

Dimensions: 3 3/8" x 2 1/8" x 3/18"

Weight: 1.9 oz.

mAh: 1500

Price: $29

ThinCharge

You likely use a case to protect your phone anyway, so why not have it serve double duty with the ThinCharge? This battery case is super slender, but only currently available for the iPhone 6/6s.

Dimensions: 7.6" x 4.4" x 0.9"

Weight: 6.4 oz.

mAh: 2,600 mAh

Price: $59.95

KPTEC Lipstick-Sized Charger

The KPTEC Lipstick-Sized Charger lives up to its name size-wise. I like this tiny charger out of all the similar ones on the market because it has a durable aluminum alloy housing, plus it charges quickly and has an LED display to let you know just how much power is left.

Dimensions: 3.7" x 0.9" x 0.10"

Weight: 3.6 oz

mAh: 3,400 mAh

Price: $8.99

Flexion

This sleek card can fit right in to your wallet, plus you can use the Flexion on pretty much any device thanks to its built-in micro USB and included micro USB-to-lightning cable adapter.

Dimensions: 3.75" x 2.3" x 0.25"

Weight: 0.30 oz

mAh: 2,500 mAh

Price: $28.03

Lepow Moonstone

Unlike many of the above chargers, you'll have to pack a cord in order to use the Lepow Moonstone battery pack. But on the bright side, you can charge two devices at the same time with it.

Dimensions: 3.2" x 3.2" x 0.4"

Weight: 6 oz

mAh: 6,000 mAh

Price: $29.99

Emie Power Blade

Need a little bit more power? The Emie Power Blade is the answer. This power bank has special, patented USB ports that help keep it super slim.

Dimensions: 8.39" x 5.51" x 0.2"

Weight: 10.56 oz

mAh: 8,000 mAh

Price: $79.90

Innovative Digital Hand-Crank Charger

The Innovative Digital Hand-Crank Charger is for true emergencies—you have to really work for your power by hand-winding this little device. Two minutes of cranking will give you up to six extra minutes of talk time.

Dimensions: 2.3" x 2" x 1.2"

Weight: 2.6 oz

mAh: N/A

Price: $19.88

More from SmarterTravel:

Caroline Morse is a Senior Editor at SmarterTravel. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram TravelWithCaroline and on Twitter @CarolineMorse1.

Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product.

We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.