The Clutch Pro is for anyone who wants a very slim power bank that magnetically attaches to their iPhone, but who doesn’t like wireless charging. This tiny 5,000mAh external battery includes a USB-C connector on a cable for easy charging.
I tested it with my iPhone 17 and my iPad too. Here’s why I like it.
Clutch Pro review
Wireless charging on iPhones is convenient, but it’s also less efficient than wired charging, meaning more energy is lost as heat, which can cause the phone to warm up and potentially contribute to long-term battery wear. Plus, the charging ring increases the thickness of MagSafe power banks.
But the biggest drawback of wireless charging is that it won’t pass through many phone cases. Pick a protective case and no wireless charging for you!
The Clutch Pro brings the convenience of an external battery you can magnetically connect to your iPhone, while avoiding the drawbacks of wireless charging. And it comes with a a ring you can stick (with adhesive) to your phone case so you can take advantage of the convenience of the power bank.
A built-in USB-C cable means no fumbling with cords — just snap, charge and carry on with your day. A powerful built-in magnet attaches directly to MagSafe-compatible iPhone cases, or clip on the included magnet for any phone.
Measuring just 0.32" thick, Clutch Pro is engineered to be the most compact iPhone power bank with sleek and modern design that adds a touch of elegance to your daily accessories.
- Built-in USB-C cable, not wireless charging
- Clings to iPhone
- Built-in cable can't recharge power bank
Table of contents: Clutch Pro review
- Slim power bank without wireless charging
- A USB-C cable, not a charging mat
- Fast and efficient charging
- Don’t forget your iPad!
- Take time to recharge
- Clutch Pro review: Final thoughts
- Pricing
Slim power bank without wireless charging
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A power bank isn’t much good if it’s so bulky you don’t carry it with you. The same is true if connecting the battery makes using the phone more difficult.
The Clutch Pro is just 0.38 inches thick. And it magnetically clings to the back of your iPhone, so it’s out of the way while you’re using the handset.
For comparison, I’ve reviewed rival MagSafe power banks that I really liked, but they were over half an inch thick. I’ve only ever found one competitor that’s thinner: the BMX SolidSafe Air, which I reviewed recently.
I found it comfortable to hold my iPhone 17 with the Clutch Pro attached to the back. Or I can stuff the two into a loose-fitting pants pocket. That said, the edges and corners could be more curved.
The accessory weighs only 0.23 pounds and measures just 3.8 inches by 2.6 inches, so it’s certainly not a burden to carry around. I generally slip it into a rear pocket of my jeans.
The power bank comes in a range of colors. It’s on Amazon in black, pink, purple, orange, rose gold and yellow. Clutch itself offers green, blue, red and more.
A USB-C cable, not a charging mat
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
What sets the Clutch Pro apart from typical MagSafe power banks is that it doesn’t have a wireless charging mat. It clings to your iPhone like its rivals, but to get power flowing, you need to plug a USB-C connector on a 1.5-inch cable into your handset’s charging port.
It’s not as convenient as simply placing the battery on the phone to start charging, but the advantages show up in faster performance and wider compatibility.
Fast and efficient charging
I tested the real-world performance of the Clutch Pro by having it recharge my iPhone 17.
Over multiple test runs, the power bank raised the handset’s battery level by about 80%. For reference, the BMX SolidSafe Air I recently reviewed increased the battery level by 83% when I tested that wireless charging rival.
And the Clutch Pro was increasing the battery percentage by about 20% in half an hour. That’s faster than the SolidSafe Air, which did 14% in half an hour.
Power is moving at 7W. Note that my iPhone 17 considers this a “Slow Charger” but it’s faster than wireless charging.
The Clutch Pro warmed to only 87 degrees in use, which is about 15 degrees cooler than a rival MagSafe wireless charger I tested recently. One of the drawbacks of wireless charging is that it generates heat, and that’s not good for your iPhone.
Don’t forget your iPad!
There’s more than one use for the magnetic ring that comes with the Clutch Pro. I attached it to my iPad case so I can use the power bank to juice up the tablet.
A 5,000 mAh battery can’t come close to completely replenishing an iPad Pro, of course, but it can certainly add hours of use.
Take time to recharge
The only aspect of the Clutch Pro I genuinely don’t like is that the built-in cable can’t be used to recharge the device. You’ll need a separate cable to plug into the USB-C port on one side of the accessory.
You’ll also need patience. The battery takes in power at 5W, so it takes three or four hours to fully recharge.
Note that this USB-C port can’t be used to charge a separate computer. It’s power-in only.
Clutch Pro review: Final thoughts
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
A slim power bank that magnetically clings to my iPhone but doesn’t require wireless charging is brilliant. It’s quick and easy, without generating excess heat. Plus, I can easily use the same external battery with my iPad.
★★★★☆
Pricing
Clutch Pro sells for $49.99.
A built-in USB-C cable means no fumbling with cords — just snap, charge and carry on with your day. A powerful built-in magnet attaches directly to MagSafe-compatible iPhone cases, or clip on the included magnet for any phone.
Measuring just 0.32" thick, Clutch Pro is engineered to be the most compact iPhone power bank with sleek and modern design that adds a touch of elegance to your daily accessories.
- Built-in USB-C cable, not wireless charging
- Clings to iPhone
- Built-in cable can't recharge power bank
Clutch provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
