Casetify’s PowerThru Power Bank is a simple, portable charger that’ll fit your personal style, even if it doesn’t impress you on the spec sheet.
When Apple introduced MagSafe to the iPhone back in 2020, a lot of new features and great accessories became available. Even product categories that already existed were reimagined with Apple’s magnetic connection system, like the portable charger and power bank. Previously, you needed to carry a portable charger and power cord to juice up your phone in a pinch. But with MagSafe, all that’s required for emergency charging is a compact power bank no larger than your average bifold wallet. There are a lot of MagSafe power banks out there, including the subject of today’s review, Casetify’s PowerThru Power Bank.
Like other Casetify accessories, there’s more to the story than meets the eye. You can customize the look of the power bank with over 100 designs, including some licensed prints from the Casetify Co-Lab. In a market so rich with MagSafe power banks with 5,000mAh capacities, it’s sometimes hard to decipher the differences between the available options. With Casetify, you know you’re getting a unique design that matches your personal style, albeit one that comes along with a higher price tag and just average functionality on the inside.
CASETiFY PowerThru Power Bank
Stylish MagSafe power bank
Casetify’s PowerThru Power Bank is a MagSafe-compatible accessory with a 5,000 mAh capacity. It’s a basic portable charger without a ton of advanced features, but it gets the job done when you need it. Plus, the available design options and licensed Co-Lab designs are as close to one-of-a-kind as you can get.
- Battery Capacity
- 5,000 mAh
- Ports
- USB-C
- Weight
- 130g
- Dimensions
- 103 x 64 x 13 (mm)
- Screen
- No
- Flight safe
- Yes
Pros
- Ergonomic form factor feels great in the hand
- Over 100 original and licensed designs available
- Supports pass-through charging
Cons
- Expensive for the feature set provided
- Build quality could be better
- Only 5,000mAh capacity
Pricing and availability
Casetify’s PowerThru Power Bank is part of the company’s line of MagSafe-compatible accessories, and it’s only available directly from the Casetify website at the time of publication. However, a few varieties typically make their way to Amazon, so you may find the PowerThru Power Bank there in the future. It retails for $78, and the price is the same for any of the more than 100 design options available. Some of the licensed Co-Lab prints are already sold out, though.
Since the PowerThru Power Bank is MagSafe compatible, it’ll work best with the iPhone 12 series and newer. It can charge any device via the Qi wireless charging functionality and through the USB-C port, which can handle pass-through input and output.
Design
A good-looking power bank that might not hold up well over time
When it comes to the PowerThru Power Bank’s design, there’s a lot to like and a little to be concerned about. The power bank is a bit slimmer than twice the thickness of my iPhone 14 Pro, measuring just 13mm. Although the size is probably too thick to be in your pocket as part of your everyday carry, it’s about the same size as other 5,000mAh power banks, like the ESR Power Bank Wallet. However, since it’s about the same size as your typical bifold wallet, you can pocket it as needed.
With curved edges and a plastic and rubber design, the PowerThru Power Bank feels great in the hand. Using my iPhone 14 Pro with the PowerThru Power Bank connected isn’t ideal because of the extra bulk, but it is manageable.
Unfortunately, one of the first things I noticed was that the glossy plastic back might not hold up well over time. It’s a separate piece attached to the main power bank with adhesive, and it appeared to be slightly misaligned on my review sample. Just sliding my fingernail underneath the plastic back and pulling upward was enough to start separating the adhesive, which isn’t a great sign for long-term durability. The overall build quality of the portable charger is great, but the main selling point of this product is the individual designs available. If there are issues with the PowerThru Power Bank’s calling card, it may be a hard drawback for potential buyers to overcome.
Performance
Since the PowerThru Power Bank has a 5,000mAh capacity, you’d expect it to be able to charge your smartphone at least once. While this might be possible if you aren’t using your device while it’s charging, you won’t get a full charge if you’re actively using it while charging. My iPhone 14 Pro has a capacity of 3,200mAh, and the PowerThru Power Bank was able to get my phone from 22% to 80% in about two hours. The phone was mostly locked during that time, but I could notice charging speeds slowing as I continued to use it. That’s common, especially with wireless chargers that tend to slow down as your phone gets hot by design.
The power bank also displays its current battery level with four small LED indicator lights. Each represents a quarter of its battery life, so one light is 25%, and three is 75%. After using an LED screen that could show the numerical battery life on the UGreen 145W Power Bank, it’s hard to go back to dot status indicators. However, for what this power bank is supposed to be, it’s passable.
The PowerThru Power Bank can also show when it’s wirelessly charging a device via a breathing status light built into the power button. If a single LED in the dot array is blinking, that means the power bank has low battery and won’t be able to charge other devices. When it’s time to charge your power bank, our testing found it’ll take about an hour to replenish.
Casetify says that the PowerThru Power Bank supports wireless charging at 5W, 7.5W, and 10W speeds. The portable charger can also be used to charge devices via the USB-C port, but it won’t be much faster than wireless charging. Using a fast-charging cable that can detect power delivery speeds, the Casetify PowerThru Power Bank hovered between 8-9W while connected to my Motorola Razr+.
Overall, the PowerThru Power Bank is a great way to bridge the gap between your phone and a wall charger. It isn’t a solution to fully charge your phone on the go, though.
Should you buy the Casetify PowerThru Power Bank?
You should buy the Casetify PowerThru Power Bank if:
- You like Casetify’s designs or have other Casetify products
- You need a simple and slim portable MagSafe charger
You should NOT buy the Casetify PowerThru Power Bank if:
- You need a high-capacity power bank that can charge your phone more than once
- You’re looking for an affordable portable charger
Casetify’s PowerThru Power Bank aims to be a good-looking portable charger that can keep your phone alive when you aren’t near a wall outlet. It isn’t designed to keep your phone up and running for hours on end, like some other great power banks we’ve reviewed. The great news is that the PowerThru Power Bank doesn’t have to fully charge your phone to be effective. If you’re looking for a stylish accessory that happens to provide a bit of power in a pinch, you’ll be satisfied with the PowerThru Power Bank. The retail price and build quality concerns are important factors in your decision, but the unique designs once again make this Casetify product a good recommendation for the right person.
CASETiFY PowerThru Power Bank
Stylish power bank
Casetify’s PowerThru Power Bank is a MagSafe-compatible accessory with a 5,000 mAh capacity. It’s a basic portable charger without a ton of advanced features, but it gets the job done when you need it. Plus, the available design options and licensed Co-Lab designs are as close to one-of-a-kind as you can get.