REASONS TO BUY
Miniscule
Quick to recharge
Integrated lightning cable
REASONS TO AVOID
Limited functionality
Minimal capacity
Clutch Charger Review
The Clutch is an amazing option for iPhone users seeking a compact charging solution
Credit: Laura Casner
By David Wise ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ March 7, 2022
Contributions From: Austin Palmer
Our Verdict
The Clutch can charge an iPhone and fit in most wallets, making it a handy and convenient way to keep your phone charged on the go. It isn't the fastest or the most versatile charger we have seen, but what it does do, it does very well. Featuring an integrated lightning cable, it's the perfect option to ensure you aren't caught out with a dead iPhone — but Android and Samsung users are out of luck, as it is only compatible with Apple products.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Hardly bigger than a credit card and with a built-in Lightning cable, this portable charger is designed for a single purpose: charging an iPhone while being incredibly easy to carry. It doesn't have the charge rate to be all that useful for larger devices like iPads, and it isn't compatible with Android or Samsung devices.
This petite charger is one of the most convenient and portable charging options for iPhone users.
Credit: Laura Casner
Portability
Given its tiny size, the Clutch did extremely well in our portability metric.
This charger is a mere 3.56 inches long by 2.5 inches wide by 0.16 inches thick — roughly the thickness and shape of three credit cards, though it has a slightly bigger footprint. It tips the scales at a mere two ounces, and you can easily forget that it's in a pant or jacket pocket.
It's so easily missed that we worried it could accidentally get run through the laundry. It fits in most wallets and practically every purse without weighing you down.
The Clutch charger is an amazingly compact charging solution for iPhones.
Credit: Laura Casner
Charging Efficiency
The Clutch only has a maximum discharge rate of one amp, and we were able to get an actual capacity of 1099 mAh out of it at this rate — quite a bit less than the 2300 mAh claimed capacity by the manufacturer.
We also found that this charger got very warm during this test, almost to the point where we were a bit concerned.
Unfortunately, the Clutch doesn't have a huge capacity and is limited to a 1A charging rate for devices.
Credit: Laura Casner
The manufacturer also claimed that you can charge an iPhone X to 50%, which we found to be a bit suspect based on our tests. We were only able to increase the charge of an iPhone 11 Pro 35% before the Clutch was depleted.
You generally can get about half of a full charge out of the Clutch.
Credit: Laura Casner
Added Convenience
The Clutch is pretty limited in its uses, as it can only charge iPhones, so it receives a low overall score in this metric.
This USB-style power bank can only charge a single device at a time and lacks other features like an integrated flashlight. It has a battery level indicator and a built-in Lightning cable, but you'll need a separate micro-USB cable and USB power source to recharge it.
Recharge Time
This USB charger is one of the faster to charge.
It only took the Clutch about 3.5 hours to recharge — quite a bit faster than most of the chargers in the group, but mainly due to its relatively smaller capacity.
You recharge the Clutch using a micro-USB cable.
Credit: Laura Casner
Should You Buy the Clutch Charger?
The Clutch is easily one of our favorite portable chargers for iPhone users. Its slim and minimalistic design makes it particularly convenient and easy to carry around, and the integrated charging cable means you never have to worry about forgetting one. It can be exceptionally handy to the iPhone user who always finds their phone close to dying at the end of the day and never wants to be caught with a dead battery.
What Other Portable Chargers Should You Consider?
If you're a Samsung or Android user, this isn't the device for you. We'd steer folks with those phones toward the Q Slim Power Bank Pro 10000 mAh, which has three different integrated cords (micro-USB, USB-C, and Lightning), or the INIU Portable Charger 10000, which will give you enough juice to charge your phone several times, depending on the model.
—David Wise and Austin Palmer
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