We may earn a commission from links on this page.It turns out the lifestyle logging feature introduced with Garmins Venu 4 watch announcement isnt limited to that watchit seems to be available to all Garmin users, which means the app has made a huge stride in catching up with competitors like Whoop.What is lifestyle logging?This feature lets you track different habits, behaviors, or factors that might impact your health metrics. For example, you can log when you have caffeine or alcohol at night, and see how this affects your sleep. (Garmin tends to refer to these as behaviors, even though some of them are more like environmental factors or states of beingillness, for examplebut I'll allow it.)Whoop, the screenless tracker with the expensive (but arguably worth it) subscription, has long had this kind of feature, and it will give you detailed breakdowns of how your habits have affected your recovery. The Apple Watch app Bevel provides similar functionality as well, while the Oura ring has tags in its app, although they are more for labeling than analysis.Garmins version uses your logged behaviors to generate reports that show how the factors you logged affect:Your sleep scoreYour overnight HRVYour overnight stressThese seem to be the only outcomes, so you wont see whether these behaviors affect, say, your running performance. And as with any feature of this type, the app cant actually tell you if your behaviors are causing the positive or negative results you get.For example, Whoop told me that I sleep worse on nights I take melatonin, but thats just a correlation: The melatonin probably isnt making my sleep worse; its more likely that the connection is because I take melatonin on nights when Im already up late or expect to have trouble sleeping.Which Garmin devices can use lifestyle logging?Logging your behaviors doesnt require any specific device; I was able to activate it on an account that had no wearable devices paired at all. However, Garmin notes that to get meaningful reports, youll need a device that is capable of measuring HRV (which also contributes to your sleep score and overnight stress). Most of the popular Garmin wearables have HRV capabilities, including Venu, Vivoactive, and Forerunner watches, and the new Index sleep monitor.How to use Garmins lifestyle loggingThe feature is kind of hidden, so I wouldnt blame you for not knowing that its there. Make sure your Garmin Connect app is up to date, and then tap the three-dot menu in the bottom right corner. Go to training and planning, then health stats, and then lifestyle logging.The first time you do this, youll get a few information screens explaining the feature and asking you to acknowledge that its not medical advice.Youll then select the items you want to log. Garmin recommends choosing only a few items to log at a time, so you can learn more about those specific things rather than trying to wade through mountains of data. The apps info screen wisely points out that if you log many different factors, you may get conflicting data and have a difficult time determining whats really impacting your health stats.A non-exhaustive list of what you can log The lifestyle category includes alcohol, caffeine (morning or late), exercise (light, moderate, or vigorous), late meals, and intermittent fasting.The self-care category includes cold showers, journaling, and sunlight.The treatments category includes acupuncture and massage.The sleep-related category includes CPAP machine use, eye masks, reading in bed, and having a pet in your bedroom.The life status category includes allergy symptoms, caregiving, illness, and vacation.You can also create custom items to log. You can give them a quantity if you like, or just set them up as a yes/no answer. You can also indicate if the item is daytime or bedtime related. Finally, after choosing the behaviors youd like to log, the app will ask if youd like related morning and/or evening reminders.To see results from any of your behaviors, youll need to accumulate five yeses and five nos for each. (As with Whoops version of this feature, its not useful to track a behavior that you always do or never dotheres just not enough data to work from.)You can view your results from the Training and Planning menu, as above, and you can also add a card to the at a glance section of your Garmin Connect app home screen. The card will show whether youve logged your behaviors for the day, and tapping on it will show what youve logged today and in the past. The Venu 4 watch also has a widget for lifestyle logging on the watch itself.

As smartphones get thinner, their batteries necessarily get smaller but all phones, includingiPhones, like to die at inopportune moments. The best MagSafe power bank can provide extra juice when you need it, no cables required. And, thanks to new charging standards, charge-ups are quicker.Ive been testing power banks for Engadget for around three years and have watched portable chargers get more efficient in real time. After testing around a dozen magnetic banks, I think Ankers Qi2 MagGo 10K power bank is the best MagSafe power bank. But youll also find a budget option, a Qi2 25W pick and an ultra-slim model (which we think is better than Apples own iPhone Air MagSafe battery). The best MagSafe power banks for 2025 What to consider before buying a MagSafe power bank Choose the right capacity. Most portable MagSafe chargers have either a 5,000 milliamp hour (mAh) or 10,000mAh capacity. Obviously, the larger capacity batteries are physically bigger, but thanks to an iPhones magnetic attachment points, you can still use the phone comfortably as it charges. If youre worried about overall bulk, you may prefer the slimness of a 5,000mAh battery. Just note that a 5K battery pack wont deliver its entire capacity to your phone due to energy loss from voltage conversion and heat dissipation. Over the years, Ive measured around a 60-percent delivery rate for wireless banks. For example, that means an iPhone 16 with its 3,561mAh battery will get about 85 to 90 percentage points from a 5K battery. A 10K bank will charge that same phone fully once, with enough for a 50- to 60-percent boost next time. Understand MagSafe versus Qi2. All iPhones model 12 and later have MagSafe technology, which rely on embedded magnets to align the phone with a wireless charger and can support charging speeds of up to 15 watts. The MagSafe name is owned by Apple third-party chargers cant freely use the term and instead call their accessories magnetic, or apply a branded name like Ankers MagGo or UGreens MagFlow. Be sure to check the product details before buying: anything that works with Apples technology will be listed as MagSafe-compatible. Qi2 is a standard from the Wireless Power Consortium (of which Apple is a member) and has the same stipulations as MagSafe (15W charging and magnetic alignment). Any company can submit their tech for this certification. iPhones 13 and later are Qi2 compatible. The newest standard is Qi2 25W and bumps wireless charging speeds up to 25W. The WPC says a certified smartphone using a certified charger can wirelessly go from dead to half full in about 30 minutes (keep in mind that both the charger and phone need to be certified to get those speeds). Accessories, like power banks that support the new standard are starting to hit shelves now. As for phones, Googles Pixel 10 Pro XL, Apples iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max all support the standard as well. iPhone 16 models (except the 16e) will likely support the standard after an update to iOS 26. Remember travel restrictions. You may have seen news reports of flights being grounded because a power bank caught fire in the cabin. Currently, the TSA allows them in your carry-on luggage as long as theyre rated at 100 watt-hours or lower (about 27,000mAh for lithium ion batteries). But some airlines have enacted further restrictions. Southwest, for example, requires you to keep power banks out of the bag and visible while charging. Even if your airline doesnt make such demands, keeping a power brick out in the open while its in use is a good idea itll keep it cooler and youll be more likely to notice if it starts to overheat. Most, if not all, MagSafe battery packs come in at under the 100-watt-hour limit, so traveling should be easy with one. Consider the extra features. You may not need them, but the little extra perks of a MagSafe power bank can come in handy. Some have stands so you can watch your phone while it refills. Some have LED displays that tell you how much charge is left, which can be a little more precise than the lighted pips other banks use. Some also have straps to make the bank easier to carry around or fish out of your bag. What about the iPhone Air MagSafe Battery? When Apple introduced the iPhone Air, it announced the new $99 iPhone Air MagSafe Battery in the same breath. Its now the only Apple-branded MagSafe power bank but it only works with the iPhone Air. A quick peek at the shape of the battery will clue you in as to why: the Air is the only model with a camera array that allows the battery to attach. We think Ankers Nano MagGo Slim is a better bet. It has the same minimalist look and pocketable thinness, but itll attach to other phones in addition to the Air. Plus its $35 cheaper and, judging from the size and specs, Ankers bank is likely higher capacity (Apple doesnt list the batterys size). Other MagSafe batteries we tested Belkin BoostCharge Pro 10K Belkins BoostCharge Pro is Qi2-certified and was only a touch slower than other models in terms of charging speeds, boosting an iPhone 15 from 5 percent to full in about two and a half hours. The feel is premium and the stand is sturdy, but it got quite hot during charging, took overly long to refill itself and is pricer and a bit bulkier than similar models. Baseus Picogo 5K The Picogo 5K from Baseus is teensy but still packs a stand and a 5,000mAh capacity. Its Qi2-certified and delivered a 43 percent bump to our tester iPhone 15 in 42 minutes, ultimately charging it to 91 percent. The slim slab of the Anker Nano battery is sleeker. But that one doesnt have a stand so if you want to prop up your phone while it charges, go for this one. MagSafe power banks FAQs What does MagSafe do? MagSafe is Apples own technology that supports up to 25W wireless charging speeds and incorporates embedded magnets to align the phone with chargers and other accessories. Which iPhones support MagSafe? iPhones 12 and later support 15W MagSafe technology, though only iPhones 13 and later can reach the 15W charging speed with third-party Qi2 accessories. The iPhone 12 maxes out at 7.5W with non-Apple accessories. The new iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max support up to 25W charging speeds with Qi2 25W-certified chargers. iPhone 16, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max should also support those speeds after an update to iOS 26. The iPhone Air supports MagSafe charging at a max speed of 20W. Can you use MagSafe batteries with a case? In most cases (heh), yes. The wireless charge can travel across a distance of a few millimeters. If the case is more than 5mm thick or contains metal components, the wireless charge can be blocked. Many iPhone cases are marketed as MagSafe-compatible, which means the case itself has complimentary magnets inside and should not interfere with charging accessories. We tested a MagSafe power bank on an iPhone 15 with and without a MagSafe case and got the same charging speeds and amounts in both tests. How much power do MagSafe batteries provide? That depends on the power bank. If it is Qi2-certified, it can provide up to 15 watts of wireless power. Qi2 25W-enabled chargers can deliver up to 25 watts to a compatible handset. Non-Qi2 batteries typically deliver around 7.5 watts. The amount of charge delivered depends on the capacity. Most MagSafe portable chargers are rated at 5,000mAh or 10,000mAh. The former can get a standard iPhone 15 from five percent to around 90 percent. The latter can fill the phone completely with enough left over for another half charge.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-magsafe-power-banks-120015338.html?src=rss

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