Best Pokémon Go accessories

What are the best, most must-have accessories to take your Pokémon Go gameplay to the next level? These are our picks!

Pokémon Go is great on its own, but it's even better with accessories. Whether you want to hatch eggs faster, catch Pokémon and spin Poké Stops more quickly and easily, re-charge as you go, or simply stop dropping your phone, here's how to take your game to the next level!

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Pokémon Go Plus

Pokémon Go Plus is a small Bluetooth accessory made to work with the Pokémon Go app on iPhone or Android. It's plastic, but feels well made, has a rumble pack inside so it can alert you to nearby Pokémon and Poké Stops, has a changeable battery and optional wrist strap, and a single, light up button that lets you catch and spin with a click.

More importantly, it lets you catch Pokémon and spin PokéStops faster and more easily than ever. It's especially great if you want to catch (and later evolve) a ton of common Pokémon for XP or spin a ton of stops to stock up on supplies.

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Spigen Style Ring

When you're racing for that Dragonite up the mountain, or that Snorlax across the park, one of the worst things that can happen is you drop your phone. Especially if it's a big screen phone, you're sweaty, it's raining or snowing, and there are only a few seconds left on the spawn.

Save yourself the grief and get a Spigen Style Ring. Slap it on the back of your phone or case, slide your finger(s) in, and then not only can you kickstand it up to watch videos, or hang it in your car or kitchen, but you can keep from dropping it no matter how excited you are while playing Pokémon Go.

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Battery case

Phones were designed to last for hours. But that was in the days where email and web surfing were the norm. Now, apps like Pokémon Go keep the screen lit, GPS pinging, and data transferring for minutes or hours at a time. And that can drain your phone fast.

If you don't want to run out of juice while you're tracking down that Unown or taking down that Gym full of Blissey, you'll want a battery case. If you have an iPhone 6, 6s, or 7, Apple's Smart Battery Case is one of the most efficient you can get. If you have an Android phone, here are some of our favorites for GS8, GS7, and Pixel.

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Battery pack

Battery cases are intentionally kept slim and light but that means they can't really add too much charge. To get more — a lot more — you'll need a battery pack. You'll need to carry it separately, which means more space and weight in your bag or pocket, but in this case you get what you carry.

You can even get battery packs with multiple charging ports. That way you can hunt for Pokémon in pairs or tackle Gyms in teams and help keep everyone powered up and playing. And since most are USB-A, you can plug in any phone as long as you have the right type of cable with you.

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Bluetooth headphones

You can get wired headphones if you really want to keep it low-tech, or Apple's fancy new AirPods if you want to go full-on with your wireless freedom (and you can find some in stock!). Otherwise, there are several other good choices on the market, including the Jbird X2.

To get the best of both worlds, though, Beats now offers a selection of styles all powered by Apple's W1 chip. That makes for easy pairing and solid connectivity. Just what you need when you're out playing Pokémon Go and want to hear spawns rather than having to stare at the screen the whole time to see them.

See at Apple

Apple Watch

If you have an iPhone, Pokémon Go offers a companion app for Apple Watch. It's a workout app tuned for outdoor walking that alerts you to nearby Pokémon and PokéStops. Even better, it switches Pokémon Go from tracking raw distance to tracking steps for the purposes of Buddy candy and Egg hatching.

That means it typically increases the speed at which you can do both. It's especially good for curving or circular paths which might otherwise discount or ignore some of the distance you walk.

As accessories go, even an Apple Watch Series 1 is expensive. But it can be worth it for the health and notification features alone.

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Your favorite Pokémon Go accessories?

If I missed any of your must-have Pokémon Go accessories, let me know in the comments. If you've tried any of these, let me know how you liked them.