The best UV sanitizers for your phone and other small items

Our phones get dirty. Like really dirty. And most folks don’t know how to properly clean them. That’s where phone sanitizers come in. Using ultraviolet light bulbs, these devices can rid your smartphone of up to 99.9% of bacteria in under 10 minutes. There are a lot of them out there, with a variety of different features, so we’ve put together this roundup of what we believe are some of the best UV sanitizers on the market.

A note about UV sanitizers

Phone sanitizers are kind of an odd product, in that you’re really forced to trust the science behind them. The first time I tried one, I didn’t understand it. There was no real indication that something was happening underneath the closed lid, and absolutely no visual evidence afterward. Your phone doesn’t look or feel any cleaner. You just have to trust that it is. That being said, there is overwhelming evidence that UV light kills microbes, and hospitals and other healthcare facilities have been using them for years to fight bacteria. I don’t think reviews or even manufacturers for that matter do a good job of setting expectations here, so I felt this was worth mentioning up front.

Now, onto the roundup.

The best UV sanitizers 2020

Totallee UV Phone Sanitizer

the best UV sanitizers

Our first pick is the UV Phone Sanitizer from Totallee. It’s a fairly generic unit with a 6.4″x 3.9″ interior that fits everything from smartphones to keys, wallets and more. I also really like the top-mounted wireless Qi charger. It’s kind of a bummer that it doesn’t charge your device while cleaning it, but charging is a fast 10W and it’s nice not needing to open the lid to use it.

Verdict: if Totallee cut the price tag in half, this would be my top recommended unit

Buy for $119

Mophie UV Sanitizer with Wireless Charging

the best UV sanitizers

This sanitizer from mophie is very similar to the one from Totallee mentioned above, as it utilizes a box-like design with a 10W wireless charger built into the lid. The interior is a little bit smaller though, and the price tag is much easier to digest. Also of note, mophie says its unit is capable of silently sanitizing your device in just 5 minutes, while the Totallee requires 30 minutes.

Verdict: a solid mid-range option with fast wireless charging but a smaller cleaning compartment

Buy for $80

HoMedic UV Clean Phone Sanitizer Bag

the best UV sanitizers

HoMedic’s sanitizer is surprisingly popular thanks to its unique bag design and super-speedy cleaning process. Apparently it only needs 1 minute fully sanitize your items, which makes it the fastest sanitizer in this roundup by a mile. I also believe this is the only model listed here that is rechargeable, and the only one that doesn’t offer some form of wireless/wired charging.

Verdict: a fast sanitization process, bag design and battery power make this the ultimate portable

Buy for $80

Casetify UV Sanitizer

the best UV sanitizers

I know on the outside this looks like any other sanitizer, but there are a couple of features that set the Casetify apart. The first is its size: with an interior measuring 8.6″ x 4.5″, it can fit a wider range of items in its cleaning compartment. And the second is the wireless charger: it’s located inside the charging box, as opposed to on the lid, but it’s a little slower at just 5w.

Verdict: you’ll have to decide if the larger sanitization space and internal wireless charger are worth the price

Buy for $100

Phone Soap 3

the best UV sanitizers

And of course this list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the godfather of all UV phone boxes, Phone Soap. Their third generation model has an interior size of 6.8″ x 3.74″, so it’s big enough to accommodate even the largest of smartphones, and it has built-in USB-A and USB-C ports for connecting charging cables so you can charge your device while sanitizing.

Verdict: if you don’t need the wireless charging or additional space, go with this one

Buy for $80

We will continue to add to this list as we test and uncover new options. And as always, if you know of a good product we’ve missed, be sure to let us know about it down in the comments below.

Also, be sure to check out our roundup of other products that can be used to clean and disinfect your devices.