LucidCharge: a Slim Transparent Wireless Power Bank

Every powerbank claims to be "portable," but most of them feel like carrying a brick with a cable permanently attached. They take up space, snag on everything, and suddenly you're walking around like you have a small sandwich strapped to your thigh... Not exactly premium. That was exactly the frustration behind this project. I wanted a power bank that felt modern, clean, and, most importantly, effortless.

So I built LucidCharge, a Magsafe-compatible wireless powerbank that feels like the opposite of everything annoying about traditional ones. No cables hanging off. No bulky shape. No "my cable is somewhere at the bottom of this bag" moments. Just a thin, sleek powerbank that snaps onto your phone and charges it without a single wire in sight.

The design starts with wireless charging that supports all major protocols, including the ones used by Apple devices, and is capable of pushing up to 20 watts. Once it attaches magnetically, it stays aligned and keeps the charging stable. Recharging the powerbank itself is fast, at 3A, you can charge roughly 50% in just 30 minutes. That means less waiting, more using. Plug it in for a short while, and it's ready to go.

The whole powerbank is only about 16mm and weighs 132 grams, which means it fits in a pocket like a normal object without feeling like a brick. The ergonomics were important too; you can hold your phone with this attached, and it feels natural.

Instead of hiding everything in a plain plastic shell, the enclosure lid is transparent. Every component is placed neatly, so the interior becomes part of the design. The copper charging coil, the battery, the alignment magnet, and the circuit boards sit visibly inside, giving it a futuristic vibe.

And now that you've seen what the finished build looks like... let's get into how to make one yourself.

Here is everything you'll need to build LucidCharge:

Electricals

1. 606090 4,000mAh 3.7V Li-Po Battery - AliExpress
2. Wireless Charger Module 5W-20W - AliExpress
3. Lithium Battery IP2312 3A Charging Board - AliExpress
4. DC-DC Boost Power Module 12V - AliExpress
5. 1S Lithium Battery Metering LED Module - AliExpress
6. 1S 7.5A 4MOS 3.7V Battery PCM - AliExpress
7. SS12D00G4 Slide Toggle Switch - AliExpress
8. 24AWG Wire - AliExpress

Mechenicals

1. Magsafe-compatible Magnetic Ring - AliExpress
2. 4x M1.4 x 6 mm screw - AliExpress
3. Battery Adhesive Pull Tabs Strips - AliExpress (optional, to make battery removable easily in future)

Tools

1. Soldering Station - AliExpress
2. Super glue - AliExpress

Estimated project cost: ~$15 (excluding tools)

LucidCharge uses a two-part enclosure consisting of a main case and a lid. Both parts were modelled in TinkerCAD with a focus on keeping the overall profile slim while allowing each internal component to sit securely in place.

For 3D printing, I used JLC3DP. The main case was printed using 9600 Resin, while the lid was printed using 8001 Transparent Resin to achieve the clear, glass-like finish that defines LucidCharge’s look.

The total cost for printing the enclosure came out to around $5. Due to the complicated manufacturing process for 8001 Transparent Resin, the lid costs around $4, while the main case costs about $1. Considering the final appearance, the extra cost for the transparent resin is worth it.

The 3D files for both parts are attached below. Feel free to use them directly, or modify the design if you’d like a different layout or look.

With the enclosure printed, you can begin assembling LucidCharge's internal layout. The lid is designed with hollow slots for each module, which makes alignment straightforward and removes a lot of guesswork during assembly.

The wireless charging module sits at the top centre of the enclosure, directly beneath the transparent lid. This positioning ensures proper alignment with your phone once the magnetic ring is installed. The remaining components, including the charging board, boost converter, LED meter, and switch, sit on the lower section of the enclosure.

The battery and PCM protection board are not placed yet at this point. These two will be soldered together first and installed later as a single unit to keep wiring clean and compact.

Once all other components are in place, take a moment to estimate wire lengths and pre-cut your wires. Keeping the wiring short and tidy will make soldering easier and improve both reliability and appearance once everything is sealed inside the transparent case.

Before anything else, the battery needs to be properly protected. Lithium batteries are powerful, but they demand respect. This step ensures LucidCharge remains safe and reliable throughout daily use. Do not skip this step.

Start by soldering the 1S 7.5A PCM protection directly to the Li-Po battery. Connect the battery's positive and negative terminals to the PCM's B+ and B- pads. The PCM is responsible for preventing over-charging, over-discharging, and short-circuits.

Once the battery and PCM are connected, the PCM's P+ and P- pads become the only power output used by any modules, so the entire device becomes protected.

If you are using battery adhesive pull tabs, you can attach them to the back of the battery now. This small addition makes battery replacement far easier and avoids damaging the battery or enclosure.

At the end of this step, you should have a self-contained battery module that is safe and ready to integrate.

At this point, the battery is intentionally isolated from the rest of the components. This will ensure that your wiring process is safe without accidental shorts and unexpected power-ups.

Begin by connecting the B+ pad of the IP2312 charging module to one of the outer pins of the slide switch. Either pin will work, but do not use the middle pin yet; it is reserved for the final battery connection later.

Do not solder the components directly on the lid's slot. Doing so may cause resin to deform and to be damaged from heat.

Next, connect the remaining outer pin of the slide switch to both the VIN+ pin of the booster converter and the positive pin of the LED battery indicator. This will create a shared power rail that feeds both modules at the same time.

With that done, wire the boost converter's output pins directly to the wireless charging module. Connect the VOUT+ to the V+ and VOUT- to V- on the wireless charger. Make sure that the polarity is correct here.

At this point, the wireless charging path is complete, but still unpowered.

Now, it's time to connect a common ground across the entire system.

Connect the B- pin of the IP2312 charging module, the negative pin of the LED indicator, and the VIN- pin of the boost converter together, and route them all to the P- pad on the PCM protection board.

This ensures that every module shares the same ground through the battery protection circuit. Once this step is complete, all modules are electrically connected, but not yet powered.

Before connecting to the battery output, take a moment to double-check every wire. Confirm polarity, no pads are bridged, and ensure the switch wiring matches. This is the best point to catch mistakes before power is applied.

Once you are confident that everything is correct, connect the P+ pad of the PCM to the middle pin of the slide switch. This completes the power path and allows the battery to supply power to the system when the switch is turned on.

The moment this wire is connected, LucidCharge become electrically active.

At this point, I like to test a few things before continuing:

1. Is the IP2312 charging the battery properly?
2. Does the LED battery indicator light up properly?
3. Hold your phone onto the wireless charger, does it charge?

If everything checks out, you are ready to go for final assembly. If not, this is the perfect time to troubleshoot.

With all wiring complete and tested, you can now secure everything in place.

Apply a small amount of super glue to hold each module in its own slots. Use just enough to prevent movement while keeping future repair easy. I applied more super glue to the wireless charger, as it may get warm during heavy usage.

Once all components are secured, carefully position the battery and PCM assembly into the main case. Align the lid with the base and fasten the enclosure using four M1.4 x 6 mm screws, one on each corner.

Finally, attach the Magsafe-compatible magnetic ring to the outside of the lid, centred above the wireless charging coil. There is also a hollow slot for the magnetic ring for your convenience.

LucidCharge is now fully assembled!

At this point, you have built a slim, transparent wireless powerbank that charges quickly, feels comfortable in the hand, and is cable-free! So, sit back and take a moment to admire the finished project.

Thank you for following along. I hope you enjoyed building LucidCharge just as much as I did. If you have any feedback, please let me know; I’d love to hear it.