Top 10 Best Cell phone Signal Booster (Reviews)
But it doesn’t have to be! A cell phone signal booster can make sure that calls and data are clear and fast as well as consistently reliable.
Before you waste your money on buying just any mobile phone signal repeater, you need to do some research. While reviewing the current options on the market, we learned that some of these cell signal repeaters are not worth buying.
We ended up finding out which cellular boosters actually work and which ones to stay away from. These are the 10 best boosters I found, taking into account performance, price, and ease of installation.
Table of Contents
- 1 weBoost Home 4G 470101 – Up to 32X better connection (All Carriers)
- 2 SureCall Fusion4Home Omni/Whip – 3G/4G/LTE Boost for up to 2,000 Sq Ft (All Carriers)
- 3 weBoost Connect 4G-X – For Larger Homes (All Carriers)
- 4 HiBoost F15G-5S-LCD – Up to 15,000 Sq Ft Coverage & 150 Users (All Carriers)
- 5 Volferda Cell Phone Signal Booster 1900MHz – Low Cost Solution (All Carriers)
- 6 Cisco AT&T Microcell – Best Amplifier for AT&T (AT&T Only)
- 7 SureCall Flare 3G/4G/LTE – Better Design (All Networks)
- 8 weBoost Drive 4G-X 470510 – Ideal For Cars & Trucks (All Carriers)
- 9 Phonelex 4G LTE Verizon Signal Amplifier – Cheapest Option (Verizon Only)
- 10 T-Mobile NXT – Personal Signal Booster (T-mobile Only)
- 11 Buyer’s Guide & Frequently Asked Questions
- 11.1 How do cell phone signal boosters work?
- 11.2 Can I get a signal with an amplifier if I have no cell phone reception?
- 11.3 Where should you mount the antenna for best wireless signal?
- 11.4 Can I get a good enough amplification without an external antenna?
- 11.5 What signal amplifier should I get for RV use?
- 11.6 My house or building has a metal frame, can it cause interferences?
- 11.7 What is a repeater?
weBoost Home 4G 470101 – Up to 32X better connection (All Carriers)
This booster from industry leader weBoost works with all U.S. carriers. It also has a money-back guarantee.
For a family with several devices, this booster should improve the signal to all of them, used simultaneously.
It has a signal boosting range of up to 1500 sq ft and it works for voice, 4G LTE, and 3G signals.
Setup is painless, as the step-by-step instructions are extremely easy to follow.
Something that makes this booster stand out is its use of smart technology that can sense nearby signal conditions and automatically electronically optimize the booster’s performance, up to a maximum signal gain of 60 decibels.
- money-back guarantee, 7-day support, and 2-year warranty
- works with all U.S. carriers
- simple setup with clear, easy-to-follow directions
- great for more rural areas
- great support
- for really small homes or RV use, you might struggle to be able to put the indoor and outdoor antennas far enough apart
- a particular frequency used by some of the Sprint network cannot be boosted, per government regulations
- competing carrier towers operating in same frequency band might cause signal disruption
SureCall Fusion4Home Omni/Whip – 3G/4G/LTE Boost for up to 2,000 Sq Ft (All Carriers)
The indoor signal boost you can expect depends on the strength of the signal to begin with.
If your outdoor signal is 1-2 Bars on your smartphone, the indoor boost you can expect is only around 500 feet.
With an outdoor signal of 5 Bars, on the other hand, your signal boost would be up to 2,000 feet.
- 3-year warranty
- ability to manually adjust gain
- great value
- works with all carriers
- long 50-ft cable
- good support
- without a a directional yagi antenna, it doesn’t do much if signal is particularly poor to begin with
- automatic sleep function can be problematic
weBoost Connect 4G-X – For Larger Homes (All Carriers)
The weBoost Connect 4G-X is a good solution for buildings up to 7,500 sq ft. Like the weBoost Home, this telephone booster works for all U.S. carriers, though a portion of Sprint users might see results that aren’t quite as good.
The weBoost automatic gain technology is also in play, resulting in optimal performance even as signal strength fluctuates.
The outside antenna for this booster is directional, which definitely helps you to get the strongest signal possible.
- 30-day guarantee and 2-year warranty
- simple setup with clear directions
- directional antenna
- works with all carriers
- signal is boosted throughout large home or building
- expensive
- a particular frequency used by some of the Sprint network cannot be boosted, per government regulations
- competing carrier towers operating in same frequency band might cause signal disruption
HiBoost F15G-5S-LCD – Up to 15,000 Sq Ft Coverage & 150 Users (All Carriers)
It has a coverage area of up to 15,000 square feet and it can handle up to 200 simultaneous users at any given time. This makes it a good choice for some office buildings and apartment buildings.
This unit is compatible with all major U.S. and Canadian cell providers.
Superior repeater technology and a wideband directional antenna ensure that you get the strongest smartphone signal possible. An LCD screen makes it easy to monitor and adjust the tuning.
- 30-day money back guarantee and 3-year warranty
- covers a huge space and up to 200 simultaneous users
- works with all major carriers
- expensive
- instructions could be a bit clearer
- cable might not be long enough
- cable quality isn’t as good as it good be
Volferda Cell Phone Signal Booster 1900MHz – Low Cost Solution (All Carriers)
This telephone booster from industry leader weBoost works with all U.S. carriers. It also has a money-back guarantee. For a family with several devices, this booster should improve the signal to all of them, used simultaneously.
It has a signal boosting range of up to 1500 sq ft and it works for voice, 4G LTE, and 3G signals.
For a budget option, you won’t get stellar results if you have a really poor signal to start. A 1-bar signal isn’t going to be improved to a 5-bar signal with this booster. That said, a 3-bar signal just might become a 5-bar signal.
- affordable
- 2-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee
- works with all U.S. carriers
- simple setup
- great value
- single-frequency won’t work for every device
- won’t do much to boost a really poor signal
Cisco AT&T Microcell – Best Amplifier for AT&T (AT&T Only)
A downside, though, is that because they work by providing something for everyone, they don’t necessarily provide the perfect solution for everyone.
This Cisco booster is trying to be the perfect solution for AT&T users and it succeeds. This device is called a Microcell because it works by essentially creating a mini cell tower inside your home or office.
You don’t have to install any kind of outdoor antenna, but you do need to be close enough to a window to pick up a satellite signal. Setup is fast and easy.
This is a very user-friendly device and there are status indicator lights for Cell Signal, GPS Signal, Internet Connectivity, and Power. Security is another advantage of this booster, as it cannot be easily accessed by unauthorized users.
- installation is extremely easy
- works extremely well
- portable
- product has been discontinued, so support is iffy
- requires internet connection
SureCall Flare 3G/4G/LTE – Better Design (All Networks)
The SureCall Flare 3G/4G/LTE is the rare 3G booster that pays as much attention to design as overall performance.
The indoor antenna design manages to be both simple and ornate all at once. It’s a beautiful design that you won’t mind looking at each day. But a pretty design isn’t the only thing this device has going for it.
This moderately priced booster can amplify all North American carriers signals and will work for homes up to 2500 sq. ft. The actual reach you’ll get does depend on your baseline outdoor signal strength.
For 1-2 bars, it will only cover around 1000 sq ft with only a very strong signal reaching the full 2500 sq ft. The Flare can boost up to 10 phones simultaneously.
- beautiful design
- works with all major carriers
- very reasonably priced
- boosts moderately good signals quite well
- instructions are clear with good troubleshooting guide
- omni-directional antenna doesn’t do as good of a job as a directional antenna would
- if you start with a really poor outdoor signal, it’s not going to get much better
weBoost Drive 4G-X 470510 – Ideal For Cars & Trucks (All Carriers)
You just attach the magnetic omnidirectional antenna to the roof of your car or truck, then run the cable to both the in-vehicle antenna and the power source that you plug into your vehicle’s 12V socket.
Setup is fast and easy. This booster works with all major carriers. Ultimately, your signal will be raised up to 32 times stronger, resulting in a better connection but also in better battery life for your devices.
This unit uses the maximum output power allowed under current FCC regulations In a vehicle, this value of this booster can be seen especially when using your phone or tablet for a navigation system. You’re not risking losing signal and getting lost.
- 2-year warranty and 30-day money-back guarantee
- works with all carriers
- simple set-up
- boosts signal quite well
- excellent customer service
- it gets extremely hot to the touch
- it can take some experimentation to achieve optimal performance
- price is a bit steep
- fine reach for a car or truck but might not be able to reach entire RV
Phonelex 4G LTE Verizon Signal Amplifier – Cheapest Option (Verizon Only)
The outdoor antenna is a yagi directional model and it does do a very good job.
For the best results, you’ll want to know the exact location of the nearest cell tower so you can aim the outdoor antenna in the right direction.
The indoor antenna does quite a good job in up to 1500-2000 sq.ft of open space.
Within that same room, though, you’ll get a high step-up gain of up to 65dB. It’s fairly easy to install and it comes with everything you need to get the job done.
- low price
- works quite well for Verizon users
- relatively easy to install
- directional antenna helps get the strongest signal possible
- cable is short
- indoor antenna will only work in open space – through walls to additional rooms won’t be a big boost
- doesn’t work for non-Verizon carriers
T-Mobile NXT – Personal Signal Booster (T-mobile Only)
This is a true plug and play amplifier with no need to install any kind of external antenna. You just need to put the booster near a window.
While this mobile repeater has the potential to boost the signal in a space as large as 13,000 square feet, it really works best when you are quite close to it. Although the product has been discontinued, it still works quite well.
- extremely affordable
- works well for T-mobile
- can cover up to 13,000 sq. ft.
- simple plug and play setup
- portable
- product now discontinued so service might be iffy
- have to stay right by it for best results
Buyer’s Guide & Frequently Asked Questions
How do cell phone signal boosters work?
These tools help cell phones foster a stronger connection with the voice and data signal. A powerful antenna receives the signal. This signal is then amplified and broadcast to your phone.
In areas where the signal is on the weaker side, a mobile phone signal booster takes the available signal quality and makes it as good as possible.
This results in fewer dropped mobile calls, better voice quality, and faster upload and download speeds for data.
mobile phone signal repeaters are bidirectional, meaning that they both improve the signal coming to you and improve the signal from you back to the tower.
In addition to just improving your connection, another bonus with signal booster technology is a boost to your battery life. When searching for a signal isn’t as much of a challenge, your phone’s battery will automatically last longer.
Can I get a signal with an amplifier if I have no cell phone reception?
Maybe. It depends on your exact location and your proximity to a cell tower. You can do a search to find out where nearby towers are.
If you are in a very isolated spot with no cell towers anywhere nearby, a signal booster probably won’t do you much good. If, however, there is a tower in your general vicinity but you’re just not getting a signal, a booster can probably help. You need to figure out why the signal isn’t getting through.
In many cases, there is something that is blocking the signal. This could be a building or other man-made object or it could even be something as seemingly innocuous as foliage. A cell phone booster can help you overcome these kinds of challenges.
Where should you mount the antenna for best wireless signal?
In almost all cases, the best location for mounting your outdoor antenna is the roof. This is almost always going to be the spot with the least amount of obstruction between you and the tower.
That said, it’s not always possible to use the roof. When the roof isn’t an option, you should mount the antenna on the side of the building that is facing the cell tower.
It is fairly easy to find out the location of your nearest cell tower. There are dedicated websites for this as well as apps. You can even find your closest cell tower via Google Maps.
Can I get a good enough amplification without an external antenna?
An external antenna is key to successful amplification. When you are indoors, there is some signal blocking in place just from the structure itself. This is why you will always get a stronger signal outside.
An external antenna is able to pick up the signal from the tower via a relatively unobstructed path, decent homemade and professional solutions use a directional antenna.
This external antenna is then connected to an indoor antenna that broadcasts the signal indoors. A few of the boosters on this list don’t use external antennas because they work slightly differently.
The Cisco AT&T Microcell, for example, uses an internet connection to create a mini personal cell tower. Generally speaking, though, an external antenna will have the best results.
What signal amplifier should I get for RV use?
The weBoost Drive 4G-X 470510 is the only booster designed specifically for automobile use and it will work quite well in an RV. That said, you can certainly use other models that are designed for home and building use as well.
The only thing to be aware of when doing this is that most boosters require a certain amount of space between the external and the internal antennas.
For a large RV, this shouldn’t be a problem. A smaller RV would probably do best with an automobile-specific booster.
My house or building has a metal frame, can it cause interferences?
A metal frame can certainly block RF signals. Metal is a material that will definitely interfere with the path of the signal between the tower and cell phones.
At least that is the case when you aren’t using any kind of signal booster. A signal booster works by bringing the outside signal to the inside.
Because the outside antenna connects to the inside antenna using a cable, the actual RF signal doesn’t need to travel through the metal itself so the metal frame won’t cause interference.
What is a repeater?
A repeater is just another name for a signal booster.
When we say that the signal is amplified, that could also be described as the signal getting repeated several times over. This ultimately results in a stronger signal.
Can you hear me now? If that’s a phrase you are sick of saying or if you are experiencing ridiculously slow data speed, you need cell phone signal booster.
Whether you call it a booster, a 4G amplifier, or a repeater, the results from a good one speak for themselves.
Have you ever used a signal booster? Did it help? Do you have any tips for optimal performance or easier installation? Please share them in the comments. Also, feel free to ask any questions about these incredibly useful little tools.
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