It’s estimated that more than 5 billion people around the world have cell phones.

While having a cell phone might be the norm, having great cell service isn’t. And that’s true whether you’re operating your phone in the middle of the city or in a remote rural area.

So how do you have the best of both worlds: a great phone and the service to use it? With the best cell phone boosters, of course.

This guide will tell you all about these devices and offer up the 8 best that you can find, according to your needs. Keep reading to learn more.

What Is a Cell Booster?

Regardless of your carrier, cell phone signal isn’t strong everywhere. It’s impacted by obstructions like trees and construction materials. But it’s also the result of geographic location such as hills and distance from service towers.

A cell booster is a solution to a weak signal. Also known as amplifiers or repeaters, they’re wireless systems made up of an exterior and interior antenna as well as an amplifier.

Cell boosters work by capturing what service is available with the exterior antenna. That service is then amplified by the amplifier and broadcast into the room or building that the interior antenna is located in.

Types of Cell Boosters

The Federal Communications Commissions classifies two categories of cell boosters, both of which you can find on mobilerepeater.co.uk and many other online stores. Below, we’ll describe the differences between the two.

Analog signal boosters are also called broadband signal boosters or bi-directional repeaters. The majority of boosters consumers can purchase are of this category.

Your mobile signal is calculated in dBm. This measurement refers to the strength of signal that a cellular network sends to a mobile phone. Analog signal boosters have 63-70 dB gains.

Smart signal boosters, also known as provider-specific boosters, are a relatively new all-digital technology. They can provide over 100 dB gains because they clean the signal before they rebroadcast it. Of course, these types of cell boosters are more expensive than analog ones.

8 Best Cell Phone Boosters

Now that you know a bit more about what they are and how they work, it’s time to dive into the best cell phone boosters you can get. Each depends on the size of your space, your budget, and how much work you want to put into installation.

1. Cel-Fi GO X

Cel-Fi is the only manufacture that makes provider-specific boosters for the consumer market. And this booster, in particular, amplifies the signal to the highest legal limit.

You’ll get as much as 100 dB gains from the Cel-Fi GO X. Keep in mind that for every additional gain of 3 dB, your boosting power doubles. So this is one powerful cell booster.

This booster takes a bit more know-how to install and it’s only compatible with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. But for those carriers, there’s no stronger booster you can get for a small space.

2. HiBoost 10K Signal Booster

If you have a big space, one as large as 10,000 square feet, this booster is the best cell phone booster for you. It’s compatible with every 3G/4G LTE carriers in both the US and Canada.

A unique function of this cell booster is that it has two options for gain adjustments. Choose the Smart Auto option for an automatic signal gain according to the strength of the input signal. Or, control the signal manually with the manual gain adjustment option.

3. SureCall Fusion4Home

Most individuals don’t have 10,000 square feet of space to cover. For smaller homes and apartments, and when you’re on a budget, the SureCall Fusion4Home is your best bet. It covers approximately 500 square feet of indoor space.

For this to work, you’ll need at least two bars of outdoor signal to work from. But to make it even stronger, we recommend not using the whip antenna version of the device. Instead, purchase the version with the yagi outdoor antenna and a panel indoor antenna.

4. SureCall Flare 3.0

If you need a bit more coverage than the size of a small apartment, the next step up is the SureCall Flare 3.0. It’s made to cover the space of a medium-sized home and can provide as much as 72 dB gains.

Extremely economic for the amount of boost it gives, it has a directional antenna that can help you locate the best outdoor signal from any direction.

5. Wilson Pro 70 Plus

For even larger spaces, the Wilson Pro 70 Plus offers some of the highest gains and for multiple carriers are one time. It can be used in medium to large-sized homes and comes with a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty. But, with a lightning arrestor kit that protects the device from electricity surges, you’ll likely never need to use it.

Although one of the more expensive options on the list, this is also one of the best cell phone booster options offered by Wilson. That’s in terms of signal boosting capacity, durability, and ease of use.

6. weBoost Home 4G

If you only need spot coverage in a very small space, this is an economic choice. It’s made for boosting signal in one room but, with a stronger outside signal, you might get coverage in up to two rooms as long as they’re side-by-side.

The weBoost can be used with both US and Canada carriers for at least 60 dB in gains. Plus, it uses a lot less of your mobile battery than other boosters.

7. Amazboost

If you’re looking for something simple yet functional, the Amazboost is a go-to. It’s affordable, easy to use, durable and offers many of the same qualities of the more expensive options – except it doesn’t look as pretty. Compatible with all American carriers, more than one device can connect to it at one time.

8. Cel-Fi QUATRA Active DAS Hybrid

As we mentioned before, Cel-Fi is the only manufacturer of provider-specific cell boosters. The Cel-Fi QUATRA can boost up to 100 dB gains, which is the highest legal limit for consumer cell boosters. However, there is a version of this system that boosts two carriers at one time but is still classified as a provider-specific carrier.

This system works with either a donor antenna or with an enterprise network extender. It’s one of the best cell phone boosters currently on the market for all of its options. That also makes it one of the most expensive.

Better Signal With a Little Boost

There’s nothing worse than dropped calls, slow web browsing, or an inability to access important work when you need it most because of a weak cell signal. And while many of us simply accept weak signals as a part of life in a city obstructed by buildings or living in a remote rural area, that’s simply not the case. The best cell phone boosters can amplify even the weakest outdoor signal and rebroadcast it so you’d never know the wiser.