Best mobile hotspots of 2019

(Image credit: Roaming Man)

If you carry around a smartphone — and there’s a pretty good chance you do — you already tote around a cellular hotspot in your pocket. So it may seem redundant to pay extra for a standalone hotspot device. But the reality is, while a phone can be perfectly adequate as a hotspot for occasional use, there are plenty of instances where a standalone hotspot makes perfect sense.

Thats why we‘ve researched this list of the best hotspots you can buy

Your phone is often busy doing other things — making phone calls, sending and receiving email, catching up on Slack, Twitter, or the latest news — which also require access to a cellular network. If you don't want the potential disruption or bandwidth limitations of your phone's hotspot, a standalone hotspot can provide additional connectivity. And if that smartphone is your personal device, you may not want to burn up your cellular data allocation for anything other than personal use.

For those times when a standalone mobile hotspot is what you need to stay connected, the Jetpack 8800L is the best hotspot if you want to connect to Verizon’s network. Based on online research and reviews, this mobile hotspot performs well and is easy to tote around. The best hotspot for AT&T customers is the Nighthawk LTE mobile hotspot, while Sprint subscribers would be well advised to turn to Inseego’s MiFi 8000.

Note that mobile hotspots are generally offered through wireless carriers, and unless you’re willing to create an account with a new wireless provider, it’s usually best to add a line of data for a hotspot with your current carrier. Our recommendations note which hotspot works with which wireless carrier.

These are the best hotspots right now

1. Jetpack 8800L

Best mobile hotspot for Verizon

Uses Verizon’s network

Good for international use

Positive user reviews

Non-Verizon customers will have to open an account with the carrier

The Jetpack 8800L is the successor to Verizon's Novatel Jetpack MiFI 7730L, which The Wirecutter previously rated as the best hotspot. The 8800L uses a new Qualcomm modem that is capable of aggregating signals from up to five carriers, meaning that it’s likely you’ll have a great connection no matter where you are, and it supports a broad range of LTE bands and supports UTMS 3G.

Compatible with Verizon's network, the Jetpack 880L can handle international roaming and it supports connectivity for up to 15 Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as laptops. A two-year contract with Verizon will lower the cost of the Jetpack 8800L to $99.

2. Nighthawk LTE Mobile Hotspot

Best mobile hotspot for AT&T

Excellent battery life

Works with AT&T’s network

You need on-device storage and ethernet connectivity

No touchscreen

Expensive relative to other LTE hotspots

The Nighthawk LTE is the best hotspot for AT&T. It has a display, but it's not touchscreen. You can change configuration options, but they must be changed via a web browser using a device connected to the hotspot.

In practical use, reviewers found the Nighthawk LTE couldn't reach consistent download speeds greater than 40 Mbps, which are below what AT&T's specs advertise. But this AT&T-compatible hotspot does sport stellar battery life, with up to a day of usage. You also get ethernet and USB connectors on the Nighthawk LTE, and you can upgrade its onboard storage to 512 MB. This hotspot is capable of supporting up to 20 devices.

3. MiFi 8000 Mobile Hotspot

Best mobile hotspot for Sprint

Works with Sprint’s network

Can charge phones and tablets

Offers a USB connection

Non-Sprint customer will have to open up a new account

Sprint's best hotspot, manufactured by Inseego, promises gigabit speeds and a 3-hour charge time. Users can also turn to the MiFi 8000 as a backup battery charging pack for your phone or table with the appropriate cables.

The MiFi 8000 can also provide modem access by being directly connect to your computer using USB. You’re also able to connect to 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands simultaneously for better connection quality and speed.

With a 24-month agreement, Sprint lets you pay off the MiFi 8000 for $2.50 a month.

4. Inseego 5G MiFi M1000

Best 5G mobile hotspot for Verizon

Excellent battery life

5G connectivity

Compact for a 5G device

Verizon’s 5G network is still in its early rollout

Very expensive

The best 5G hotspot for Verizon is the 5G MiFi, and it is big. It has internal fans and even an Ethernet connection. Verizon has launched its 5G service in more than 15 cities, but coverage is limited to certain neighborhoods. Even then, you need to be in sight of a 5G tower, as the millimeter wave technology Verizon is using doesn’t have a very far range and can’t penetrate physical obstructions. Verizon’s 5G is fast, though — we’ve seen speeds topping 1 Gbps when we’ve tested 5G-ready phones on Verizon and have no reason to believe the 5G MiFi would perform any differently when it’s able to connect to Big Red’s network.

Sign a two-year contract with Verizon, and you lower the cost of the 5G MiFi to $500.

5. HTC 5G Hub

Best multipurpose hub

Includes smart screen functionality

5G connectivity

Can connect up to 20 devices

5G has limited reach

Expensive

The HTC 5G Hub puts as much emphasis on the hub portion of its name as it does on 5G connectivity (though it does offer that as well). In addition to connecting to both 5G and LTE cellular networks and offering wireless connectivity to up to 20 devices, HTC’s hub doubles as a smart screen. It runs Android 9 and a 5-inch 720p screen lets you enjoy content right on the device.

That’s good because 5G connectivity remains fairly limited at this point. The HTC 5G Hub is currently a Sprint exclusive, and Sprint has rolled out 5G service in nine cities. The good news is that Sprint’s midband coverage is more extensive than millimeter wave favored by Verizon, even if the 5G speeds aren’t as fast. But HTC’s hotspot also promises faster speeds on LTE.

If you don’t want to pay the full price of the HTC 5G Hub right away, Sprint lets you pay off the device for $25 a month over 24 months.

6. Roaming Man International Hotspot

Good for travelers

Good for international travel

Good data prices

Redundant, if you’ve got a phone with a good international plan and hotspot functionality

The best hotspot for traveler, the Roaming Man G3 is designed to give you data access anywhere in the world. The device itself looks like an iPhone SE, right down to what appear to be volume buttons on the side of the device. But it runs a version of Android as a backend OS, though it can't really be used as an Android device. That's just what drives the hotspot.

On top of the $149 cost, you’ll pay $7 a day for 500MB of data that you can use in over 130 countries. Roaming Man also offers a rentable hotspot for about $10 a day if you don't want to purchase the G3 outright.

Roaming Man’s rentable hotspot offers all the same features as the G3: It is roughly the size of an iPhone SE, can be used in over 130 countries, the $10/day price includes rental of the device and the same 500MB of data you get with the G3. Additionally, Roaming Man also runs “discount package” deals for some countries, giving you more data for less money depending on your international destination.

What to consider when shopping for a mobile hotspot

Before you shop for a mobile hotspot, consider if you even need one. If your cell phone plan includes hotspot data at LTE speeds, that may be all you need (assuming you don’t plan on using more data than your allotted hotspot amount). If your mobile plan only allows 3G hotspot speeds — or doesn’t support hotspot data at all — you’ll want to consider a separate device.

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After considering what network you’ll be using — unless you want separate bills for cellular connectivity, you’ll probably want to stick with the carrier who already provides your smartphone service — make sure to find out how many devices can connect to the mobile hotspot and whether that limits fits your needs. You’ll also want to pay attention to the size and weight of the mobile hotspot, making sure it’s something you can easily tote around. How you plan to use the hotspot — is this for international travel or just about having backup connectivity on the go — is another consideration since some hotspots are designed specifically for overseas use.

What you’ll pay for a mobile hotspot

The mobile hotspots we looked at typically cost between $200 to $250 if they offer LTE connectivity. 5G hotspots currently cost about three times that, making them dubious choices unless you happen to spend a lot of time in areas where there’s ample 5G coverage.

If you’re going to buy a hotspot using your current cellular provider, you should expect to pay $10 to 15/month for the additional cellular connection, plus the cost of the device. If you’re getting new service with a new provider, you can expect to pay around $60 a month for 10GB of data.