How to charge your phone at Jewel
I often recommend Jewel to visitors who do not have much time in Singapore as it offers a microcosm of what the city is all about. Jewel makes the perfect place to visit if you only have a few hours in Singapore, such as if you’re transiting between flights. That leads to the question, what to do about charging your phone or laptop while you are at Jewel?
I have found 5 places to reliably charge a phone at Jewel:
- Borrowing a power bank from the Experience Concierge on level 2
- McDonald’s on floor B1
- Starbucks on floor 1
- Yotel, the transit hotel, on floor 4
- Changi Lounge on floor 1
Wall outlets are available at the above locations for power that can be used to charge a phone. You will need to bring your own charger however if using one of these. The power bank supports all phones.
I took a look around at other restaurants on my last visit to Jewel and many do have power outlets available for phone charging. However I found these to be less reliable than the ones I’ve listed above as I found other people sat at the tables adjacent to the outlets (and they weren’t even charging their phones!).
I’ve gone into more detail on each of the charging options I’ve found at Jewel below:
Borrowing a power bank
Jewel has power banks that can be borrowed for free to charge a phone. The first 12 hours of use of the power bank is completely free.
If you need the power bank for more than 12 hours, charges will apply. The power bank itself does not even hold 12 hours of power to charge your phone with, so I recommend returning the power bank well before the 12 hours is up.
To borrow a power bank:
- Go to the Experience Concierge on level 2
- Open an account with them (no fee required)
- Use the power bank and return it before 12 hours is up
Unlike the other options on this list, the power bank is only suitable for charging phones; it is not suitable for charging laptops.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s is located on B1 in Jewel and has a significant amount of seating (compared to its neighbours).
Power outlets are located on an elevated bench in the “outside” seating area, near the waterfall. I’ve only ever been able to find this one elevated bench to be the only location within McDonald’s where a phone can be charged.
Seating at McDonald’s is for customers only so you will need to purchase something to charge your phone. While ice creams can be purchased for S$1.50, the cheapest regular food on the menu is often S$3. Meals can be purchased for S$8 and up.
If it’s not busy, the McDonald’s staff are unlikely to ask you to leave. Though given the limited power outlets, please be courteous and avoid hogging them if the restaurant is busy.
McDonald’s at Jewel is open from 6:30am to midnight daily.
Starbucks
My personal favourite place to charge a phone or laptop at Jewel is Starbucks. This is because it has a significant number of power outlets where you can plug in your own phone charger and charge your phone.
Power outlets are located at the seating on floor 1, and underneath the benches on floor 2. Not every table or seat has a power outlet for it, so do check before sitting down.
Seating at Starbucks is for customers only so you will need to purchase something to charge your phone. This is a Starbucks Reserve which means it has more variety on the menu, but its location (being in Jewel) also means prices are slightly higher than typical. Coffee starts from S$3.90 for a brewed coffee, but a more typical cappuccino is S$6.80.
Singaporeans like to reserve tables before they order, but this can be tricky at Jewel as not all visitors to Singapore are aware of the system. Reserving a table is called ‘chope’ in local parlance and is done by finding a table, leaving an item there, and then going to place your order. Common items used to ‘chope’ a table include a packet of tissues, a book, or an umbrella.
Starbucks at Jewel is open 24 hours a day. Google reviews suggest they close most of the charging areas at 10pm, and I assume they open them up again at 8am. If you’re desperate, I’m sure they’ll let you charge your phone even it’s closed (I suspect the closures are to prevent students camping there overnight rather than to stop travellers charging their devices).
Changi Lounge
The Changi Lounge is similar to an airline lounge you would find in an airport, except that it’s in the Jewel mall.
As with any airport lounge, the Changi Lounge has a significant number of places to charge your phone. These are located along benches and under seats in areas designed for work. WiFi is also available within the lounge.
Along with power outlets for phone charging, the Changi Lounge includes snacks and drinks. There are a variety of packages available that include hot meals, alcoholic drinks, and showers as well.
| Inclusions | Price |
|---|---|
|
S$33.57 for adults and S$23.98 for children |
|
S$46.76 for adults and S$32.37 for children |
|
S$59.95 for adults and S$ 46.76 for children |
The Changi Lounge can also be accessed using lounge entry cards, such as Priority Pass. You must have a valid boarding pass for that day of travel to be able to use the lounge under one of these cards. Paid entry is available to anyone, even if you don’t plan to fly.
Opening hours at the Changi Lounge are from 6am to 10pm daily.
Yotelair
Yotelair is a transit hotel run by Yotel and is located on floor 4 of Jewel. While the rooms are small they do have power outlets to charge your phone.
A lounge area is available for guests with basic coffee and a couple of power outlets for phone charging. However I believe it’s more reliable to use the outlets in your room.
Most guests at Yotelair book overnight stays and prices are below:
| Room | Price |
|---|---|
| Queen | S$242.80 |
| Family | S$333.32 |
These prices are for overnight bookings and include all taxes and charges. Day rates are also available.
If you’re travelling as a family this can be a great way to get some rest and recharge all your devices. Be careful though as the family rooms are very popular and tend to sell out at least 6 weeks in advance.
Bookings are made on the Yotelair website here. Day rate / hourly bookings must be made by email (details on the website linked).
What’s next
There is a lot more to Jewel than charging your phone (and I’m not talking about the waterfall either). I wrote a full guide that goes through all the fun things you can do during your visit to Jewel, check it out here: reachingsingapore.com/jewel-fun.
