Tag: accessories and peripherals

Best 2-in-1 Chargers

With a weighty base, an adjustable Qi2/MagSafe charging pad, and a fold-out Apple Watch charger around the back, this Zens 2-in-1 is ideal for folks with an iPhone and Apple Watch. The Apple Watch pad folds out of the back, tucking your watch out of sight and allowing room for the strap to droop. The pad works great with StandBy mode. You can also fold the pad flat and charge AirPods or other phones if you need to, just not at the same time as your iPhone. Sadly, this has a barrel port for the provided cable and charger (USB-C would be better), the Apple Watch charger can be a little stiff and tricky to fold out, and it’s pricey, but I love the quality, look, and feel.

Belkin’s UltraCharge 2-in-1 unseats our previous favorite, the BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1, which is still a great option. However, the latest model features Qi2 25W charging support to charge compatible devices even faster. It also has a folding design, allowing you to take it with you on the go, but it also works great as a permanent charger for your desk or nightstand. Over on the back, there’s a spot to place AirPods or any wireless earbuds with wireless charging. What’s also great is the spare USB-C port—you can pop in a cable to charge your Apple Watch at 5 watts (or another device); it just won’t charge very fast. (Belkin also has a 3-in-1 version of this model if you want a dedicated spot for the Apple Watch.) Best of all, Belkin includes a very compact 45-watt power adapter and a USB-C to USB-C cable, which is better than many other wireless chargers that cost more. It’s a nifty little thing, and looks great in blue. —Julian Chokkattu

iOttie Velox Duo for $33: This was our 2-in-1 pick for a while. The black-and-gold combo looks great, the magnet is strong, and there’s a weighted base. On the downside, it only charges iPhones at up to 7.5 watts. The permanently attached USB-C cable is a good length, but you do have to provide a wall adapter.

More 3-in-1 Chargers to Consider

We have tested several other 3-in-1 Apple charging stations. Here are a few we liked:

Noco X Grid XDS3 for $130: Well-made, with an eye-catching design, this 3-in-1 charger has a wide base that’s great for stability. It’s easy to remove your iPhone one-handed too, though it does have a relatively large footprint. It’s a bit bulky to travel with. You can stick your Qi2 phone to the pad in portrait or landscape, and the large bottom 5W pad is suitable for AirPods or even a second phone. It supports Apple Watch fast charging, but I didn’t like the way my Apple Watch tended to tilt to one side, and the charging pad positions are fixed (you can’t change the angle). You get the adapter, generous 6.5-foot braided USB-C cable, though, and plug adapters for different countries in the box.

Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe for $100: Twelve South’s 3-in-1 is an elegant wireless charger for the nightstand and gives the iPhone plenty of breathing room to rotate it to landscape mode and take advantage of StandBy. I like that the iPhone charger can swivel up and down. On the base is a fast charger for the Apple Watch that you can flip up, and the back has a spot for the AirPods or another wireless earbuds case. It’s nice and weighty and doesn’t slide around easily. It comes with a proprietary, removable charging cable, along with a charging brick, and international plug adapters for the US, UK, EU, and AU.

Anker Prime 3-in-1 Charging Station for $150: Sporting a tree design similar to our top pick from Belkin, the very latest Qi2 25W charging, fast Apple Watch charging, active cooling, and an interactive display, this is perhaps the most feature-packed 3-in-1 charger on the market. You can connect via Bluetooth and configure in the app to set wallpapers for the clock, schedule night mode to dim the display and turn off the cooling, and track your charging stats in a table. I’m just not sure it’s worth the premium. The finicky touch display is flat, so you have to sit up to see it, and it looks a bit cheap to me. It also feels superfluous when your iPhone already offers Standby mode.

Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe for $112: This was our old 2-in-1 pick for iPhone and Apple Watch. I like the soft-touch finish, the pad on top can move through 70 degrees, and the shelf for your Apple Watch works with any strap. The braided USB-C cable is permanently attached, but you get a 30-watt wall charger in the box. I don’t remember having issues when I first tested, but using it again, I found the weight of the camera end of my iPhone 14 Pro caused it to slowly droop when in StandBy mode. It’s also kinda pricey.

Zens Office Charger Pro 3 for $85: I’m a fan of some of the interesting, out-of-the-box designs that Zens turns out, but this 3-in-1, while well-made and perfectly functional, doesn’t really stand out. It’s Qi2 certified (15W for iPhone, 5W for Apple Watch, 5W for AirPods), looks nice, and comes with the cable and charger, though it has a barrel port.

Lululook 3-in-1 Charging Station for $60: This is a perfectly competent 3-in-1 with Qi2 certification (15W for iPhone, 5W for Apple Watch, 5W for AirPods). It’s compact, you can angle the iPhone pad, and I like the gold finish of my review unit, but I prefer the Twelve South above, or the ESR if you don’t want to spend as much.

Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 MagSafe-Compatible Wireless Charging Pad for $80: Qi2 support provides magnetic alignment for your iPhone and delivers 15 watts of charging, and there’s a spot for AirPods on this compact dual pad. A USB-C port allows you to charge something else, such as an Apple Watch, and you get a 5-foot USB-C cable and 30W power supply in the box. There is also a 3-in-1 pad ($110) that adds an Apple Watch charger on the right side.

Nomad Base One Max for $150: This was our 3-in-1 pad pick, but stock is running low, and it is being discontinued. The MagSafe charger keeps your iPhone out of sight and supports 15-watt charging, the Apple Watch charging puck sticks up for Nightstand mode, but it’s not a fast charger. I tried it with a loop band and a normal strap, and I could fit the AirPods Pro case in the spot behind the Apple Watch puck to recharge it just fine. The metal chassis is heavy and, paired with the anti-slip rubber base, this thing stays put. It comes with a 2-meter USB-C to USB-C cable, which is great if you want to plug it into your new iPhone 16 to juice it up faster, but I wish it came with a 30-watt charging adapter. Nomad sells this one that we’ve tested and like.

QDOS SnapStand 3-in-1 for £80: This clever design feels sturdy and comes flat, and you can fold out and angle a magnetic pad for charging your iPhone (StandBy mode works fine). There’s a pop-out Apple Watch charger around the back, and the base has a pad for your AirPods. You get a black USB-C cable, but you’ll need a charger (at least 25W). I like that it’s partly made from recycled materials, and it folds away very neatly, but the charging speeds are relatively slow (7.5 watts for the iPhone and 2.5 watts for the Apple Watch).

Anker MagGo Wireless Charging Station Stand for $90: This good-looking 3-in-1 charging tree is more affordable than our top pick, boasts Qi2 certification for 15-watt charging, and comes with a charger and cable. It just misses out on a place above because of the offset pad for the Apple Watch. It is slippery, so your Apple Watch may tilt, though I never had an issue with it not charging. Anker included stickers to combat this, but they are a fiddly and inelegant solution. It’s also a shame that the main pad for your iPhone is fixed, so you can’t adjust the angle. But these are minor gripes.

Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe for $90: This dinky, dense, 2.5-inch cube from Anker was our previous compact pick. It has a MagSafe pad on top (15 watts), and the top section hinges to a 60-degree angle, revealing a charging surface for your AirPods. The wee pop-out shelf on the side has a built-in Apple Watch fast charger. You get a 5-foot cable and a 30-watt charger in the box.

Satechi 3-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand for $130: This compact, attractive 3-in-1 is a little smaller than the Belkin, so it doesn’t take up too much room, and it folds down compactly for travel. The aluminum build is attractive and sturdy (the iPhone mount is made of stainless steel). This is on reviews editor Adrienne So’s bedside table, and it recharges her Apple Watch Ultra 2 from 70 percent to full in around 30 minutes.

Case-Mate Fuel 3-in-1 Foldable for $50: Finished in a classy gray material, this 3-in-1 charges an iPhone in a case or any Qi smartphone, and it’s easy to fold flat and pack in a bag. It also has a built-in Apple Watch charger and a spot for AirPods. A cable and a 45-watt charger are included. I also tested the solid Case-Mate Fuel 4-in-1 ($150), which is quite good, but the unnecessary LEDs and Fuel logo put me off.

Best 4-in-1 Chargers

Zens 4-in-1 Modular Wireless Charger with iPad Charging Stand for $78: If you also own an iPad, why not a 4-in-1 charging station? Zens’ modular design has a main stand for your iPad, a MagSafe pad in front to float your iPhone, and a slight indentation to charge AirPods below. The Apple Watch charger is a separate section that attaches magnetically (on either side) and holds your Watch in horizontal Nightstand mode. It feels durable with a grippy, rubbery, flecked black finish made from recycled plastic. You get a 65-watt power adapter, power cable, and adapter plugs for the US, UK, and EU, which is quite handy. The main drawback with this is the large size, and you have to connect a cable to the USB-C port on the side to charge your iPad.

Journey Glyde 4-in-1 Portable Charger for $170: Former reviews editor Adrienne So almost voted for this multidevice MagSafe power bank to get a separate recommendation until she noticed the price. It’s a 10,000-mAh-capacity power bank that can charge up to four devices at a time and uses the Qi2 charging standard. However, our pick for this spot is so much cheaper, and the Glyde does not have a kickstand.

Scosche Baselynx 2.0 Modular Charging Station for $90: What if three spots are not enough? Scosche has you covered with this modular charging station. The basic stand is a 2-in-1 for your iPhone and AirPods, but you can add an Apple Watch charger, a toast rack-style vertical station with USB-C ports, or even an AC outlet with USB-C port, for a big combined charger ($220). The trouble is, it gets quite big and expensive as you add modules, and I don’t love the way it looks, but it’s a neat idea.

Avoid These Chargers

Photograph: Simon Hill

Not every charger will be a winner. Here are the ones we didn’t like.

Infinacore T3 Pro: The T3 Pro is a 3-in-1 stand that looks and feels very cheap, and it got warm when charging my iPhone. Its saving grace is that it is cheap. It also has Qi2 certification and works with StandBy mode. I also tried the fold-out triple pad Infinacore T3 Wireless Charging Station. Aside from the ugly plastic design, the weak magnets meant it did not work well when folded into the triangular configuration (this also blocks a pad).

Groov-e Asteria Wireless Charging Station with Alarm Clock: There’s a wee clock on the front of this charging station, which can accommodate an iPhone, AirPods on a pad around back, and an Apple Watch up top. It feels and looks very cheap, slides around a little too easily, the magnet is weak, and the clock seems redundant when you can set your iPhone in StandBy mode. I also tried the Triton 3-in-1 folding pad, and it was okay. They are very affordable, but you must provide your own power adapter.

Zike 3-in-1 Z557C Stand: This 3-in-1 charger works perfectly well, but there are several better options above. The iPhone pad allows for StandBy mode but is not adjustable. The Apple Watch pad flips up or can be laid flat, and there’s a spot for AirPods on the gray felt pad. It has a barrel port, so you must use the supplied power adapter. What I really dislike about this charger is the ridiculously bright, utterly pointless white LED on the front that stays on the entire time.

Alogic Matrix Ultimate: This 3-in-1 charger has a folding design, supports fast charging, includes a detachable 5,000-mAh power bank, and comes with a nice pouch, but it is kinda bulky, and the white finish picks up dust and smudges very easily. I have also had issues with other Alogic batteries failing and not supplying the stated capacity.

STM Goods ChargeTree Go: This charging tree station folds flat and can charge a trio of Apple gadgets. But there’s no quick-charge support, my Apple Watch kept sliding out of place during the night, and there’s no adapter included. It’s not cheap either.

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