Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock with MagSafe review

Macworld

At a glance
ProsDesigner looks15W MagSafeFast Apple Watch chargingComes with 30W chargerConsPricey


Best Prices Today: Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock with MagSafe 15W






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$129.95


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Walk into a trendy design store and you’ll find hundreds of varieties of bottle opener, salt and pepper grinders, and Alessi kettles. There are useless cushions by the sofa-full, leather wallets that barely hold two credit cards and a banknote, and champagne flutes that would fall over the moment a bubble got close to them.

Rarely, though, do you find useful tech gadgets for our everyday phones and laptops, aside from the odd over-priced fancy Lightning cable attached to a pebble. I always wonder why there aren’t more mobile and computer gadgets in such stores. Tech is everywhere in our homes, yet you won’t find a feature on electronic gear in interior design magazines such as Elle Decoration.

Steve Jobs and Jony Ive knew that tech should aspire to timeless design, and it’s no surprise that Apple has chosen to stock the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock MagSafe charger in its stores.

The Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock follows the tradition of long-winded names from the Apple-centric tech-accessory company but it’s the minimalist design that sets the aesthetic pulse racing.








Belkin

Belkin


Belkin

Designer charging stand

Compact and low-level in an elegant organic shape, the bulb-like charging stand is made from at least 60% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and has pleasingly soft edges and a texture that makes you stroke it just a tad too longingly. The sustainable materials are admirably complemented by outer packaging that is totally plastic-free and made with forest-certified paper. 

The dock’s organic looks are complemented by the two available neutral yet naturalistic colors: Charcoal and Sand. Most chargers come in just white, black or gray, and can jar horribly with your empathetic home décor. These two options decorate your desk like a smooth lump of coal or an ocean-washed stone.

The wireless charging pad at the top can angle at up to 70 degrees, so you can set your iPhone in landscape StandBy mode where it can act as a digital photo frame or designer clock while charging in the background.

The chrome Watch-charging pad sticks out from the back of the stand, and can’t be folded in when not in use, as is possible with some compact multi-device chargers such as the Anker 3-in-1 Cube. However, folding the Watch charger back would spoil the stand’s good looks; in any case, it’s hidden at the back.

The BoostCharge Pro looks rather like a paperweight, and measures 4.1 inches (10.5cm) high, 3.1 inches (7.8cm) long, and 2.75 inches (7cm) wide. It weighs 15.9oz (540g).








Belkin

Belkin


Belkin

Wireless charging power

Enough of the lovely design. How does the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock with MagSafe rate as a wireless charger?

It’s a 2-in-1 charger because it can charge an iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time. With the MagSafe pad flat you could also charge your AirPods wireless charging case instead of the iPhone.

The BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock is fully certified by Apple so can charge an iPhone at 15W and fast-charge your Apple Watch (Series 7 and later). MagSafe charging works with the iPhone 12 and later (13/14/15).

It ships with its own similarly colored 30W USB-C power supply and features a built-in 5ft (1.5m) braided USB-C cable.








Belkin

Belkin


Belkin

Price and alternatives

The BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock with MagSafe costs $129.99 / £109.99 from Belkin or Apple.

While that’s expensive for a basic charger, it’s cheaper than the $149.95/£149.95 Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe, which is another design-friendly multi-device charger. The Belkin is smoother and obviously curvier than the Cube but lacks the ability to charge three devices at once.

Another design beauty is the $129.95/£129.95 Twelve South ButterFly 2-in-1 MagSafe Charger, which charges in a similar way but is less of a stand and more a stunning portable charger. I’d have the Belkin at home and the Twelve South in my designer Mac backpack.

One more charger that might blend in with your home interior is the Journey SWIV 3-in-1 Foldable Wireless Charging Station, which is foldable but charges more slowly at 7.5W.

Another option is the more powerful Ugreen Nexode 100W 2-in-1 GaN Desktop Charger, which, rated at 100W, can charge a large MacBook at the same time as wirelessly charging your iPhone. With its tilting MagSafe charging pad, it looks similar to the Belkin but is starker and somewhat foreboding. It does, however, feature three USB charging ports at its front: two USB-C and one USB-A. This makes it a great choice on your work desk but messier when fully connected.

For even more choices, read our recommendations for the best MagSafe iPhone wireless chargers and best Apple Watch chargers.








Belkin

Belkin


Belkin

Verdict

Blessed with an organic modern design, the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock with MagSafe is more likely than most chargers to fit into your home aesthetic on your nightstand, desk or table than most chargers—unless you live in a 1980s bachelor pad. It looks and feels great and will wirelessly charge your iPhone and Watch at as fast a speed as possible.

It deserves a place on the shelves of the nearest hip design store, as well as on full display at home alongside your Alessi kettle and Dualit toaster.

Mobile Phone Accessories, Mobile Phone Chargers, Power