multi-device wireless chargers
Nomad Base Station Hub Edition
$99.95 From Nomad, hellonomad.com Dimensions 20W wireless charging (total), USB–C, USB–A
Design
The Base Station looks fantastic in all black, and it gets points for creating its own style away from the white Apple look. It has a soft (but admittedly thin) leather mat to place your devices on, and rubber feet to keep it in place. It’s made of aluminium, while the TwoFold is plastic, making the Base Station feel rock solid all over.
ease of use
This is a compact charger; it’s just wide enough for two XS Max phones in cases to sit side by side. The Base Station uses smaller charging coils than the TwoFold, which Nomad says is to speed up charging. Yet for us it just made finding the right charging spot tricky, with the Base Station frequently failing to recognise our devices.
Charging speeD
Wirelessly charging two devices at once was problematic; in repeated tests, one or both phones got stuck between 80% and 95%. In one test the XR took 4 hours 7 minutes, but the X got stuck at 94% for half an hour, before finishing in 5 hours 26 minutes. Other times it didn’t resume charging at all.
extra features
The Base Station is kitted out with charging options. You get space for two iPhones on the mat (or you can charge one horizontally), and there’s an 18W USB–C port (for fast charging) and a 7.5W USB–A port. That USB–C port lets you charge a MacBook, albeit slowly. Three dots on the front illuminate to indicate what is charging.
Cygnett TwoFold
$89.95 From Cygnett, cygnett.com Dimensions 20W wireless charging (total)
Design
The TwoFold’s white and silver look is very Apple–esque — were it not for the Cygnett logo, you might mistake it for (the now–cancelled) AirPower — so it’ll certainly fit in with your other Apple gear. Its plastic body is light but surprisingly sturdy, with a nice soft coating on the top surface. Rubber feet keep it from slipping on your desk.
ease of use
The TwoFold is wider than Nomad’s charger, so you can be a bit more imprecise when placing your devices — we loved how easy it was to find the sweet spot to start the charging process. The two ‘+’ symbols on the surface are rubberised, helping to keep your phone in place. It’s all very convenient, as wireless charging should be.
Charging speeD
An iPhone XR alone took 3 hours 13 minutes to charge from 0% to 100%. With the same two–device test as the Nomad, the XR charged in 5 hours 18 minutes, while it took the iPhone X 4 hours 37 minutes to reach 100%. Cygnett’s charger traded blows with the Nomad on charging speed, but was far more reliable.
extra features
The TwoFold doesn’t hold a candle to the Base Station’s charging options — it has two wireless points (which is fine), but nothing else. Each one has a (rather bright) light below it to show it’s working. You still get to charge two devices at once, but Nomad’s Base Station is the more generous option in this regard.