iOttie Velox Magnetic Charging Stand 2022 REVIEW

Velox Magnetic Charging Stand provides Dual-wireless charging for an on-the-go lifestyle

While at home, my bedside hub provides USB charging options for my MacBook Pro 15”, iPad Pro 12”, iPhone 13 Pro Max, Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro. The bulky device works nicely for my bedside table and also appeases my wife by providing the power in a convenient, cable-hiding dock.

Plus, the added lower storage drawer offers additional options for storing items like my wedding ring. Unfortunately, the charging hub convenience is often missed most when attempting to power devices while on the go. I usually bring a small hub/dock to power my kids’ iPad Mini devices, but I miss the multi-charge features of my home dock when at my work desk or when vacationing. I turn to bedside/desk charging stands for those locations to keep my portable devices charged and tidy.

UNBOXING

The iOttie Velox Magnetic Wireless Charging Duo Stand arrived in a 4 3/4 inches wide by 4 1/2 inches thick by 6 1/2 inches tall hanging style package. The company name was displayed along the top left of the cover panel in black font with a neon green accent. The product name was listed below the iOttie name in attractive black/dark grey font. The lower edge of the panel provided information about the 7.5W wireless charging stand, the 5W Qi Wireless charging pad, and a “MagSafe Compatible” icon.

The main showcase of the cover panel was the slightly raised, glossy image of the Duo Stand. I liked the contrast between the chrome and black colored stand with the sterile white background. I appreciated the microphone-like appearance of the dual charging device and the upper/lower charging surfaces. The right side panel provided a helpful side view of the stand with an attached phone and AirPods Pro.   Like the cover panel, the glossy, raised image successfully contrasted with the white backdrop. The lower edge provided similar charging info to the lower section of the cover panel. 

The left side panel provided a large image of the duo stand, a resting AirPods Pro case, and a picture of a hand placing the iPhone onto the magnetic backplate. The rear panel provided both pictorial and bilingual (English and French) written details of the dual charging nature of the device. The photo showcased the metallic chrome accents of the stand, a MagSafe affixed phone, an AirPods Pro Case resting upon the base, and the small footprint upon a clean bedside table.

The lower paragraphs reviewed the ability to charge up to two Qi-enabled devices optimally, reviewed the packaging contents, and mentioned the 2-year limited warranty. Unfortunately, you will find “**USB-C wall charger not included” printed at the lower edge of the “Included” segment. Even though the device provides a built-in USB-C cable, you may not be able to utilize the device out of the box if you do not own a USB-C wall charger.

Lastly, the lime green bottom panel provided legal information, product manufacturing labels, and an SKU barcode. I appreciated the lime green accents on the lower segments of the back panel, the top segment of the front cover, the hanging tab on the top panel, and the entire lower panel. The packaging never felt overpowering, the pictures were helpful without overt redundancy, and the black-on-white contrast was well done. Overall, iOttie did a great job with the outer packaging. 

I cut the tape along the edges of the top panel, lifted the flaps, removed the large black cardboard packing insert that contained the charger, and then removed the Velox Quick Start Guide. The hexalingual guide provided three pieces of information for each language, and a QR code link (English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, and Japanese):

1. Charging Your MagSafe iPhone.
2. Charging Your Wireless Accessories.
3. Powering Your Velox Duo Stand.

The instruction manual, like the packaging, did an excellent job of providing useful information without becoming too text-heavy. The single panel detailed the upper MagSafe charger, the lower Qi-enabled charging pad, and the USB-C charging cable.

DEVICE

I removed the 10.7-ounce, 5 7/8 inches tall Velox charger from the large internal cardboard shell and noted the golden metallic stand and dual midnight blue charging platforms. Interestingly, t platforms were dark enough to appear black under most light sources. The robust 3 3/4 inches diameter by 5/8 inches tall base was connected to a 3 1/2 inches tall by 1/2 inches diameter golden metallic stand and a 59 1/2 inches long by 1/8 inches diameter USB-C cable.

The 1 1/4 inches long USB-C end had a 1/4 inches long metallic USB-C prong, a 5/8 inches long by 7/16 inches wide collar, and a 3/8 inches long neck segment. To test the strength/design of the cable prong, I gripped the metallic segment with one hand, the collar segment with the other, and bent it forward/backward twenty-five times. I then tested the collar/neck and the neck cable with similar movements. I was pleased with the design, the rounded oval collar, and the durability of the provided cable. As a future upgrade/enhancement, I would consider adding a Velcro cable management strap to optimize cable management. 

The matte midnight blue base segment had a white charging indicator LED along the front face, the metallic stand 5/8 inches from the rear edge, and a concave, 3 7/16 inches wide by 1 15/16 inches tall rubberized QI charging surface toward the front of the panel. The lower surface of the base provided the product name and manufacturing labels at its center and four slightly raised, arcuate, 7/16 inches thick, rubberized silicone feet around the perimeter.

The top 2 3/8 inches diameter by 1 1/2 inches thick matte-midnight-blue MagSafe phone charging panel attached to the metallic stand by a 7/8 inches diameter by 1-inch long golden base and resembled an antique microphone. The MagSafe pad had a slightly-raised, magnetic, 1/4 inches wide outer rim and an inner rubberized flat base.  

TESTING

I plugged a RapidX GaN USB-C 65W PD charger into an outlet on my wall, a Klein Tools Multimeter into the USB-C plug, and then plugged the USB-C cable from the Velox device into the multimeter. The multimeter displayed 9.13V/0.00A without any added devices. I placed my AirPods Pro (100% earbud/17%case) onto the lower charging surface and noted the red light on the AirPods Pro and the white light along the front of the base illuminated.

The multimeter displayed  9.12V/0.25A. Starting at 17% power at 9:43 am, the case increased to 23% by 9:50 am and 27% by 9:55 am. I placed my iPhone 13 Pro Max onto the MagSafe charger at 9:55 am (90% power), and the multimeter displayed 9.13V/1.32A. At 10:05, my iPhone 13 Pro Max was 91%, and my AirPods Pro case was 31%.

By 10:15, the devices were at 94% and 40%. By 10:30, the iPhone was at 97%, the AirPods Pro Case was at 48%, and the multimeter had dropped to 9.12V/0.72A.   By 10:40, my iPhone was fully charged, and the AirPods Pro case was at 55%. I removed my phone, allowed the AirPods Pro to continue to charge, and found the multimeter displayed 9.12V/0.24A. The AirPods Pro charged to 63% by 10:50 and to 71% by 11:00. The device charged to 87% by 11:30 and was fully charged when I rechecked the power status at noon. 

Even though wireless charging does not provide optimal power input for Apple products, it still provides a convenient method to charge my iPhone/AirPods Pro case overnight. The magnetic MagSafe attachment point provided a strong and durable connection with my iPhone, even when charged within a Catalyst Vibe Case.

When considered alongside the anti-slip features of the weighted base, the added feet provided an excellent foothold to prevent slippage and successfully increased contact with the desktop surface. Thanks to the rubberized feet and the large diameter base, the stand did not easily slide nor tip over when I placed my phone into vertical or landscape modes.

I liked that I could rotate the iPhone without the need to replace it upon the charger and that the stand could double as a bedside kickstand for streaming or nightstand/clock mode. I loved the gold/black color scheme and the overall design of the sleek stand.  

The modern design should work well for most users and will provide charging options for your iPhone, AirPods Pro, or other Qi-enabled charging cases. The only thing missing from the Velox device was passthrough charging for at least a single USB-C device. I have previously reviewed the Pitaka MagEZ Slider charger and its ability to charge an iPhone, AirPods Pro Case, and an Apple Watch with the USB-C Pitaka Power Dongle.

The ability to charge all three devices would add significantly to the overall reach of the Velox for work, home, and travel applications. The add-on USB-C port would also allow users to charge another phone or USB-C device. For now, people will need to use another USB port to charge other devices. Knowing that the Pitaka device had a removable portable battery, charging points for an iPhone and AirPods/AirPods Pro, and the ability for passthrough power suggests that the Velox 2.0 could similarly allow for passthrough power, but would add to the cost (MagEZ price $129).

A quick Amazon search yielded various devices within the price range, that accommodated Apple Watch charging.   Since the feature was not mentioned/provided, I did not feel it was fair to count this against the Velox. However, since similar devices provided it as a feature, I felt the need to at least mention it.

The microphone-shaped dual charger will provide a reasonable amount of wireless power to two devices simultaneously and without sacrificing much desk space or breaking the bank. 

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