Belkin Boost Charge Pro is the best MagSafe Combo Charger

byFlorian published on

Belkin's Boost Charge Pro chargers with Apple's MagSafe and MagSafe Duo take very different approaches to solving a similar problem. In a world where everything needs to be recharged, combo chargers that can reduce cables and plugs in our life come in really handy. While Apple's first-party combo charger is best described as a minimalist travel charger, Belkin has the utility of what could be the best MagSafe combo charger.

Boost Charge Pro Best MagSafe charger?

The Belkin Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe (that's the full name of the product) turns one outlet into three wireless charging stations. While this has been done with combo charging stands before, innovation with this product uses Apple's new MagSafe technology.

Apple has built magnets into the iPhone 12 family of phones, and this system called MagSafe charges wirelessly with a power supply of up to 15W. Standard Qi chargers reach 7,5W when used with iPhones. . The secret of MagSafe is to magnetically ensure precise alignment between the wireless charging coils. MagSafe is also a convenient solution for creating a “hovering” media like Belkin Boost Charge Pro does.

So what can Boost Charge Pro power?

  • MagSafe (top left): iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 12 Pro Max (or later)
  • Magnetic charger (top right): any Apple Watch
  • Base (bottom): Any accessory compatible with Qi-based wireless charging, including AirPods, iPhone 8 and iPhone X and later

I found the charging base to be ideal for powering AirPods Pro or AirPods with the wireless charging case as intended. The base of the charging station is fantastic for charging other devices like iPhones or even Android phones with wireless charging. The base has a slight divot to mark the wireless charging point, but small devices of all shapes and sizes are compatible.

Practical solution

While I imagine many will use Boost Charge Pro as a bedside charger, the 'hover' design on the MagSafe side makes the charging station a great kitchen accessory as well. IPhone 12 magnetically attaches to the MagSafe charger and works in portrait or landscape orientation. The slightly angled rear angle is ideal for charging your iPhone while using FaceTime and cooking dinner.

Belkin Boost Charge Pro retails for $ 149,99 and includes a power supply in the box.

MagSafe Duo

I'm as excited about any new Apple product as the following person, but it's no secret that Apple's MagSafe Duo accessory is overpriced and ambitious. Although I am a MagSafe Duo customer, I can best describe the accessory as a luxury travel charger.

The Apple Combination Wireless Charger is half charger for iPhone 12 and half charger for Apple Watch. While the iPhone should charge flat on a surface, the Apple Watch's charging pad can lay flat or upright to easily charge open or closed wrist watches.

MagSafe Duo includes a Lightning port and includes a UBS-C to Lightning cable to power the combo charger, but a 20-watt USB-C power adapter (sold separately) is required to use MagSafe Duo. Apple provided a similar charger with the iPhone 11 Pro, but stopped including power adapters with iPhones this year.

Form over function

There's no third charger, but you can use the MagSafe half to charge any wireless charging accessory, including AirPods and older iPhones - but not while your iPhone 12 is charging. Apple Watch can only charge Apple Watches. If you're in a real rush to turn on a device based on a Lightning port, you can unplug the USB-C to Lightning cable and charge directly with the wall.

While I much prefer the minimalist design of MagSafe Duo, the utility just isn't there to be my primary charging station for my iPhone and Apple Watch. It boasts a much smaller footprint and folds like a book for portability, but it's not good for wirelessly charging your iPhone while using it - which even Apple's standard MagSafe charger accomplishes.

MagSafe Duo retails for $ 129 and does not come with the required $ 19 20W USB-C power adapter.

Car Vent Mount Pro

Belkin didn't just design a combo charging station when using MagSafe this year. The Belkin Car Vent Mount Pro with MagSafe also takes advantage of the new magnetic system included in the iPhone 12 family of phones.

9to5Mac I'll take a closer look at this accessory soon, but here are some quick thoughts from me after testing:

  • MagSafe makes it easy to attach iPhone 12 of any size without the need to adjust a compression mechanism to hold the device
  • The lack of an "arm" to hold the iPhone allows touching targets on either side of the screen; this can be difficult with non-MagSafe media
  • Car Vent Mount Pro uses MagSafe to hold your phone, but the lack of direct charging is disappointing; you will need to connect a lightning cable to charge the phone when it is mounted

Finally, the dullest part of a generally cool product for me is the way the product fits together. As the name suggests, Car Vent Mount Pro relies on attaching to your car's ventilation system to hold the mount in place.

The manual suggests using the top of the vent and not a vent blade due to the grip needed to hold the bracket in place, but the vent top on my 2017 Honda Civic (a very common car) was too thick to hold the clip. At the risk of damaging a vent blade, I attached the clip to the part the manual says to avoid.

It works and the iPhone gets really cool if you run your air conditioning, but I imagine the opposite is true if you need to heat up. This is true for all air vents, of course, and my car has a built-in display with CarPlay, so it's not really a product I need. Before I had CarPlay, however, I could see myself appreciating the convenience of MagSafe and really enjoying this product despite the downsides.

Improve the experience

My recommendation would be wholehearted if a future version succeeded in integrating passthrough charging from a Lightning cable. This feature alone would be more worthy of the nickname of "Pro" in the product name, and could possibly join the ranks of the best MagSafe chargers.

As it stands, I have a surprise use case for Car Vent Mount Pro. After testing the Belkin mount in my car for a few days (the iPhone only fell to the ground once when I hit a curb in an accident), I moved the Car Vent Mount Pro on my desktop where it now serves as an iPhone accessory. The side of the clip adjusts to support any orientation, making it ideal for holding your iPhone 12 while watching a video or making a video call - just remember it doesn't charge the telephone.

Belkin Car Vent Mount Pro with MagSafe retails for $ 39,95.

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