Review: Belkin’s 15W 3-in-1 MagSafe charger is one of the best StandBy companions

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15W StandBy charger

StandBy mode coming in iOS 17 next month has completely leveled up all of the reasons why official 15W chargers are worth the extra price, and today we’re revisiting one of the most popular models on the market. Recently refreshed with Apple Watch Fast Charging tech, the BoostCharge Pro is even more of a top choice for charging your iPhone 14 while also taking advantage of the new smart display mode.

Belkin’s 15W MagSafe Charger is a must for StandBy

Belkin first launched this iconic 3-in-1 form factor back in 2020 before anyone else took a crack at the same design. Since then, we’ve seen plenty of brands step in to deliver much of the same multidevice charging tree as the BoostCharge Pro. Not to be outdone, the company recently revisited the design by bringing Apple Watch Fast Charging support into the mix.

With the same premium build as before, there’s really only one difference with the new version. But it can hardly be considered a small update and surely makes all of the difference. Beating the deadline of Apple’s requirement that all Apple Watch accessories feature fast charging support by the end of the year, the accessory is ready to dish out the top speed to your wearable. That alone has made it the complete package for upgrading my nightstand.

But there is, of course, more to the story than just the newfound Apple Watch Fast Charging. We have to circle back to the other two points of the 3-in-1 design, and the 15W MagSafe charging really is one of the highlights. After all, it’s what enables the StandBy tech in the first place.

StandBy is already becoming the name of the game for any kind of MagSafe charger. At this point, if you’re looking to buy a magnetic charger, you definitely want it to support the newest features rolled out from Apple. We’ve been seeing a lot more readers upgrading from existing models to some of the more premium ones, which is right where the Belkin model comes in.

Easily the most typical part about the charger is the 5W Qi pad baked into the base. It sits below the two more attention-grabbing features and really is just the cherry on top of everything else. There’s nothing all too unique about it for the form factor, as just about every other multidevice charger of this caliber packs the same exact tech and implementation. Still, it’s hardly an afterthought.

What really wraps up the bow on the Belkin BoostCharge Pro and its $150 price tag is the premium design. The features themselves go a long ways toward justifying the MSRP, but it’s the final level of polish that really does it for me. It has one of the nicest finishes I’ve used from a charging stand, with a soft touch plastic shell sporting an almost rubbery surface. That, paired with the chrome accenting, makes this check off just as many boxes in the form category as function.

9to5Toys’ Take

I’ve been on a quest to get my hands on as many of the popular MagSafe chargers out there as I can before iOS 17 ships in September, and so, of course, I had to see what Belkin’s model was all about firsthand. It’s always one of the more popular solutions out there whenever we post deals about it, and now I really do get why.

I previously talked at length about how Anker’s very minimal and compact 3-in-1 MagSafe charger was my favorite. And I think that might still be the case – we’ll have to see what I go back to after this review – but Belkin’s is going to be far more appealing to most shoppers. It is easily one of the most perfected form factors on the market, and the actual spacing between the MagSafe pad and Apple Watch charger leads to what is undoubtedly a much cleaner setup.

My main takeaway is that if you’re looking for the be-all and end-all of 15W MagSafe chargers, this really is where the conversation begins and ends. Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro really is that good of an accessory, which certainly justifies its higher-end price tag. More budget-friendly shoppers will find the likes of Anker’s cube alternative to be a great option otherwise, but Belkin’s level of polish and thought really can’t be beat.

Unless Apple themselves come out with an even more premium MagSafe charger next month for iPhone 15, Belkin’s 15W stand will easily be my top StandBy companion recommendation.

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