Review For Belkin's Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand

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Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand 10W – Wireless Charger for iPhone Xs, XS Max, XR, X, 8, 8+ / Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e, S9, Note9 and More (White) (Renewed)



Belkin was one of the first companies to come out with a faster 7.5W wireless charger for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus after wireless charging launched, and the company has now had time to create a second round of wireless chargers with a more refined design.

Released this spring, the $60 Belkin Boost Up Bold Wireless Charging Pad and the $70 Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand are Belkin's newest wireless chargers designed for the iPhone, offering up the same 7.5W charging capability in a better package.  

Both of these chargers are 7.5W, which means they're able to charge an iPhone with Qi wireless charging capabilities at a faster speed than traditional 5W chargers. I tested Belkin's two new chargers with an iPhone drained to 1 percent, and both charged up to right around 40 percent after an hour, which is in line with other summertime 7.5W charging speeds that I've seen.

Belkin advertises these chargers as 10W, but 7.5W is the maximum charging speed for iPhones. So if you have a Samsung device or something else that also charges via Qi and can charge at a faster speed, Belkin's charging pad and stand can charge those electronics at their maximum charging speed too.

Wireless charging speeds can vary quite a bit depending on factors like temperature, so you're not always going to see a lot of difference between 5W and 7.5W chargers as explained in our wireless charging guide.

For example, the original Belkin charger I have can charge my iPhone to about 46-48 percent in an hour during the wintertime (when it's ~65 degrees), but those speeds drop when the ambient temperature is higher in my apartment in the summer and I see a smaller difference between 5W and 7.5W.

In general, I've found it's better to use a 7.5W charger to eke out every bit of speed that you can, but on the whole, there's not going to be a huge difference between 5W charging speeds and 7.5W charging speeds, and bells and whistles like fans and power management options (Belkin claims optimized performance via "premium shielding" and "precision resistors") don't seem to make a noticeable difference.

With performance not drastically different between wireless chargers - and to be clear, Belkin's are charging at 7.5W - choosing a charger comes down to factors like price point and design. Belkin's not going to win in the former category, but when it comes to design, these are well thought out.

Belkin's Boost Up Bold Wireless Charging Pad

The Belkin Boost Up Bold Wireless Charging Pad is similar to the original Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad sold at Apple retail stores in that it offers the same simple, round shape, but it's smaller, which makes it easier to use.

I've used an original Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad on my nightstand for months, and it's been a frustrating experience just because it's so large. Finding the sweet spot on the charger to get my iPhone X to charge is one of my absolute least favorite late night activities, and with a smaller area for the Bold Charging Pad, I am able to get my iPhone X situated in the dark much more quickly.  

New charging pad on left, old charging pad on right

Belkin sells the Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad in pink, black, or white, and each is made from plastic and rubber. At the base, there's a rubber bottom to keep the Charging Pad in place on a desk or a nightstand, and there's a matching rubber ring at the top to prevent the iPhone from slipping when it's placed on the charger. 

The rest of the top of the charger is a soft, smooth material that has a subtle Belkin logo, and all in all, it's a clean, attractive charger with no obvious branding.
The side of the Charging Pad is made from a shinier plastic that goes well with the matte top, and an unobtrusive LED at the side comes on when the iPhone is in the right spot, which lets you confirm that it's being charged. I like the soft light that's included on the charger - it's not overly bright while providing me with charging status at a glance. 

This same LED will light up if a foreign object like keys or coins are placed on the charger that could potentially affect wireless charging speeds.  

At the back of the Charging Pad, there's a single hole for the power source. All 7.5W chargers need ~18W+ power adapters to charge at maximum speeds, so Belkin has included its own 22.5W adapter. The adapter has a rather large power brick for a wireless charger, which may be of concern if you have limited plug space. It otherwise has a long 1.5m cord that can reach a power strip underneath a desk.