Review Belkin BoostUp wireless charging dock powers all your gear in once

The Belkin BoostUp Special Edition wireless charging dock charges three devices at once, although the convenience comes at a price.

Belkin BoostUp Special Edition wireless charging dock

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Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone + Apple Watch + USB-A Port (Wireless Charger for iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, X, 8/8 Plus, Apple Watch 4, 3, 2, 1) - Black

We seem to be inching closer and closer to that perfect multi-device charging dock. Our criteria has been simple — fast wireless charging to accommodate between two and four of our daily devices. In the past, we've examined both iterations of Nomad's Base Station which came tantalizingly close.

Belkin's latest offering takes a different design approach and has merits of its own but still comes just shy of what we would love to see.

The basics

Charging stations all integrate a lot of familiar functionality, as is the case here. The Belkin BoostUp dock has two wireless chargers — one for your iPhone, another for your Apple Watch.

There is an additional USB output on the back to allow for a third device to charge, such as a second Apple Watch, another phone or an iPad.

Belkin BoostUp Special Edition wireless charging dock

Belkin technically has two versions of the BoostUp dock available. Each is identical in function but differ in design. We prefer the Special Edition model which is available only from Apple or Belkin itself and carries a slightly higher price tag. The Special Edition version of the dock has an overall better aesthetic, in our opinion. The bottom has a bit of gloss with a matte center where the devices rest.

The standard version looks a little chunky, with the Special Edition model keeping things clean and sharp. The stand that holds the phone has a simple metal pole to elevate the charging pad compared to the thick back found on the standard model.

Either way, both come in white or black and look better than the bulk of cheaper alternatives found on Amazon.com

Stand up

 

Belkin BoostUp Special Edition wireless charging dock

With the adoption of Face ID, flat charging stations have been a hard sell. When you have your phone lying horizontal, it is impossible to actually unlock it without inputting the passcode or picking it up. That has made charging stands all the more convenient over charging pads, especially bed side when you are near eye level with the phone.

Belkin makes that happen with the BoostUp wireless charging dock. The iPhone on the left and the Apple Watch on the right are both oriented the same direction, letting you glance at your phone or watch at the same time. At night, we can see the time on our Apple Watch via Nightstand mode and on our desk, we can unlock our phone to check Twitter or fire off a quick Messages reply.

There is a minor downside to the vertical wireless charger, though, proving you can't please everyone. By living up in the air, it is impossible to charge anything but a phone or other taller device. If you have a pair of earbuds that charge wirelessly or a battery pack, neither can charge wirelessly and must be physically plugged in.

Belkin BoostUp Special Edition wireless charging dock rear ports

The positive side is that Belkin did include a USB port around back for any of these additional power draws. This is a standard USB-A port rather than USB-C and is limited to 5W. 5W of power is going to be plenty for wearables or other small accessories, but something like an iPad Pro will take forever to top off at that rate.

Belkin BoostUp Special Edition wireless charging dock

Quickly turning to the Apple Watch charger, the charging puck is completely integrated so you don't have to provide your own, leaving it free for taking on the go or charging in a second place. It also keeps the design a bit more streamlined without the need to route your own wire. The charging puck, like the wireless charger, is vertical which allows it to work with any watch band.

Nearly there

The Belkin BoostUp Special Edition wireless charging dock, is exceptional. It has a great design, fast 7.5W wireless charging, a vertical orientation for easier use, and can charge three devices at once.

Belkin BoostUp Special Edition wireless charging dock

It is probably 90-percent of the way there towards our ideal charging station. Preferably, we'd have a USB-C port rather than USB-A and it would be at least 15W output to power all our gear at appropriate speeds.

If you don't mind USB-A or don't have a power-hungry device for around back, then the only hurdle here is the price tag.

Where to buy

 

Review For Belkin's Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand

Buy Now From Amazon.com

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.