Summary
- The Twelve South HiRise 2 Deluxe offers sturdy construction, a solid minimalist look, and can charge an iPhone and AirPods (or second phone) at the same time.
- Setup is very easy and charging speeds are comparable to most other Qi2 wireless charging docks—so long as it’s plugged into a wall outlet.
- Charging from the base (5W wireless) takes longer than the arm (15W Qi2), and while compact, the stand doesn’t collapse enough to be conveniently portable.
Twelve South’s HiRise 2 Deluxe charging stand is great for fast wireless Qi2 charging, with a couple of small concessions.
Twelve South HiRise 2 Deluxe
A simple, effective, sturdy, and good-looking 2-in-1 wireless charger that doesn’t break the mold, but doesn’t really need to.
- Extremely easy to set up and use
- Very sturdy stand and charging cable
- Won?t take up too much desk space
- Blends well aesthetically with Apple products
- Won?t charge an iPhone in a non-wireless charging case (like most stands)
- Lower power for the bottom pad isn?t ideal for charging a phone
- Compact but still somewhat awkward for travel
Price and Availability
You can find the HiRise 2 Deluxe from most online electronics retailers—from Amazon and Apple to Best Buy and Twelve South itself—for $79.99 (or $79.95 on the Apple Store).
The charging stand also comes in a small variety of colors, including black, white, and glacial blue. However, as of this writing, the availability of glacial blue appears to be limited to Twelve South and Apple.
Minimalism Done Well
At first glance, there isn’t a lot to distinguish the HiRise 2 Deluxe, but in not standing out, it paradoxically helps to distinguish it from the crowd.
It’s very minimal from an aesthetic standpoint, which allows it to easily blend into the background—or your desk clutter. This approach also allows it to more closely match Apple’s own minimalist design philosophy, so it could almost be mistaken for an official iPhone wireless charging stand at first glance.
Setup is extremely simple as all you have to do is take it out of the box and plug it in—either with the end of the included USB-C cable (which feels extremely nice and sturdy) or by attaching the included power adapter to the cord. Once that’s done, you simply place your iPhone on the magnetic Qi2 charging circle, and you’re off and charging.
Though, as with most wireless charging stands, there are a couple of caveats. For starters, unless your iPhone is housed in a protective case that itself supports wireless Qi charging, you’re going to need to remove it before attempting to use the HiRise 2 Deluxe—otherwise, it won’t magnetically stick to the arm and, of course, won’t charge.
A less universal nitpick is the arm itself. While it’s handy to be able to angle the charging pad at the end (with a 70-degree range, according to Twelve South), that’s all that can be adjusted. The arm itself is permanently stuck at the same angle coming out of the base.
This lack of extra arm movement isn’t awful, but it can be somewhat limiting. That, and by not being able to collapse the charger, the HiRise 2 Deluxe ends up being just that much less travel-friendly. It’s still small enough to easily fit into a travel bag or luggage, but it’ll be a little awkward.
Not Unlimited Power
As useful as it is for the HiRise 2 Deluxe to offer two separate charging spots (via the pad on the arm and along the base itself), there’s a big discrepancy between them.
The top spot provides 15W Qi2 charging with a solid magnetic “snap” once the iPhone is connected. It juices up the phone at about the same average rate as most other wireless chargers (approximately 20% to 25% per hour).
Charging from the bottom is less effective, however, as it’s only a 5W wireless charging pad, so it has lower power and is not Qi2. Clearly, the intention is for this spot to be used mostly for charging AirPods and other accessories, but it can still be used with a second iPhone (even if it’s inside a non-wireless charging case). Of course, since it provides less power, charging an iPhone from this spot will take longer.
Also, you need to be mindful of where you plug it in. A direct wall connection will net you far better charging times than trying to provide power to the HiRise 2 Deluxe via another device such as a MacBook or USB-C ports on an adjustable desk.
Versus the Competition
Performance-wise, there’s not much reason to pick the HiRise 2 Deluxe over most other Qi2 wireless chargers out there (or vice versa). The charging times are all roughly the same. What it comes down to is functionality, aesthetics, and pricing.
It’s a good-looking stand that can blend in and stand out in equal measure, gets the job done, and can juggle two iPhones or an iPhone and AirPods at the same time.
Maybe not as robust as something like Nomad’s 3-in-1 Stand One Max, but it’s also roughly half the cost of that charger, with its $150 price tag. It’s also roughly on par with Satechi’s 2-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Wireless Charging Stand in terms of price and function, but it’s more of a trade-off since the HiRise 2 Deluxe comes with a power adapter while Satechi’s offering is fully collapsible.
Should You Buy the Twelve South HiRise 2 Deluxe?
The Twelve South HiRise 2 Deluxe could benefit from being a little more portable, and of course, a more powerful secondary charging base would be nice. However, what’s here is perfectly functional, nice and sturdy, and doesn’t overshoot with its MSRP.
If you’ve been wanting a wireless charging stand that won’t take up too much space (physically or visually) and expect to make use of the second but less powerful charging pad, the Twelve South HiRise 2 Deluxe is a solid choice.
Twelve South HiRise 2 Deluxe
A simple, effective, sturdy, and good-looking 2-in-1 wireless charger that doesn’t break the mold, but doesn’t really need to.
