At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- 3-in-1 charging
- Fast 15W for iPhone
- Very fast charging times for the iPhone
- Solid stand
- Includes wall charger
Cons
- iPhone stand is not adjustable
Our Verdict
Already boasting fast 15W Qi2, the ESR 3-in-1 Apple device charger speeds up wireless charging by cooling the iPhone at the same time.
Price When Reviewed
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Best Pricing Today
Best Prices Today: ESR Qi2 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station with CryoBoost
$69.99
ESR is among the first batch of forward-thinking companies to update all its charging solutions to the 15W Qi2 standard. Its first update was to the popular 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set, which was first available as a 7.5W MagSafe-compatible charger and then a 15W Qi2 version.
The company has now refined its Qi2 3-in-1 charger with a cooling technology that it calls CryoBoost. In fact, this is the the second-generation of CryoBoost, which seeks to solve the biggest efficiency-blocker in wireless charging: heat. If a device is too hot or too cold, wireless charging and indeed general battery performance is negatively affected.
CryoBoost’s open duct system improves airflow and therefore cooling efficiency. ESR claims this can reduce connected device temperatures by 42°F (5.5°C), ensuring safer and more stable charging. It is meant to keep your phone below 100.8° F (38.2°C) during charging.
The charging pad is cooled by a fan, and ESR has reduced fan noise from 30dB to 25dB—don’t worry, you’ll barely hear it even if you put your ear right next to it.
Simon Jary / Foundry
Design
This latest version retains the same classic slim 3-in-1 charging stand design as the non-cooled ESR 3-in-1 Qi2 Charger with the magnetic charging pad for iPhone raised 4 inches from the desk. At its base is a 5W Qi charging pad for your AirPods case.
The charger’s overall footprint is small. It measures 3.7 x 3.7 x 7 inches (9.5 x 9.5 x 18cm) and weighs 12.3oz (350g).
At the back of the iPhone charging pad is the charging module for Apple Watch. This is officially Apple certified for Watch fast charging.
Simon Jary / Foundry
Handily, you can detach the Watch charger and take with you if you need to charge your Watch while away—and Watch users will know that the Apple device needs frequent charging. It can be connected to any USB-C charger or port—say one of your MacBook’s Thunderbolt ports.
When carrying the Watch charging unit, remember to re-attach the lid to protect the USB-C connector.
ESR
The phone-charging module is fixed and so isn’t adjustable in terms of tilting and angling. If you are happy with the set angle and don’t require further adjustment, this shouldn’t bother you, but if you are a phone fiddler you might want to look at a more adjustable stand such as the (albeit at $149 much more expensive) Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe.
Closer in price is the $129 Satechi 3-in-1 Foldable Qi2 Wireless Charging Stand, which is much more flexible and indeed portable.
The ESR Charger ships with a 30W USB-C wall charger and cable. It is available in black or white colors
Simon Jary / Foundry
Performance
The special feature is the CryoBoost cooling that ESR claims can reduce temperatures created by the charging process. With a cooler battery, charging should be more efficient and therefore faster.
Although I am aware of the effect of high temperatures on battery performance and have tested enough chargers to know that some can run quite hot, I was sceptical about the claims. Maybe it was the CryoBoost name that sounds a bit too super-hero to ring true.
However, in my tests there is no doubt that the ESR 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set with CryoBoost charged my test iPhone 16 Pro significantly faster than two other wireless chargers I tested it against (one Apple-certified MagSafe, and one Qi2).
While both MagSafe and Qi2 support up to 15W in wireless charging, the results were quite clear. Where the MagSafe charger took over two hours to charge the phone to 80% and the standard Qi2 charger a little faster at an hour and 45 minutes, the ESR CryoBoost Qi2 charger took just over an hour to recharge the phone to 80%.
Charging times did vary—maybe also down to temperature—and in one test we charged from 5% to 100% in one hour and eight minutes using the ESR. As such, we can confidently say that the CryoBoost technology dramatically reduces iPhone wireless charging times.
Charging slows down as the battery fills up—to protect the phone by not fire-hosing power into its battery when it needs only a few percent to reach full charge—the best stage to look at is between 0% and 50%. Using the very fastest wireless charger there is—Apple’s 25W MagSafe Charger—we charged our iPhone 16 Pro from 0% to 50% in just 30 minutes. The 15W CryoBoost 3-in-1 Charger took just 10 minutes longer—and remember that it, unlike the simple Apple Charger, can charge three devices at the same time.
See our reviews and tests of the best MagSafe chargers for more options.
Simon Jary / Foundry
Price
Despite the faster charging and clever cooling technology, the ESR 3-in-1 CryoBoost Charger costs just $10/£10 more than the standard Qi2 version: $79.99 / £89.99 vs $69.99 / £79.99.
Should you buy the ESR 3-in-1 CryoBoost Charger?
We liked the sturdy yet slight ESR 3-in-1 Travel Wireless Charging Set even without the new CryoBoost cooling technology. Its a neat, simple design with the added handiness of the detachable Watch charging unit. We would certainly recommend spending the small extra amount to significantly speed up wireless charging times.
