Anker’s new MagGo collection recently launched with a series of chargers that all pack unique designs. Among the lineup, none are quite as interesting as the Anker MagGo Charging Station, which delivers seven different ports on top of MagSafe and a spherical design. But is this power orb worth the price? That’s what our latest Tested with 9to5Toys review seeks to answer.
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Hands-on with the new Anker MagGo Charging Station
Entering as the flagship release from the new Anker MagGo lineup, its 8-in-1 Charging Station arrives with a versatile selection of power prowess and quite the novel design. Leading the way are three full-size AC outlets that pair with two 2.4A USB-A slots. Not to mention, two USB-C ports capable of dishing out 65W of power.
And because this is an entity into the MagGo collection, Anker has of course included the headlining feature of a 7.5W MagSafe pad on the front of the charging station. But is the convenience of having MagSafe built into a power strip worth the $99.99 price tag? Let’s take a closer look.
Here’s a closer look at the spec sheet:
- Snap your iPhone 12 magnetically into place to enjoy safe and effortless wireless charging.
- A built-in magnetic charging pad, 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, and 3 AC outlets make powering up your entire desktop a breeze.
- With all the ports on the back of the charging station, you can direct messy cables behind your desk while keeping the clean and tidy magnetic charging pad facing forward. Connect to either USB-C port to give your laptop a 65W charge, power up tablets at high speed, or charge your iPhone 12 to 50% in just 30 minutes.
9to5Toys’ Take
After launching its MagGo collection in October, I’ve been working my way through Anker’s latest lineup. After checking out its new MagSafe power bank and 2-in-1 charger, the attention now turns to the collection’s flagship release. And after spending some time with Anker MagGo Desktop Charging Station, it’s safe to say that it lives up to that status.
Right off the bat, my favorite thing about the new release is its spherical design. There’s something about companies opting to pack various tech into orbs that always gets my attention, and the folks at Anker have certainly managed to do just that. And if that weren’t enough, this offering comes in one of several colorways including white, blue, and black.
The main feature of the Anker MagGo Charging Station has to be the integrated MagSafe charging pad, which is front and center on the device. Almost like you took a slice out of the charging orb, there is a 7.5W magnetic mount for placing an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13. It has the same magnetic holding power we’ve come to expect from the other MagGo accessories, which is to say quite notable, even compared to the likes of Apple.
That design does have some drawbacks though, as the array of actual ports and outputs are a bit awkward depending on what you’re plugging in. The series of USB-C and USB-A ports are just fine and work as you’d expect. But plug in anything that has a larger wall adapter into one of the three AC outlets, and things get a bit cluttered. It’s nice if you want a desktop solution for occasionally plugging in a temporary charger or something, but if you plan to pick up the Anker MagGo Charging Station as your desk’s main power supply, it might be worth just grabbing a more affordable surge protector instead.
All told, I think the biggest issue with the Anker MagGo Charging Station is its price tag. As versatile of an option as this is, the $100 price tag is really only justified by its novel design. If this was even $90 instead, it would be a much easier recommendation. Even so, this will continue to sit in my family room as a place to charge up my iPhone 13 throughout the day while having access to pretty much any other port I could need. It isn’t perfect, but I am certainly sold on all of the features that make this a unique addition to your charging kit.
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