If you’ve just opened up the box on your new iPhone, you might find there’s a bit more admin than there used to be when it comes to getting it up and running.
That’s because you’ll find a charging cable is included in the box but no adapter. While this is great news for the environment, if you haven’t saved one from your last iPhone – or if this is your first – then it’s a little bit inconvenient.
Of course, you can buy one, but more than ever before, pushing that money towards a dedicated charging stand makes a lot of sense. Not only is it a really convenient form factor, but also – if supports landscape charging – it can also make the most of Apple’s StandBy feature in iOS 17.
The Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 is the smaller sibling of the stand that sits at the top of our best charging accessories for your iPhone and offers a great option for iPhone users that don’t need an Apple Watch charger too. I’ve been using it for a little while to keep my iPhone 14 Pro Max in juice – here’s how I’ve found it.
Belkin / Pocket-lint
Belkin BOOSTCHARGE PRO 2-in-1 Wireless Charger Stand with MagSafe
Recommend
The Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 is an excellent iPhone charging stand and one I would highly recommend, especially for those that don’t have an Apple Watch. If you do, then you’ll still need a separate charger for it – for those that just have an iPhone and AirPods, this is a brilliant option.
- Color
- White, Black
- Speed
- Up to 15W
- Dimensions
- 120 x 158 x 120mm, 490g
- Great design
- Landscape or vertical orientation
- Premium materials
- No Apple Watch charging support
What I loved about the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1
Having used the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 for several months, there is plenty to love about it – most of all perhaps, it’s ease of use. How excited can you really get about a charging stand I hear you ask? Well quite, actually. First of all, Belkin products are very well made. They are premium in their finish with solid and sturdy materials and the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 is no different. If the Belkin badge on the front was replaced by an Apple badge, you wouldn’t bat an eyelid, because what you expect from Apple products in terms of quality is matched by Belkin here.
For this charging stand in particular, there’s an circular element indented into the circular base for your AirPods case to sit on, while a stainless steel pole holds another circular element for your iPhone to sit on. The continuity in the design is definitely something I can appreciate, and I loved the indented section for the AirPods, so they don’t slide off if knocked. It’s a good design that’s pleasing to the eye – but it’s functional too.
Howeverm many of the things that make the Belkin stand so great are actually hidden beneath the surface – like the magnets that hold the iPhone in place and the reassuring snap it makes when you put it into place. The fact that the magnets are strong enough to hold your iPhone without a problem but still allow you to twist it between portrait and landscape for features like StandBy is perhaps my favourite thing about this charging stand.
It’s also a good height. The stand for the iPhone isn’t too high that it looks out of place, but it’s high enough that it’s easy to read your phone screen when you’re lying in bed at night.
What I didn’t like about the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1
The obvious omission here is Apple Watch charging support. Yes it’s on the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 for more money, but it would be great to have the option here – even at the loss of AirPods charging while I do.
It’s not Belkin’s fault that the Apple Watch requires it’s own puck to charge, but Belkin could’ve considered placing one into the centre of the AirPods charging element so that you could choose between them. But hey, I’m talking ideals here.
The only other thing I could really complain about is having no removable lead on the plug. It’s minor but if you wanted to bring the stand downstairs for example, you’d have to completely unplug it and move it, whereas if it had a USB-C connection rather than built in cable at that end, you would be able to move it around a little easier. Charging speeds also aren’t the fastest at 15W for iPhone and 5W for AirPods when charging both, but iPhone doesn’t support much faster charging speeds than that anyway, so that’s not a huge problem in reality, especially when charging overnight.
Verdict
The Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 is excellent as an iPhone charging stand and one I would highly recommend, especially for those that don’t have an Apple Watch. If you do, then keep in mind that you’ll still need a separate charger for your smartwatch, but if you just have an iPhone and AirPods, this is a brilliant option.
It’s not the cheapest stand on the market, but it’s superbly made, has a lovely considered design and it looks excellent on your bedside table. Plus, the fact that you can turn your iPhone between landscape and portrait orientations without having to take the phone off is really satisfying, not to mention useful – more so than you might initially realise with the StandBy feature about to come into full force too.
