Rethink where and how you charge with the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad, a modern, minimalist-design 3-in-1 power solution, providing up to 33% faster charging for Apple Watch Series 7, while the MagSafe charging pad delivers a fast wireless charge for iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 models.
As I’ve mentioned in a previous review, as our society moves further and closer to an “always connected” world, our devices are still running out of juice at the most inconvenient – or even disastrous times.
Even the top of the line smartphones struggle to make it through a full day of heavy usage without a top-up. But if we don’t want to carry around heavy, bulky battery packs, what options do we have?
Belkin has come to the table with an answer – the Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad (WIZ016auBK), which promises wireless charging rates of up to 15W for an iPhone, and “faster charging for Apple Watch Series 7” devices.
But just how good is it, and should you switch your bulky cables for the sleek, minimalist design of the Boost Charge Pro?
Unboxing & First Impressions
I’m a fan of Belkin’s packaging. The crisp white box (with green trim) is clean and efficient, allowing your focus to rest on the most important details – a photo of the device itself, and the relevant statistics.
Inside the box is the Boost Charge Pro, documentation, and a single power adapter for the wall. Like the Belkin Powerbank I recently reviewed, you shouldn’t really need the documentation, as everything is pretty self explanatory.
The Boost Charge Pro is decidedly different from previous chargers released by the company, including those earlier iterations that hold the same name. (On that note, Belkin take note: products sharing the same name is something that is extremely annoying from a consumer perspective.)
The original BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 possessed a “T” shaped charging stand that would hold an iPhone vertically via MagSafe on the left arm of the T, the perch for your Apple Watch on the right, and a space at the base where you could place a set of AirPods.
This new BoostCharge 3-in-1 is a flat charging pad, with three distinct sections on which to place your devices. While the left most position retains the MagSafe technology for your iPhone, the central position is a Qi charger intended for AirPods, and the right is still a smaller fast-charging puck designed for your Apple Watch, the design is definitely an improvement from earlier models, as it doesn’t limit you to ONLY being able to charge Apple devices – my Samsung S22 Ultra happily sat charging alongside (or in-place of) my partner’s iPhone 13 and Apple Smart Watch. The observant among you will recognise that this means you can charge two Smartphones simultaneously (though this does impact the charging speed of the second Smartphone, as one will have to occupy the Qi charger intended for AirPods.)
The body of the charger is made from moulded plastic, with a soft-touch exterior that feels very solid, but doesn’t come off appearing ‘cheap.’ Despite the plastic build, it’s quite sturdy, and weighs more than I would have expected. The charger I was given was white (it also comes in black), which is helpful as the dust (inevitable when sitting on your bedside table) doesn’t show up like it would on a black surface.
The MagSafe puck has a metal ring surrounding it and it is elevated just slightly. This is helpful if you don’t have a case on your phone, as it keeps a little clearance between your phone’s camera and the charger itself. Initially, I did experience a slight issue with the MagSafe puck not holding the iPhone in place correctly (which resulted in the charging stopping mid-way), but this was down to the fact the case wasn’t MagSafe compatible, not due to any fault of the charger. I can confirm that removing the case resulted in a satisfying ‘snap’ as the phone locked in place.
On the opposite side of the Magsafe puck is the Apple Watch charging point. This is hinged, allowing it to rotate from lying flat, to a vertical position. When raised, it allows the watch to rest in Nightstand Mode if placed by your bedside – a helpful inclusion. Also of note, is the fact you can adjust the height of the puck while in nightstand mode. This means it’s equally useful whether you have a 38mm or 45mm Watch, or something in between.
The power is supplied via a single cable, which connects to a port hidden underneath the device. When connected and sitting on your desk, it gives a clean, professional look. It does use a barrel plug connector however, and not USB-C, so if you happen to damage the cable, it might be harder to find a replacement that will work lying around your office.
That said, Belkin offers a two-year warranty on the charger, so that should be some comfort.
Certifications
The Boost Charge Pro is MFi (Made for iPhone) Certified. The MFi certification process is a series of compliance and safety tests (requiring that the manufacturer pay Apple royalties) to gain a badge on their packaging. It also means that the device has been extensively tested to ensure it’s not going to harm your pricey Apple devices.
In addition, Belkin includes their $2,500 Connected Equipment Warranty (CEW), providing repair or replacement of connected equipment damaged from surges or spikes that occur when they are properly connected to the charger. It’s an additional peace-of-mind guarantee.
Charging Tests
One key benefit of the Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 charger is that it won’t reduce the power output through a puck if you introduce a second, or third device – it will still provide maximum power to all three devices at once. The caveat to that statement however, is that each of the charging pucks have a different “maximum” power output, based on their intended use.
The central Qi charger on the Boost Charge Pro is capped at a maximum of 5W. This may seem slow, but given it’s intended to charge a set of AirPods (which are limited in charging speed) it’s understandable. It doesn’t prevent you from charging a smartphone on that point, but you will notice significantly longer charge times from doing so.
The Apple Watch puck supports fast charging for these devices. Belkin claims that the Apple Watch puck will charge an Apple Watch Series 7 device 33% faster than a standard charger. This means, if you own a Series 7 Apple Watch, you can charge your device to 80 percent in only 45 minutes, and 8 minutes of charging will provide you with eight hours of sleep tracking.
Unfortunately I don’t have access to a Series 7 device, so I couldn’t put those claims to the test. But even a Series 2 Apple Watch seemed to charge faster than the standard charger that came in the box with the Apple Watch.
I was, however, able to test the MagSafe charging puck however, which is advertised to be able to provide a maximum of 15W of wireless charging to an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13 device.
From 0% charge, it brought an iPhone 13 to just over 65% after an hour. Not as fast as plugging it directly into a cable, but not something to sneeze at. It’s just a pity the MagSafe charging point can’t be elevated onto an angle so you could continue streaming a movie while lying in bed while your phone is charging.
Conclusion
I’m not a fan of Apple devices, and only had them to test thanks to my partner and teenage kids. However, there’s no denying that Belkin has created a well-designed charger perfectly tailored to your Apple gear.
It’s not cheap, especially when you consider that there are plenty of 3-in-1 charging devices available on the market, but the Belkin Boost Charge Pro justifies the price tag with the power output supported on the MagSafe puck, and the support of Fast Charging for the Series 7 Apple Watch.
My biggest gripe was the lack of an LED indicator light for each of the charging pucks to confirm which ports were in use and that the device was positioned correctly (the Qi charger for the Airpods has one, but the other two pucks don’t) – although, one could reasonably argue this is simply me nitpicking, given the iPhone 13 and Apple Watch will both lock into their respective places thanks to the MagSafe magnets, making incorrect placement difficult and the requirement for an LED on the other two pucks redundant.
But overall, if you have the range of Apple products (iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods) and are looking for a good, quality charger for the home or office, I’d recommend taking a look.
