A desk full of tangled cables is hardly conducive to a productive day’s work. Enter the best charging stations for phones and devices.
By providing a singular dock to house gadgets that need regular juicing, while also offering multiple connection ports to accommodate Apple, Android et al, finding the room for a trusty charging station in your home office is an effective way to streamline your power needs.
There are many charging stations to choose from in 2023, with options that best serve those entrenched in the Apple ecosystem with AirPods, iPads and Apple Watch, and others that are better catered to an eclectic mix of tech brands. Some are small and slick, taking up next-to-no real estate on your desktop, while others take on the appearance of an external hard drive with useful dividers to keep phones and tablets upright.
How to choose the best charging station for your needs? See our pick of the best options out there below. But first, a couple of things to think about...
Are charging stations worth it?
Whether you actually need a charging station or not will come down to the devices you own. If you depend on the full gamut of smartwatch, wireless earbuds, tablet and phone on a regular basis, a charging station is a great way to avoid scrambling through the multiple cables in that drawer and keep all your gadgets in one place.
Before you invest, think about the kinds of ports and charging methods you’ll need to accommodate. A MagSafe wireless docking station might seem like a nice-to-have on paper, but it will be of little use if none of your devices support magnetic wireless charging. Remember also that tech brands including Apple may soon be standardising their charging ports for USB-C connectors as per new European legislation, so while a charging station with lightning ports could seem useful now, it might not be the best solution in the long run.
If you plan to emulate your home office set-up in a company office or while travelling, it’s worth thinking about the portability of your charging station, too. The more compact and lightweight a charging station is, the easier it will be to stow in a backpack or laptop bag. If you’re often going to be using multiple devices in areas that aren’t connected to mains electricity, you could be better off investing in a rechargeable USB powerbank instead.
What devices can you charge on a charging station?
Charging stations essentially act as an extension cord for handheld tech, so as well as the usual gadgets (phones, tablets, smartwatches and headphones), unless you opt for a completely wireless charging station, you’ll also be able to factor in the likes of a camera, desk fan, webcam and portable speaker.
Most charging stations come with dedicated docks for specific devices, such as stands that’ll keep phones and tablets propped upright (in both landscape or portrait) or elevated platforms to wrap watch straps around. It’s worth thinking about the kinds of organisation solutions you require from a charging station and which you could probably do without.
Best charging stations at a glance
- Best overall: Satechi Dock5 Multi-Device Charging Station with Wireless Charging - £57.99, Amazon
- Best for premium home offices: Giobagnara Simon Tech Tidy - £863.77, Amir Amour
- Best for having it all: Zens 4-in-1 stand and watch charger - £119.99, Amazon
- Best for Airpods: Satechi USB-C Wireless Charging Dock - £26.99, Amazon
- Best for fast wireless charging: Belkin BOOST CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Wireless Charger - £139.99, John Lewis
- Best for lots of devices: Soopii QC 3.0 - £36.99, Amazon
- Best for bulk charging on a budget: Maplin 6 Port USB Charger - £24.99, Maplin
- Best for Apple lovers: Apple MagSafe Duo Charger - £64.95, eBay
- Best for safety: Anker PowerWave Stand - £13.99, Amazon
- Best for ultra-organised desks: ALTI Wireless Charging Desk Mat - £99.99, Journey Official
- Best for a sleek charging experience: Native Union Snap Magnetic 3-In-1 Wireless Charger - £149.99, Selfridges
- Best for Samsung fans: LK Wireless Charger for Samsung 3 in 1 - £29.99, Amazon
See our favourite charging stations for phones and devices below
SATECHI Dock5 Multi-Device Charging Station with Wireless Charging
Best for: Overall
A healthy mix of USB-A fast charging ports, 20W USB-C PD ports and a Qi wireless charging slot means Satechi’s Dock5 Multi-Device Charging Station has everything you could request from a charging station in this day and age. It keeps devices well organised with its case-friendly 2cm-wide docking stations and thanks to its slick aluminum design it won’t be an eyesore on your desktop, either.
Charging is fast and, thanks to over-temperature protection, it’s extra safe, too. Just keep in mind that the short charging cables pictured aren’t included, so you’ll need to factor in buying these separately in the overall cost.
Buy now £57.99, Amazon
Giobagnara Simon Tech Tidy
Best for: Premium home offices
Looking to cross that oh-so-coveted intersection between tech and design? Giobagnara’s Simon Tech Tidy is so much more than a charging dock to juice up your devices – hence why it’s stocked among Abask’s (founded last year by MatchesFashion’s Tom Chapman and Nicolas Pickaerts) meticulously curated homewares.
And yes, while the hand-crafted Genoese leather and walnut wood finish is what sets it apart from the rest (and lends it a price tag several multiples higher than most), it’s not lacking in technical ability. The Simon Tech Tidy can charge five devices at the same time – Android or Apple – and four times faster than standard chargers, no less.
Buy now £863.77, Amir Amour
Zens 4-in-1 stand and watch charger
Best for: having it all
The Tech Bar at Selfridges treads a fine balance between design and function. The latest incarnation fo the Zens four-in-one magnetic and watch wireless charger is no exception.
The newest and most compact incarnation of this charging dock is compatible with both Apple and Samsung devices, with a MagSafe compatible phone stand, Apple Watch stand and another Qi wireless charger that will tend to Airpods.
While it gets that wireless charging is the future, there’s an understanding that your gadget stash probably hasn’t quite caught up with that yet, so a fourth and final USB-A port leaves things open-ended for any devices not quite up to speed.
Instrumental to the Zens Aluminium’s design is its angled stand, which will charge your iPhone horizontally should you be slyly multitasking between Zoom call and Countdown, or watching a recipe demo while cooking.
Buy now £119.99, Amazon
Satechi USB-C Wireless Charging Dock
Best for: Airpods
If it’s just the one simple solution you’re after and it involves never being caught short on a train journey without something to plug into a podcast, Satechi’s USB-C Wireless Charging Dock could be the answer.
Cutting out the cables for direct USB-C connection, all you’ll need to do is plug the dock into any laptop or tablet, sit your AirPods case betwixed its grooved edges and let the LED indicator enlighten you to its charging status. Never again will you have to twiddle your thumbs on a crowded commute.
Buy now £26.99, Amazon
Belkin BOOST CHARGE PRO 3-in-1 Wireless Charger
Best for: fast wireless charging
Beyond being a chic answer to your wireless charging needs thanks to slick, stainless steel accents, those in possession of an Apple device for every technological need can benefit from faster wireless charging thanks to Belkin’s rapid 15-watt charging stations. Handling three devices at once – the Belkin BOOST CHARGE PRO is primed for docking iPhones in portrait or landscape, as well as Apple Watches and Airpods.
While LED lights that differentiate between white and amber ensure there’s no questioning whether your gadgets are charging or not, it’s worth noting that if you protect your devices with cases (always advisable), then they’ll need to be MagSafe compatible to make seamless use of magnetic docking.
Buy now £139.99, John Lewis
Soopii QC 3.0
Best for: Lots of devices
A combination of four USB ports, one USB-C port and a Qi wireless charging pad means the Soopii QC 3.0 can handle pretty much any device you throw at it. What it lacks in chic desktop design, it makes up for with its organisation capabilities – four device slots work much like a toast rack for tablets and a five-pack of short charging cables will save your desk from becoming wire spaghetti.
A 15W high-speed wireless charger is compatible with all manner of tech brands, but will juice up iPhones 10 per cent faster than usual, while the 5W charging mode will also work on AirPods and Google Pixel phones, even through a protective case.
Buy now £36.99, Amazon
Maplin 6 Port USB Charger
Best for: Bulk charging on a budget
At the more affordable end of the charging station spectrum, Maplin’s six-port charger comprises four USB-A and two USB-C charging ports to support fast charging for a wide range of devices.
Compact and convenient, this charger is a cheap solution to saving wall socket space, but do bear in mind that you’ll have to use your own connector cables to hook up phones, tablets et al, which could end up looking messy if using full-sized cables. Smaller cables can of course be purchased separately, as can adaptors that can diversify your range of input ports.
Buy now £24.99, Maplin
Apple MagSafe Duo Charger
Best for: Apple lovers
If you’re keen to keep your desktop exclusively Apple, the brand’s own MagSafe Duo Charger is a typically slick-looking option for iPhones and Apple Watches. Making use of Apple’s magnetic mechanism that offers enhanced stability when docking your devices, the smaller of the two docks folds up so that watches can be charged either lying flat or with the strap fastened on their side.
Better still, the charger neatly folds up to almost pocket-sized proportions so that you can easily transport it from your home office to work office to cafe or friend’s house (in case you’re that person who always asks to borrow a charger). Portability comes at a price, however – considering Apple’s MagSafe Duo Charger can only charge two devices at a time, you’ll find many better value options out there.
Buy now £64.99, eBay
Anker PowerWave Stand
Best for: safety
Anker’s wireless charging PowerWave Stand for smartphones and tablets offers effortless charging with some elevated safety and security features.
The Qi-enabled device will get to work on charging everything from iPhones to Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy and Note devices, while the brand’s MultiProtect safety system will quickly detect foreign objects, safeguard against short circuits and monitor temperature control.
If you’ve a penchant for multitasking, the convenience factor is strong with this charging station, too – there’s no need to remove any protective cases that are less than 5mm thick and devices can be docked in both portrait and landscape orientations for easy streaming and messaging.
Buy now £13.99, Amazon
ALTI Wireless Charging Desk Mat
Best for: Ultra-organised desks
So militant about office minimalism that even the thought of a charging dock taking up room on your desk is triggering your inner-Marie Kondo? Introducing the wireless charging desk mat.
A flat pad that offers dedicated spots for your keyboard and mouse while also providing a magnetic panel to fast-charge compatible smartphones and earbuds, the ALTI Wireless Charging Desk Mat goes the extra mile to provide discreet organisation solutions.
Between its two luxurious surfaces – one being an easily-cleaned premium vegan leather for smooth mouse gliding and the other a plush felt – you can also store any paper notes to hide away unnecessary clutter.
Buy now £99.99, Journey Official
Native Union Snap Magnetic 3-In-1 Wireless Charger
Best for: a sleek charging experience
Native Union is a brand on a mission to elevate the everyday through sleek yet practical charging solutions - as proven by this ultra-efficient 3-in-1 charging stand.
Although this stand takes up a minimal amount of space on the side, don't be fooled by the compact design. There's enough space for an iPhone, AirPods and an Apple Watch - so you can henceforth consider all of your charging needs taken care of without any impact on your stylish interiors. Lucky you.
Buy now £149.99, Selfridges
LK Wireless Charger for Samsung 3 in 1
Best for: Samsung fans
Loyal Samsung devotees may often feel left out of the charging station offering with most designs compatible solely with Apple devices.
The good news? LK's 3 in 1 stand is specifically designed for the brand's products, and can charge the Fold, Flip, Note or Ultra, as well as a Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Buds, all at once. Welcome to the fold, Samsung-ites.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon
Verdict
For blending charging versatility with inoffensive design and a price tag that won’t break the bank, Satechi’s Dock5 may not be the most exciting charging station in our list, but it ticks every box. If you use multiple devices for work, we’d suggest keeping it to one side of your desk for easy access. If more for recreation, consider keeping one stowed on a side table near your front door so you can reach for your fully-charged devices on your way out.
