Since many of us have adapted to working from home you might want to clear your desk of the many different chargers and cables. Now if you are an Apple user accessory brand Kensington has come to the rescue with the StudioCaddy.
You might be asking what is StudioCaddy? Well, the short answer is it’s a device that will minimise the amount of desk space you need to charge all your Apple devices such as your Apple laptop, Apple iPad, Apple iPhone and Apple Airpods all at one time. However, you will also notice if you have a USB-C tablet or laptop or your phone or earbuds are Qi-compatible then you can charge them as well.
Who is the brand Kensington?
Kensington is a US brand based in California and is part of the larger ACCO Brands. They have been running for 40 years and operate in more than 100 countries. They focus on consumer goods such as docking stations, computer cable locks to ergonomic mice. Their products have one clear goal in mind and that is to meet the ever-changing demands of today’s professionals whether it’s working in the office or at home.
First Impressions
The Studiocaddy provides a laptop or tablet stand that is magnetically attachable to a dual Qi device charger that lets you charge many of your devices without the need for lightning or USB-C cables all over your desk. It really does create that minimalistic feel on your desk.
The Kensington Studiocaddy currently retails for £142.99 from Amazon. So let’s see if this device is worth the money.
Unboxing
Unboxing the Studiocaddy was a pleasant experience and you get the dual Qi charger, laptop/tablet stand, power adapter that also comes with a selection of international wall plugs. This is useful if you are someone who works overseas a lot. You also find 2 device rest sizes for the phone to charge and finally a user guide.
Design
The Studiocaddy will hold up to 4 devices at any one time really giving you the space back on your desk. The studioCaddy as mentioned comes in two main parts:
- The laptop/tablet stand magnetically attaches to the back of the dual Qi charger.
- The Qi charger allows you to charge your phone and earbuds on a nice fabric wrapped charger.
Now the Qi charger does allow you to charge your devices wirelessly the charger designed for the iPhone is vertically placed so you can still see notifications on your phone even when charging. However, your tablet and laptop will still require their charging cables but this still reduces the amount of space taken up by chargers and cables.
The design of the Studiocaddy is of a weighty construction coming in at 1.83kg and the studioCaddy does come with non-slip silicone feet at the base to ensure it won’t move around once set up on your desk.
Now in terms of the devices that the studioCaddy is compatible they include:
- Apple MacBook
- Apple Ipad ( You will need your own charging cable.
- Apple iPhone (Qi-compatible models)
- Apple Airpods
They will also be compatible with non-Apple products such as:
- Laptop – Up to 17mm thick
- Tablets – Up to 21mm thick (USB charging cable required)
- Any Qi-compatible phone or earbuds
Now in terms of setting up, it’s actually very simple to do first up decide on the location. I set mine up in the living room as that is where we charge most of our devices but you can also use this in your home office.
You may also want to consider the positioning for example having the phone within arms reach and also setting up the laptop/tablet stand so you can still actively charge the stand if rested on the stand while charging.
Next have to hand any USB-C cables you require for charging any non-Apple devices. Last but not least once you have the positioning set up it’s time to connect the adapter. Once you know which wall adapter you need just turn it clockwise into the power adapter you will hear a click and then it’s ready to plug into the wall. To provide power to the StudioCaddy make sure it’s plugged into the power port on the left side of the dual Qi charger.
Once you have power to the device to start using the StudioCaddy you will notice a power button on the opposite side to the 2 USB Ports. Press the button power and get charging your devices.
You will also notice on that right side of the device 2 additional USB ports you have USB-C (20W) & USB-A (12W) ports useful if you want to charge your Apple Watch or another device really taking advantage of this charging facility on the StudioCaddy.
Performance
I found StudioCaddy to provide a unique solution to the problem of having far too many charging devices and charging cables in one place. It also offers flexibility on how it’s used. You can simply just use the dual Qi-charger to simply charge your phone or earbuds. Alternatively, you can connect the second part together to keep all your devices in one place and charge them at the same time.
My sister in law is a graphic designer so she uses a Macbook as well as a monitor and wireless keyboard and mouse allowing her to use the Mackbook when closed so it can be placed on the StudioCaddy. You can then place the studioCaddy towards the back of her desk now giving her more space on her desk but also providing her with easy access to her iPhone when needed.
Anyone considering this device will be pleased to know that if you do press the power button it will stop charging everything. We found the iPad stand to be in a perfect position to still use it while charging the device or it’s actually in a good position if you are like me who likes some SkyGo on my tablet while I work the StudioCaddy is designed perfectly.
However, there are some negatives with this device. The laptop stand for those who use their Macbook in the closed position this won’t apply to you. However, for users with a laptop, who require a second screen using the Studiocaddy will prevent you from doing so.
The other issue is if you have both parts of the StudioCaddy connected this makes using your tablet a little tricky as the Qi charger will block a good portion of the screen. A way to solve this issue is just to use the StudioCaddy as separate components on your desk
Finally, I also found the fact this is designed for Apple devices at heart yet there is no real space for your Apple watch you have to use the charging cable you get with the watch and just plug it in. It would have been nice on the Qi charger to have a holder for your Apple watch that also charged it at the same time.
Verdict
We have reviewed a number of Qichargers but the Kensington StudioCaddy offers that integrated unit and also gives you a level of flexibility and creates a clean functional workspace.
I found being an Apple watch user the fact my device seems to have been an afterthought puts me off a little but overall it’s a very niche product and really useful if you have a small desk but want to keep everything together. It also allows for versatility having the chance to split the Laptop/tablet stand away from the Qi charger.
The only other issue that might arise is the cost at £142 it might be too expensive just for some charging convenience.
Product Rating:
Overall Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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