Quick review
The good
The not-so-good
We’ve seen Belkin talk up 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 Boost Charge models, but what is a standard Belkin BoostCharge Pro? It’s a charger for one device, and in the latest, it’ll even play nicely with future Android phones, too.
Wireless charging has been around for over a decade, but despite its age, not everyone has access to it. Many phones in the mid-range to the high-end support the technology, but there are notable differences, mainly covering charging speed and whether the tech is magnetic or not.
We love magnets in gadgets, and there’s a great reason why: it adds to the convenience.
In one move, you can attach your phone to a stand and start the charging process. Sure, it’s a little slower than a cable charger, but it’s a whole lot more convenient, and almost feels like a bit of magic.
Belkin has long been playing in this space, and while it’s not the only maker of magnetic chargers, it has quite a few to choose from. The latest is particularly small, designed to charge one gadget with a magnetic hold, and it might also be handy beyond the typical iPhone MagSafe connection.
What is the Belkin BoostCharge Pro Convertible stand?
Another Belkin gadget with a ridiculously long name, the BoostCharge Pro Convertible Magnetic Qi2 Charging Stand is actually us shortening the name for what it is really is.
If Belkin had its way with our wording, it would be the very long title of “BoostCharge Pro Convertible Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand with Qi2 15W reviewed”. That’s a big name, and it’s one of several given Belkin has a few Qi2/MagSafe chargers on the way.
For us, it’s just a single magnetic Boost Charge Pro Convertible Stand designed to fold flat, which makes it a “convertible”.
Like a convertible car, it can change shape, moving its stand from a flat position into an upright one, so you can either have a phone lying flat or standing up. It makes sense when you think about it.
What does it do?
Plug in the supplied cable and 20W charging block, and the BoostCharge Pro convertible quickly becomes a charging stand for supported gadgets. Specifically, that’s anything with MagSafe — so the current iPhone range from the iPhone 12 onwards, but not the iPhone SE — plus upcoming devices with Qi2 in the Android camp.
Even though Qi2 was expected to come out in devices this year, it has largely been a bit of a fizzer so far. New Android phones have so far skipped the tech, and we’re hoping maybe 2025 is the year Qi2 becomes a reality.
However, when that reality does eventuate, Belkin’s single convertible charging panel will be ready, supporting up to 15W of wireless charging for supported devices.
Does it do the job?
Testing it with an iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can easily snap the phone and start charging, which is what we expect from MagSafe in general.
The design of the BoostCharge Convertible is clever, simply because it’s not stuck in its position like other Belkin stands. Rather, the stand is on a hinge, and you can flatten the entire thing or raise it up. When packed down, it’s small enough to go into luggage all too easily, turning it into a stand you can use whenever, even if you don’t feel like charging it.
What does it need?
The one thing Belkin’s standard Boost Charge needs is an extra USB-C port, largely because you probably have more than one device that needs charging.
As it is, the included power pack supports 20W, which is handy since Qi2 like MagSafe supports a maximum of 15 watts wireless charging. That means there’s likely 5 watts left that theoretically could have been used to charge something else, like a pair of wireless earphones that normally uses 5 watts of power.
An extra USB-C port on the side would have given Boost Charge owners the ability to charge something extra, simply by adding a plug. It would have been their choice, and would have made this simple charger that much more effective.
Is it worth your money?
At a shade under $100, the $99 Belkin is asking for seems fine, though it might be a little higher than you expect.
Wireless charging stands tend to run from the $50 mark, but often come with two pads rather than one. Belkin’s convertible charging stand is just the one stand, with the main gimmick being the convertible design: fold it flat and take it with you. Great.
As to whether it’s worth that extra $50 simply based on design, that’ll come down to your own choices.
Yay or nay?
We like the BoostCharge Pro Convertible charger, but feel the price is a little high.
Maxing out at $70 would make more sense for us, largely because while the design is good, it still only handles one device, and doesn’t let you connect out to another. There are some obvious ways this could be fixed, but in version one, the limitations are clear to this reviewer.
If the price drops, the BoostCharge Pro Convertible will make an easy purchase. For now, it feels like the sort of thing owners of one device will dig, and maybe that’s it. But that could change in time. For now, it’s a bit of compact convenience for Qi2 to go. If that’s what you’re into, have at it.
