UGREEN MagFlow Qi2 3-in-1 Charger Stand review: Premium, but pricey

Who doesn’t want their smartphone to look like a TV commercial while it’s charging? There’s a market for premium wireless charging stations these days (especially with the advent of Qi2) and UGREEN has something to offer for that.

We’re taking a look at the MagFlow Qi2 3-in-1 charging station to see if it’s worth picking up for your wireless charging needs.

Premium Design

Right out of the box this charger just feels great. UGREEN is fond of designs with smiling faces and the cute robot aesthetic, but it has gone for a simple, clean design here. It’s weighted enough that you won’t worry about large phones tipping it off, but not too heavy that you’ll mind throwing it in your bag. Tiny rubber feet on the bottom give it some extra grip, too.

When folded up, it’s about the size of a portable battery, making it a great travel companion that’ll fit in a travel bag or even your pocket if you’re traveling light. When unfolded, it sits unassuming on a nightstand or desk and offers a relatively compact way to charge multiple devices.

Behind the Qi2 part of the charger for the phone, you’ll find an additional charging slot that’s made for headphones (and most of your wireless charging headphone cases should fit here) and a folding Apple Watch charger. While the other two charging spots are universal for anything that supports Qi or Qi2 charging, this last one is exclusive to Apple Watches. Sorry, non-Apple users.

Efficient Charging

UGREEN’s charging stand is fully compliant with Qi2 wireless charging, which means it supports up to 15W on the main charger. The second charging spot and the Apple Watch charger are both 5W, but it can handle and maintain all of these simultaneously.

To sweeten the deal, UGREEN includes a 30W wall block and USB C cable in the box. No asterisk about needing to supply your power bricks here.

The magnet for wireless charging your phone works very well, but it does bump against the messy state of Qi2-compatible phones. Pretty much any wireless charging phone is going to work with this charger, but there aren’t many phones that have the magnet built-in to snap and hold while the stand is unfolded and vertical. Supposedly, those phones are coming more this year, but as it is, you’ll either need an iPhone or something like the HMD Skyline that’s already certified to the Qi2 spec, or you’ll need a case or accessory magnet to take advantage of that perfect alignment and verticality.

Worth it?

UGREEN’s 3-in-1 wireless charger is great, with a few asterisks. Its $100 price tag is offset somewhat by including a fast charging block and cable and supporting what will hopefully be a future-proofed Qi2 standard. The premium design and feel of the charger is the cherry on top.

If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, this will fit right in. It supports everything outside the box, and MagSafe covers that magnetic charging issue. If you’re not, things are a little more tricky.

You’re already giving up watch charging, and you’ll either need to buy or previously have a magnetic case for the Qi2 benefits. You might also be considering upgrading your phone this year to something that has Qi2, which makes sense, too.

But if you’re fully invested in something like Samsung’s ecosystem or rocking a bunch of Pixel gadgets, it might be best to shop around and ensure the premium design is worth the premium trade-offs.