Have you ever gone from not knowing something exists to loving it so much you can't live without it?
I kind of feel that way about MagSafe chargers.
It started out as an Apple thing; why just charge wirelessly when you can actually stick your phone to the charger with a magnet? Then you can produce a bunch of other accessories that magnetise on as well... Battery packs, wallets, car cradles - you had me at magnets.
Unfortunately, because I review a lot of different handsets, most of them aren't magnetic like iPhones are, even if they charge wirelessly.
Luckily, you can usually pick up a third-party case that is, so you can continue using that nifty MagSafe charger.
Now, with the holidays looming, and travel potentially on the cards, you might be looking for a more portable magnetic charging solution. Boy, does Mighty Ape have some options for you...
Today I've picked out three of my favourite Mighty Ape 3-In-1 magnetic travel chargers. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses but I'd be happy to find any of them wrapped up in my Christmas stocking come the end of the year.
Let's start with the Kogan 3-in-1 Qi2 Foldable Wireless Charging Stand.
This charger caught my eye because it's quite a different shape to most other options, about the size and shape of a camera lens. At 340 grams its surprisingly heavy, which may be a bit of a drawback if you're planning on stuffing it in your handbag or backpack - although its cylindrical profile makes it a good contender for sliding into your drink bottle pouch so it's always handy.
Because this is a newer-generation Qi2 device, it promises faster charging speeds and safer, cooler operation.
It'll charge your phone at 15W, your buds at 5W and your Apple Watch at 2.5W - which isn't bad, although some of the latest iPhones and Apple Watches can juice up faster than that with the right chargers.
When I first plugged it in, I was alarmed to see a bright white ring light flash on around the base of the device. I was worried this was some kind of over-the-top status LED to let me know when the charger is charging - an absolute no-no in the otherwise pitch-black master bedroom in the Hart House.
Thankfully, this simply turned out to be a nightlight, that you can turn on, off and adjust the brightness of via a capacitive button on the side of the device. It's not really bright enough to read by or anything but it could be useful for helping you navigate an unfamiliar hotel room in the middle of the night.
The next option is Mighty Ape's own Foldable Magnetic 3-in-1 Wireless Charger.
This is probably the clumsiest-looking of the three but it's very light and folds quite flat, so it's nice and portable.
This model also features a ring "Ambient" light, this time around the back of the phone charging pad. There's a physical button for this on the base that toggles through several different brightness settings, which seems like overkill for a feature you'll probably hardly ever use.
This charger is actually the most powerful of the three - still 15W for phones and 5W for buds, but twice the wattage - at 5W - for Apple Watches, which is especially good news if you wear an Apple Watch Ultra - they have bigger batteries and can take longer to top up.
The third offering is my favourite; another Kogan-labelled gadget, the 3-in-1 Aluminium MagSafe Compatible Wireless Charging Stand.
Why do I like it so much? For starters, it's the most compact; it folds down to the shape of a credit card and is only 22mm thick.
Secondly, it looks classy - a combination of brushed aluminium and matching grey charging pads.
I note there's at least one other non-folding charger on Mighty Ape's site that has a reversible watch pad but I've never come across one that'll just accept both types of smartwatch before.
The pads for phone and buds are rubber-coated, so they won't scratch the devices you're charging and the hinges are reassuringly stiff and stable, so the stand will stay at whatever angle you prefer.
It's not all good news - although its webpage assures me this charger has been designed with Overcharge Protection, Overvoltage Protection, Overcurrent Protection and Temperature Protection, this stand is the only one of the three that does get a little warm when in use - perhaps something to do with its aluminium casing?
It also only promises a meagre 2W charge from its otherwise uniquely versatile watch stand. In saying that, I just popped my Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra on while writing this and went from 51% to 61% in fifteen minutes, so it's not exactly the end of the world.
Lights-wise, it's the worst of both worlds. No "Ambient" light at all and a tiny - but inexplicably bright - status LED right on the front of the base, that had me reaching for my roll of tape again.
So there you have it, the pros and cons of just a few of the chargers Mighty Ape has to offer. Each one pledges not to overcharge or overheat and all seem to be well designed and manufactured.
They all come with a USB power cable in the box but no wall charger. This is a potential trap because you're unlikely to achieve maximum charging speeds if you don't plug into the right power brick. Luckily, Mighty Ape sells plenty of those too. Maybe that'll be a topic for another review, another day.
Meanwhile, priced between just NZ$50 and NZ$62, I'm sure any of these three chargers would make a welcome addition to someone's Santa Sack this Christmas. Or maybe give one to yourself if you're planning on going away and you want to keep things magnetic.
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