The best Apple Watch stands and docks

Now that the Apple Watch is officially in the wild, it’s clear that stands and docks make sense for two reasons: they keep metal and metal-accented bands from getting scuffed up, and guarantee a stable charging connection all night long. Some stands also serve as beautiful displays for your Watch, as well. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to the best Apple Watch stands and docks to help you choose one that’s great for your needs. Every solution relies upon the Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable includes in each Apple Watch box, so what you’re getting is a stand with the ability to manage the Watch and charger.

Inside, I’ll show you a large collection of stands that range in price from $20 to $135, with considerably different levels of sophistication. Some are just basic plastic holders for Apple’s charger, while others have really nice designs made from metal, leather, and wood. Updated with new Apple Watch options on October 22, 2015!

Nomad’s Pod ($60) is one of the first two Apple Watch docks — the roughly 3.1″-diameter, 1″ tall puck has an 1800mAh battery inside, cord-managing an Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable you self-supply. It’s small enough to toss in a pocket or bag, and can keep your Watch running for several days; my tests with a 42mm Apple Watch got nearly 3 full recharges, and the smaller 38mm Apple Watch should easily get over 3 charges. We’ve reviewed Pod here.

Boostcase’s Bloc ($80-$100) is another of the first two Apple Watch docks. Measuring 9.9″-long, 2″-wide, 0.6″ thick, it hides a 2000mAh battery and a self-supplied Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable within a boxy metal or wood frame. Multiple colors and materials are available, and it’s capable of recharging any Apple Watch at least 3 times. It’s notably marked “Carte Blanche,” part of a new sub-brand from Boostcase. We’ve reviewed Bloc here.

Mophie’s Watch Dock ($60) is actually a stand — there’s nothing electronic inside — but is a rarity in combining metal and leather in a single design. Aluminum is used for the base and to elevate the Watch well above the surface of your nightstand, while leather accents atop the base and behind the watch glam it up. Cord management is elegant enough that the Watch Dock could easily be used for in-store displays. We’ve reviewed the Watch Dock here.

Nomad’s Stand for Apple Watch ($60) is probably the most futuristic of the Apple Watch stands, and a top pick of 9to5Mac’s editors. Offered in silver or space gray aluminum, it hides the magnetic charger directly behind the watch and runs the cable around the top edge, invisibly. A piece of copper is inside, as well, to give it the necessary weight to hold any version of the Apple Watch in place. We’ve reviewed the Stand here.

Just Mobile’s TimeStand ($40) builds on the company’s long history of elegantly-designed metal accessories with a rubber-padded aluminum cylinder that holds your Apple Watch sturdily upright while requiring less than 4 cubic inches of space. The circular top tapers to a 1.75″ by 1.95″ oval, with a C-shaped central hole to hold your Apple Watch’s band. Although the top angle is just shy of compatible with watchOS 2’s Nightstand Mode, it’s otherwise a really nice design — and very affordable for a quality metal stand. You can now choose from silver or black versions. We’ve reviewed TimeStand here.

Just Mobile’s Lounge Dock ($40) is an alternative to TimeStand that trades elegance for versatility. A 3.6″ circular base attaches to a metal arm and pivoting plastic Apple Watch holder, capable of adjusting to whatever angle you prefer for interacting with and viewing the Watch’s screen. If you flip your Watch on its side, you can use watchOS 2’s Nightstand Mode, though unlike the simpler-looking TimeStand, there’s no cable management to speak of. We’ve reviewed Lounge Dock here.

Elago Design’s W Stand ($30) is a budget-conscious option combining a hollow aluminum tube with thick rubber top and bottom caps. You can choose from silver, champagne gold, dark gray or black metal depending on the Apple Watch you’re looking to match or accent. Each W Stand is surprisingly tall at 6″ in height, and substantially weighted to avoid accidental movement. We’ve reviewed W Stand here.

SwitchEasy’s Blocks for Apple Watch ($20) is a do-it-yourself stand, arriving as a kit with 92 Lego-compatible (but not actually Lego) plastic pieces. Instructions show you how to create either an elevated Apple Watch stand or a combined Apple Watch and iPhone stand, using self-supplied cables and a SwitchEasy-made custom Apple Watch holder. You can use the included blocks (or additional Legos) to design something completely different if you like. We’ve reviewed Blocks here.

Navitech’s Apple Watch Series Dock ($35-$40) is one of the only stands I’ve seen that claims to go beyond just holding the Apple Watch and its inductive charger. In addition to offering oak wood ($35) and aluminum ($40) versions, Navitech claims that its dock includes an “intelligent IC chip” that “automatically switches to a saver mode to prevent overcharging and damaging your Apple Watch” when the battery is charged. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Apple built the same functionality directly into the Watch, but if you prefer redundancy… yeah.

Pad & Quill’s Luxury Pocket Stand for Apple Watch ($80) is offered in two different colors (cherry or mahogany), and is handmade from a single block of wood in Minneapolis, MN. Unlike most of the stands here, it can be folded flat for travel, or left upright in the position shown here. A recess lets you wind Apple’s charging cord up at the bottom. We’ve reviewed the Luxury Pocket Stand here.

SchuttenWorks’ Wave Apple Watch Charging Stand ($75) is available in your choice of seven different woods, and handmade in Portland, OR. Magnets inside the two-piece stand make assembly super easy, and the elegant curved design supports Apple Watches with open- or closed-loop bands. It’s a little less expensive than comparable-quality wood stands, too, though the Watch’s face sticks straight up — a potential issue if you want to use watchOS 2’s upcoming Nightstand Mode. We’ve reviewed Wave here.

SchuttenWorks’ Ripple Apple Watch Charging Stand ($50) is specifically designed for people who care about watchOS 2.0’s Nightstand Mode. Laying your Apple Watch on its side, it provides an easy screen viewing angle and the right orientation to trigger the feature — plus enough support to keep your Watch charging. Three different wood choices are available, fewer than Wave, but the same magnetic assembly system is included, and the build quality is just as nice. It’s an aggressively priced stand given the genuine wood it uses. We’ve reviewed Ripple here.

Enblue Technology’s Premium One series of docks ($65 and up) are made from aluminum, and comes in W1 (Apple Watch only, $65), W2 (Watch + iPhone, $115), and W3 (Watch + iPhone + iPad, $135) versions. Beyond the impressive build quality, which is appropriate to the price points, the multi-docking Premium One stands include adjustable Lightning connectors for superb case compatibility, and wall power supplies. If you want a multi-device dock with Apple Watch support, these are excellent options. We’ve reviewed Premium One W3 here.

Belkin’s Charge Dock for Apple Watch + iPhone ($130) is the first dock to actually ship with an Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Cable pre-installed, as well as an adjustable Lightning connector for simultaneously charging your iPhone. A single power supply lets you refuel both devices at the same time, and the substantial sandblasted metal base looks nice with a chrome support bar sticking out. We’ve reviewed Charge Dock here.

Spigen’s S330 Apple Watch Stand ($20) is one of the least expensive stands for the Apple Watch, though it’s also the simplest. Mimicking the design of iMac and Apple display legs, it is a piece of gently curved aluminum with a hole in the back for cable routing, and a plastic holder on top to keep the magnetic charging disc in place. It could be a good choice if you need a spare charger to keep next to the iMac you’re working on during the day. We’ve reviewed the S330 here.

Twelve South’s HiRise for Apple Watch ($50) is based upon the metal stands I’ve really liked for the iPhone and iPad, with an extremely similar (but more padded) design. A clean circular hole in the top bar holds Apple’s magnetic charger, with grooves to keep the cord out of sight. Silver or black versions are available, each with a rubber anti-slip base. We’ve reviewed HiRise here.

Twelve South’s Forté ($60) takes major steps up in design and materials compared with HiRise. Made from chrome-finished metal with a grain leather pad on the base, it accommodates Apple Watches with any type of band, in any orientation. While the back isn’t as nicely finished as the front and sides, it’s a very nice-looking and -feeling stand for its price. We’ve reviewed Forté here.

Griffin Technology’s WatchStand ($30) is an outlier in that it’s made from plastic and deliberately much taller than the other stands here, with a subtly ridged base. The reason: you can actually rest your iPhone (on its long edge) beside the Watch and charge them in the same place, assuming that you provide both of the cables. WatchStand’s top slides open to manage Apple’s inductive charging cable and disc; your iPhone’s cable will need to hang around off to the side on its own. We’ve reviewed the WatchStand here.

CalypsoCrystal’s TimelessMoment ($129) is a leather arch offered in white beige, bordeaux red, orange, or black versions. It’s one of the most expensive Apple Watch stands out there, and designed to appeal to Edition buyers with luxe materials and a more elegant jewelry store-like shape. Steel Apple Watch buyers with leather straps might dig it, too.

Dodocase’s Charging Stand for Apple Watch ($100) is another of the wood Apple Watch stand options, here made from walnut with a solid steel base to support its unique shape. Like the other stands, it has a carved route for the Apple charging cable’s wiring; you can also travel with it if you wind the cable around its center. As it’s handcrafted to order, the company is promising to ship 4-6 weeks after an order is placed.

Howard Electronics’ HEDock ($49) is an aluminum stand coated with urethane to prevent scratches, with a relatively simple approach to managing Apple’s charging cable: the wire just runs off to the left hand side. Offered in silver, the design is modern and attractive, and the company is still taking reservations.

Moxiware’s Apple Watch Dock / Stand ($50-$60) and Apple Watch Dock Duo ($70-$80) both have really nice designs. The Dock comes in silver or black and can be turned to your choice of orientations to display the watch, though the screen will be facing upright in any of them. Dock Duo holds both the Apple Watch and an iPhone above a black or silver aluminum dock, using a wood support to keep Apple’s devices facing forwards.

The Coop Idea’s Mount ($19) is included here because it’s the first completely silicone rubber Apple Watch stand. There’s also a place to rest the iPhone in front. It’s being offered in pink, yellow, blue, and black.

ElevationLab’s NightStand for Apple Watch ($29) is another silicone option, designed to either lay flat or attach to surfaces for upright use. We have a preview of it here.

JETech’s Apple Watch Stand ($13) is an all-plastic stand with a soft TPU dock padding area, available in several colors. This appears to be an OEM design that’s being sold by a bunch of different companies under different names; I’m including it here not because it’s “best,” but more as a warning about what can happen if you try to go super-cheap: user reviews suggest that Apple’s Magnetic Charging Cable doesn’t stay properly in the groove and needs to be held down with tape.

Orzly’s DuoStand Charger Station for Apple Watch & iPhone ($18) is very recently announced, and promises to undercut most of its competitors on price while using metal to hold both an iPhone and Apple Watch. If you don’t mind hiding your Watch behind your phone while they’re charging, and aren’t super-concerned about cable management, this may be a decent option. It wouldn’t be my personal first, second, or even third choice, though.

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