We are coming up on three years since Apple released their MagSafe Duo charger. When it first came out, customers thought it was a great idea – an Apple-certified, foldable, and portable charger. But it has been almost three years, and the price has remained at a staggering $129 while having its faults. It can only charge two devices at once, it doesn’t bring a power brick, it connects via lightning, and you cannot charge at full speed when two devices are charging. Naturally, the competition has caught up and even surpassed the MagSafe Duo. I might have found the best alternative with Kuxiu’s new 3-in-1 charger.
Kuxiu’s unboxing & specs
Kuxiu’s new 3 in 1 MagSafe compatible charger solves every problem that the MagSafe Duo has. Before we get into the review, let’s talk about what you get in the box first.
You get:
- 3-in-1 charger
- USB-C to USB-C cable
- 20W charging brick
- Hardshell carrying case
You read that correctly, not only do you get one extra platform for charging but you also get the charging brick included in the packaging and a carrying case that has come in handy. Then in terms of specs, you get:
- MagSafe compatible charger for iPhone 12 or newer charging at 7.5W
- Charging pad for Airpods at 5W
- Charging puck for Apple Watch Series 2 or newer at 3W
One consideration to take into account is that this is MgSafe compatible, not MagSafe certified. What this means is that it will charge your iPhone at 7.5W and not 15W. MagSafe compatible means that this has the magnetic rings on the charger to allow the iPhone to mount securely and MagSafe certified means it actually will fast charge. For overnight charging this was not an issue at all, but something to note.
Kuxiu’s 3-in-1 charger hands-on review
I recently returned from a vacation in Europe, and I figured the best way to really test this charger out would be to bring it as my main and only charger, and that is exactly what I did. For context, in my everyday carry, I use an iPhone 13 Pro Max, an Apple Watch Ultra, and AirPods Pro Gen 2. I brought the charger in its hardshell carrying case, which made it very convenient to keep everything together. But the first thing you notice about this charger is how sturdy and high-quality it feels. It comes folded up already, so it feels small in the hand, but you can tell it’s made of quality materials due to its weight. It has a combination of soft rubber on the places where you put your tech items, an anti-slip bottom and then cool metal around the rest of the charger. It has one USB-C input on the rear of the charger and a blue LED indicator to let you know that there is power going into it.
Design
The functional design is what sets this charger apart from so many others. It is a tri-fold charger, so you can have it fold into a small and compact footprint. It can also unfold to let you go into nightstand mode. Lastly, it completely unfolds into a standing 3-in-1 charger. What I love is that the hinges are strong, so you can move it to any angle, and it will stay there.
The Apple Watch charger also hinges on its own which is a must. That allows you to use any type of Apple Watch band. It can be a closed-loop band or a traditional clasp band, and it will charge with either.
My use case
I used this charger as my portable nightstand charger in hotels. Every night I would plug it into a converter, since EU doesn’t voltage, and then put all three of my devices to charge overnight. I was worried that it would get hot charging all of them while also using a voltage converter, but it never got warm at all. Everything charged full overnight, and I had zero issues with it. It worked exactly as it was intended to. The MagSafe magnets were also extremely strong, which is always a worry of mine with third-party chargers.
When we were moving from city to city, I would just fold up the charger, put it in its carry case, throw it in my bag, and I was on the move. It also gives you a satisfying clasping noise when you fold it all the way down.
Pricing & availability
Kuxiu’s 3-in-1 is available today on Amazon for only $69. Again you get the actual charger, a USB-C cable, a 20W power brick and a convenient hardshell carrying case. It’s hard to complain about the price on this one. You can buy one for yourself and one for a friend and still barely spend more than the $129 MagSafe Duo from Apple. It does come in a few different colors: black, white, gray and blue. I opted to get the black one but that white one also looks great. You can also check them on their website here.
Wrap-up
As you can probably tell, I am pretty fond of this charger. It met and exceeded all of my expectations from a form, function, and price standpoint. Normally when you buy something at a discount there is some sacrifice being made, but as I’ve stated, this charger checked all of my boxes. It has multiple form factors, brings all the needed pieces to work, doesn’t get hot during use, and it’s sleek and made of great build materials. If you are looking for a portable charger for all of your Apple devices, this should be the one you get.
What do you think? Do you own a portable charger? Do you use Apple’s MagSafe duo? Do you need to charge all of your devices at once? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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