MagSafe Monday: The Twelve South PowerBug clears your counters

The only issue with MagSafe is that a cable is still required at home. Twelve South decided to tackle this problem by eliminating the cable entirely and taking cues from the MagSafe battery market. The Twelve South PowerBug is a Qi2 charger that plugs directly into your wall outlet and floats your iPhone right in the air. It is a fun way to use StandBy mode while keeping your counters completely clear. I’ve also found it to be useful for traveling as well!

MagSafe Monday: Every Monday, Bradley Chambers looks at the latest and greatest in the MagSafe and wireless charging industry to help you get the most out of your Apple devices that support wireless charging.

The Twelve South PowerBug design is incredibly simple yet highly useful. It’s a compact wall plug with a MagSafe Qi2 charging pad on the front. You just plug it into the wall, snap your iPhone onto the magnet, and you are done. Because the prongs are integrated directly into the back of the device, there are no cords to manage. It easily holds an iPhone securely in both portrait and landscape orientations. I found this especially useful in the kitchen, where you want to avoid wires dangling all the time. Even with MagSafe docks, you still have wires dangling.

Fast Qi2 and an extra USB-C port

Twelve South did not skimp on the power delivery for charging the Twelve South PowerBug, either. The magnetic pad is fully Qi2 certified, meaning you get the fastest possible 15-watt wireless charging speeds for your iPhone. The only upgrade I’d like to see is Qi2.2 support in the future.

One of the really clever additions to the PowerBug is the USB-C port located on the bottom. The PowerBug is actually a 35-watt charger. If you use the bottom port by itself, it delivers the full 35 watts to charge an iPad or a MacBook Air. If you charge your iPhone on the magnetic pad while plugging a cable into the bottom port, it splits the power, giving you 15 watts wirelessly and 20 watts through the cable. It is a great way to top off another device. This has gotten used more than I thought it would. We’ve thrown AirPods Pro in while the iPhone was charging, etc. The nice thing is that it disappears when you don’t need it.

Wrap up on the Twelve South PowerBug

The Twelve South PowerBug is a fantastic example of a company that identified a common problem or annoyance and designed a very practical solution. By turning the wall adapter itself into the charging surface, it completely eliminates cable clutter. Whether you want a clean nightstand setup for StandBy mode or just need to keep your phone off a messy kitchen counter, it is a highly useful MagSafe accessory, whether at home or while traveling.

You can buy the PowerBug from Amazon or directly from Twelve South. They are a fantastic brand, and this product is no different.