Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Charging Travel Pad review

It is Qi2 season at Belkin now and the brand released a number of Qi2 compatible devices. New to Belkin’s product portfolio is their BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Magnetic Charging Travel Pad we are looking at today. It is a foldable and compact Qi2-enabled wireless desk charger allowing you to conveniently fast charge two devices simultaneously wirelessly (iPhone, Apple Watch or AirPods). It is a perfect travel companion. Let’s take a look at it.

The wireless charging travel pad, officially known as the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Magnetic Charging Travel Pad with Qi2 (15W), and goes by the WIZ026myBK product code.

It is a pretty versatile wireless charger which functions both as a flat charging pad, a desk stand and a perfect companion for the mobile road warrior. This is especially for those who needs a desk Magsafe charger without the hefty footprint of regular charging pads.

Exterior Design and Build Quality

Furthermore, the charger is packaged folded within an 100% eco-friendly and bio-degradable plastic-free packaging. The box is decked with Belkin’s green and white livery and is tad sized larger than Belkin’s typical offerings, given added accessories. In the box, Belkin also included a 1.5m USB-C to USB-C cable as well as a 30W single-port USB-C power adapter, a nice touch in an era of most companies excluding them to cost-cutting. You can literally get yourself up and charging with this box-set.

Also, the charger pad body is wrapped in a dark grey fabric which does not feel would catch dirt or stain easily. The premium fabric materials does gives charger feels much more upscale feel than most basic plastic alternatives. Even after a month of use, the WIZ026myBK holds up nicely with little visible wear.

Included 30W wall adapter, nice touch

Also, it is also nice that Belkin includes a UK 3-pin 30W wall adapter in the box. This charger is pretty small, compact too and able to negotiate its output to 3 rated voltages- 5V at 3Amps, 9v at 3 Amps, or 15V at 2 Amps. It has a removable 3-pin head suited for your region of purchase too. This is a welcome in the era where adapters are excluded usually from cost-cutting.

Also, Belkin has engineered the 2-in-1 magnetic wireless charging travel pad with a primary focus on portability and user convenience. The Qi2 15W 2-in-1 magnetic wireless charging travel pad is one for the traveling road warriors. It weighs 173g- about the weight of a small phone and barely adds any weight. It has a foldable and compact design that fits neatly into small bags or luggage without adding bulk. This makes it perfect for travel, business trips, or holidays. This differentiates the charger from the rest of Belkin’s line up, like the larger less-portable Belkin 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad we previously looked at.

Included USB-C cable

Included Belkin 30W single port PD charger

Charging earbud cases using Qi2

Portable Foldable Design

The hinge pivots in two areas allowing the thickness of both pads to fold completely flush with each other. The folding mechanism feels sturdy, not fragile, which is crucial for something made to travel often. Also, the hinge design is clean, with no noticeable wires seen running or protruding from the joints. I guess only time will tell whether this mechanically part will be a weak point of failure.

Moreover, the design is sleek, minimalistic, and blends easily with your other tech gadgets. It even supports landscape mode charging, letting you use standby features while your iPhone is docked. Belkin clearly aimed for a balance of style, function, and portability here. You can also run the charger while folded one-sided.

The hinge itself is sturdy and has a weight to it. You can unfold and adjust it to angle you desire like a folding stand, to suit the any angle you desire. You can even use it to hold your phone as a desk or a bed side stand. It is handy, allowing your phone to face you allowing you to check the time with an always-on screen, or without having to reach out for your phone to do so.

Also, the secondary white charge pad has an integrated magnetic flip charge pad portion to hold your Apple Watch for charging. The charger touts to provides a fast charge to your Apple Watch Series 7 and later and is compatible with all Apple Watch models.

Understanding Qi2 Wireless Charging open standard

Additionally, offering Qi2 charging here is a big upgrade from the older wireless standards, bringing the wireless charging, wattage to 15W. It also supports adaptive charging, adjusting the power output based on your device’s needs. This makes wireless charging smarter, faster, and safer than before. Qi2 standard is an international one, and was is introduced by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) in 2023.

Also, the standard also introduces a ring of magnets for automatic alignment, allowing the pad aligns it perfectly for maximum efficiency. This address the original Qi inductive charging requiring you to align the phone and charger properly for optimal charging. Misalignment would lead to heating and slower, less efficient charging. This is especially when the phone and charge coil are misaligned.

It is also worth noting that though Magsafe accessories with alignment had been around for some time prior to Qi2. The Qi2 standard makes this a requirement, building on Apple’s MagSafe standards. It does remove the guesswork of where to place your phone. This reduces energy loss, speeds up the charging process and keeps heat generation down. It does help preserve the long-term health of your device batteries. All in all, this Qi2 here with the Belkin 2-in-1 magnetic wireless charging travel pad allows for charging up to 15W charging speeds for MagSafe certified devices. This includes compatible iPhones, delivering quick top-ups. It also allows you to charge an Apple Watch (Series 7, 8, 9, or Ultra) or Apple AirPods simultaneously.

Consistent Qi2 Charging performance

Furthermore, I found the main selling point for this Belkin Qi2 charging pad is less of charging speed in terms of performance, but rather the consistency in performance. Hence, you won’t see significant increase in charging speeds compared to the original Qi standard, which typically charges at about 5w- 10w.

Notably, the main charging pad also works with Android phones, as well as peripherals supporting Qi charging, like Qi-enabled Smartwatches and wireless earbuds cases, like the Belkin SoundForm Rise Earbuds for instance.

On my charging speed tests, the Belkin can also speedily wirelessly charge an iPhone Pro Max 16 (4685 mAh battery) from 0 to 100% in approximately 2.5 hours. Older Qi-1 Android phone with a smaller 3,500 mAh battery was able to go from 0% to full in just under 2 hours. This speed is not bad and much faster than what you need for a slow overnight charge.

In comparison between charging speeds between Qi2 and older Qi1 Android devices, charging a comparable Qi2 phone juices up from 30% to full in 50 mins- just under an hour, while the Qi1 phone took just longer at over 60 mins. This is about an 15% increase in charging speed on Qi2 alone. It is worth noting that if your older Qi1 device is also rated for 15W wirelessly, you won’t find significantly much faster charging with Qi2 15W charge rates either.

Still, the pad’s 15W charge speed is still solid, and is more than enough for most everyday needs and an overnight charge. This, while prolonging your phone’s battery life with a relatively slower charge rate.

Moreover, the charger has a preference to run at 9-volts, pulling in lower Amperage. Notably, you can have no worries about power drain leaving it on overnight- the charger sips half a watt at idle standby and draws about 7-10W when charging a Qi-enabled phone and 15-18W when charging a Qi2 phone.

Spot on Magsafe alignment

Also, I found the dual-charging feature is super convenient. This especially as an all-in-one device when you don’t want to pack multiple chargers for your phone and Apple watch. The magnetic alignment snaps your devices securely into place without any fiddling, every time. The charger magnets are strong, and it does take some effort to pry the charging pad off the phone.

The overall charging experience is excellent and one of a no-brainer we often take for granted everyday. The setup is practically fool-proof with strong magnetic alignment ensuring perfect placement. It’s the kind of convenience that feels normal once you have it but feels sorely missed when you don’t. Also, heat management is well-handled too, with devices staying just slightly warm even after long charging sessions and never hot to the touch.

Non-Qi2 Watch charger

Moreover, the Apple watch charging pad on the pad itself only works with Apple Watches and not with Phones (including the iPhone). The white tiny fold-up pad only for your Apple watch charges wirelessly at 5 watts maximum. Hence, it does not grant any benefits from Qi2.

Also, it is also worth noting that the Apple Watch adopts inductive charging technologies similar to Qi, but is not Qi-compliant and does not work with standard Qi chargers. Apple deliberately designed the Apple Watch charging to work only with certified Apple or MFi (made for iPhone) chargers.

This proprietary charging protocol is tightly integrated with the Watch’s software, battery management, and safety systems, which this Belkin 2-in-1 charger pad is certified for Apple’s proprietary charging. The pad allows you to juice your watch from flat to full in also in about an hour tops.

When charging a Qi2 device and Apple Watch, the charger draws about 21-25w in total from the wall. I can guess about 5 watts goes into the electronics overhead, conversion and wall-plug efficiency. Hence, Belkin recommends powering the charger with at least a 30W PD charger which one is included inside the box. You can also use your own chargers, like the Belkin’s 65W USB-wall charger we particular loved when we reviewed it sometime back.

Value and final thoughts

Priced at $179.00 on official Belkin LazMall, Shopee Mall and Challenger platforms with the included 30W charger in-box. Still, you do pay a premium for the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Magnetic Charging Travel Pad. This is especially compared to cheaper options online especially from Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Anker and Baseus, to name afew. If you’re on a strict budget and only want basic wireless charging, it might seem a bit much.

But if you care about quality, warranty, and brand reputation, the price becomes easier to justify. The WIZ026myBK is backed up by Belkin’s two-year warranty- twice that of the industry standard and a nice touch that shows Belkin’s confidence in its build quality. In addition, you also get a $2,500 connected equipment warranty, offering an added peace of mind. Very few brands offer anything close to that level of coverage. It’s one of the reasons many users are willing to pay a bit more for Belkin gear.

Limited compatibility with Non-apple devices

Device compatibility could be another small hurdle. To enjoy full 15W fast charging, you need a MagSafe-compatible iPhone. Android users are mostly out of luck unless your Android device properly supports Qi2, which not many do yet. Also, older iPhones or non-MagSafe cases can result in slower speeds or weaker magnetic holds. This reduces the performance and charging efficiency.

Also, it is worth noting that the Belkin’s Qi2 wireless charging speeds is tailored primarily for Apple devices. While Qi2 15W is fast, it isn’t the industry fastest, especially if you are in the Android camp. If getting the absolute fastest wireless charge possible (e.g. 50w and above) is your top priority, you might want to look elsewhere, though some super-fast chargers can only work with a limited number of devices. For instance, some Android phones have proprietary wireless charging systems like those from Motorola (30W), and even Oppo’s and OnePlus’ go beyond 15W Qi2 speeds. Also, HONOR’s SuperCharge 100w wireless charger only works with HONOR phones. Still, these Android phones are backward-compatible with this Qi2 charging pad.

In conclusion

Overall, the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Magnetic Charging Travel Pad (WIZ026myBK) stands out as a reliable, well-built solution that blends premium design with Qi2 technology, particularly those within the Apple ecosystem. While the higher price point and specific device compatibility may be considerations for some, the overall value offered by Belkin’s product, backed by a 2-year warranty and a reputation for quality. It presents a strong case for choosing this charger over cheaper alternatives.

The Qi2 charging pad’s thoughtful design, efficient charging capabilities, travel-ready form, and integration of the latest Qi2 technology make it a compelling choice for those seeking reliability and convenience. This makes the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Magnetic Charging Travel Pad a smart, future-ready choice- especially for Apple users seeking a dependable alternative to generic chargers.

Many thanks to Belkin for the opportunity to review the Belkin BoostCharge Pro Qi2 15W 2-in-1 magnetic wireless charging travel pad. As with all my reviews, manufacturers have neither editorial inputs to reviews, nor seen this review before it is released to you, my readers. Thanks for reading!