The Zens 4-in-1 iPad + MagSafe wireless charger is the latest in a line of combo chargers, and while there are many that charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods case, this one throws in iPad charging too.
For bedside use, I’m a big fan of all-in-one wireless chargers. For overnight charging, the convenience of wireless beats the speed of wired charging, and having everything in one place offers a couple of benefits …
First, it’s a very neat solution. Second, for tired brains it provides an at-a-glance check that you’ve remembered to put everything on charge, as empty spaces on the charger jump out at you.
Zens 4-in-1 charger: Look and feel
I’m something of a color purist where gadgets are concerned, preferring silver or black. For a bedside unit, black is much preferred, and that’s what you get with the Zens.
The charger is made of coated aluminum, with a slightly rubberized feel to it, making it pleasant to the touch, and provides reassurance that nothing is likely to get scratched.
It also comes with a three-year warranty, lending confidence in the build-quality.
Specifications
- 45W charging brick
- MagSafe 15W fast-charge for the iPhone
- Qi-certified
- Standard Apple Watch charging puck
- 5W charging pad for AirPods or other Qi-compatible wireless headphone cases
- Height-adjustable USB-C plug for iPads (to accommodate different cases)
It’s compatible with all iPad models with a USB-C port, from iPad mini (6th-gen) to 12.9-inch iPad Pro (3rd-gen up).
In use
The MagSafe iPhone charger is absolutely standard. While I might prefer the whole thing to be black, rather than the white charging face, it does make it stand out more when placing the phone on it in dim light – same for the Watch charger.
The Watch puck has a clip-on shelf, helping to support it. You don’t have to attach this if you don’t want to, but it does make it less likely that the Watch will slip off. It’s a definite help with my ceramic watch, which otherwise tends to lean to the left due to the off-center weight.
There’s a nicely shaped indent for AirPods or similar, and that makes it easy to ensure the case is properly aligned. It also works perfectly with my Master & Dynamic MW08S case. This was an issue I raised with the previous model, where I sometimes had to hunt around a little to get it to the charging sweet-spot.
The iPad is the only wired device, of course, so needs to be manually positioned to align it with the USB-C plug. I found this pretty easy with the iPad on its own once I’d done it half a dozen times, but super-fiddly if it was in the Magic Keyboard Case. One reason for that is that the plug can slip between the iPad and the case, making it seem like it’s connected when it’s not.
For me, that’s not a dealbreaker as I just attach it to the keyboard when needed, but it’s something to bear in mind if you keep your iPad in any kind of case. There is enough flexibility in the USB-C plug to accommodate different cases, but it may or may not prove fiddly.
I’ve been using it as my bedside charger for a little over a week now, and am very happy with it.
Zens 4-in-1 charger: Price and conclusions
At $200, the Zens 4-in-1 iPad + MagSafe wireless charger certainly isn’t cheap. Indeed, if you have the non-Pro AirPods, you’ll be paying more to charge them than you did to buy them.
But it is an extremely neat and convenient bedside option if you have a full complement of Apple mobile gadgets. Whether that’s worth the money is something only you can decide.
