Hands on: Belkin Boost Up Dual Wireless Charging Pad review

Charging multiple devices is the future

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Early Verdict

The Belkin Boot Up Dual Wireless Charging Pad is the first fast-charging wireless pad we've tested that supports two charging phones at once. It's a big connivence if you have multiple devices (or multiple family members who want to wireless charge their gadgets). We are, of course, we're waiting to see the price to determine if it's really a valuable buy compared to just buying two charging pads.

Pros

  • +

    Fast charges two devices

  • +

    Charges through most cases

Cons

  • -

    Can't charge Apple Watch

  • -

    Pad plugs in with AC adapter

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The Boost Up Dual Wireless Charging Pad is out to make the dream of wirelessly charging multiple devices on the same charging pad a reality in 2018.

It's Belkin's take on what we saw from the Apple AirPower wireless charging pad, but we've personally seen this one in action first at CES 2018. We could dual-charge our iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 at the same time.

What's great about this Qi charger is that it's built for charging speeds greater than what the 7.5W fast-charging iPhone 8 and iPhone X. At 10W on each pad, it charges at the maximum truly fast speeds some of the best Android phones are capable of. Even iPhone users will benefit if they ever switch or a friend wants to pop their Android onto the pad.

Moreover, it can charge through most cases. With Belkin telling us that plastic cases up to 3mm thick will work just fine. You are going to have to deal with an AC adapter. The Boost Up Dual Wireless Charging Pad can't suck up power from a USB-C cable, like we would have hoped. It also lacks the ability to charge our Apple Watch 3, which the Apple AirPower will be able to do (likely at an even more expensive price).

Or you can go with the single pad coming out sooner

Early verdict

Belkin Boost Up Dual Wireless Charging Pad launches this summer, and whether or not you should buy it all comes down to its price and also the price of that Apple AirPower charging pad – if you're an iPhone user. 

While we love the convenience of fast charging two devices up to 10W, if they price it too high, our question will be: why not just buy two wireless charging pads? Sure it won't look elegant, but you can always move one of them to a different room if you so desire one day. Having a single power cable to plug in will have a benefit, but the price is going to have to be aggressive. We'll update our review as soon as we get this information.

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Matt Swider
Matt Swider

What is a hands on review?

Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view. For more information, see TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee.