TechRadar Verdict
The ESR Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger (Halolock) proved to be a sturdy, fast-charging, and reliable travel companion, keeping a strong hold on my phone through daily commutes on bumpy British roads. As with some other ESR chargers, it made both phones I tested warm while charging, and it proved to be a bit of a dust magnet, but the vent clip and stabilizing arm proved highly reliable.
Pros
- +
Reliable MagSafe holder
- +
Two attachment methods
- +
Fast charging
Cons
- -
Collects dust
- -
Cable can block access to controls
- -
Phone gets warm while charging
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ESR Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger (Halolock) review
The ESR Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger (Halolock) costs a reasonable $39.99 / £35.99 / AU$59.99 and is available direct from ESR, or at Amazon. This is cheaper than many alternatives I've tested, which may give it an edge over other models.
As per many other in-car chargers, the ESR Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger (Halolock) is available in black on the ESR website, but at Amazon (US only) it also comes in grey and titanium colors, curiously. The front face of the charger is 3.1 x 3.1 inches / 80 x 80mm, which felt a little oversized considering I've tested slimmer alternatives that held just as well. Even so, it's not visible past the edges of an iPhone 12 Pro, or an iPhone 13 Pro; it's perhaps just personal preference that I'd rather have something smaller that isn't so obvious when a phone isn't in situ. I wasn't a fan of the shiny circular MagSafe charging area either; I didn't like that it could reflect light, plus it gathers dust.
The ESR Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger (Halolock) comes with two attachment options. It has a sticky pad to apply it to the dashboard, and a separate clip-on attachment so it can be fixed onto the air vents. I found this to work well; the clip is stiff to open but I managed to open it enough to slide it on. It has a handy little stability arm that folds down, stopping it from bouncing about while I drive, which even some of the best iPhone chargers for in-car usage don't offer. The charger comes with a USB-C cable, which I powered through an adapter in my car's cigarette lighter.
As was the case with the Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 Qi2 I tested, the hanging cable proved a bit obtrusive as it comes from the bottom of the charging pad, meaning it hung in front of the dash controls and proved an occasional irritation as I shifted gear. As I already had the Pitaka in place, I simply hoiked the ESR Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger (Halolock) over that to get it out of the way, but in the long term, I would look to use some stick-on cable tidy clips.
Something I noticed – which I also encountered with the similarly designed ESR Qi2 3-in-1 Watch Wireless Charging Set – is that the phone gets warm while it charges. This may explain why ESR has released another of these charging sets with CryoBoost, for an additional cost.
Speaking of warm things: my commute to work is a bit of a trial by fire for the in-car accessories I review, with an obstacle course of potholes and some aggressive speed bumps to contend with. The ESR Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger (Halolock) proved a worthy adversary to these challengers, however, keeping a tight hold on my phone and holding its position valiantly.
The ESR Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger (Halolock) charged an iPhone 13 Pro from 0% to 40% in half an hour, meaning that in that time frame it charged the phone an extra 10% compared to the Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 Qi2.
Overall, despite the dustiness and the fact it warms the phone while charging, this is a fast-charging and reliable in-car charger. If you're looking for recommendations on other variants of MagSafe chargers to use at home or on the go, why not check out our pick of the best wireless chargers.
ESR Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Car Charger (Halolock) review: Price & specs
| Price | $39.99 / £35.99 / AU$59.99 |
| Total power output | 15W |
| Devices charged | 1 |
| USB-C | Yes – power in |
| Wireless charging | Yes – MagSafe |
| Weight | 5.5oz / 156g |
| Dimensions | 3.1 x 3.1 x 1.3 inches / 80 x 80 x 32mm |
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