This “invisible” charging station lives under your desk
Wires. How I hate wires.
They’re essential for charging and powering our devices, but wires and cables never look good. We can use cable routing to hide them away, but soon we may not need them at all.
Meet the ENERQi wireless charger. (That’s pronounced “ener-chee.” Qi is a Chinese term for life’s energy.)
The ENERQi is cleverly designed to live under your desk or table and wirelessly recharge your phone when you place your phone down. Yep, it can turn almost any flat surface into a charging station.
You can tuck one of these beasts away under a table, desk or shelf, and just plunk your phone down whenever it’s getting low on juice. It even comes with a little sticker to remind you where to drop your device.
And if you’re not a fan of drilling, don’t worry. The charger attaches using a simple adhesive.
ENERQi has some fancy features, like phone auto-detection for instant charging, and auto-sleep mode to save you energy.
It comes in two formats. The larger ENERQi has a 40mm charge range (that’s about 1.5 inches.) The smaller ENERQi Nano, on the other hand, has a 15mm range (roughly half an inch) and it’s better suited to thin surfaces, like glass.
Both come in white and black.
With 10 watts, this charger is comparable to plugging in, speed-wise. However, note that some phones, like the Pixel 3, can only take advantage of 5W of that.
Speaking of compatibility, ENERQI’s chargers work with over 100 modern smartphones, including the latest from Apple and Samsung. Effectively, if your phone was designed for wireless charging, it should work, though you should definitely double check before laying down some cash.
Notes & Caveats
These chargers won’t work through metal surfaces, so keep that in mind. Glass and wood shouldn’t be an issue, just be certain the desk isn’t too thick.
And, obviously, the ENERQi itself isn’t wireless. You’ll need to plug the adapter into a wall socket. That said, it’s easy to hide away wires underneath a desk or side table.
The ENERQi has a MSRP of $119, the ENERQi Nano $89.
Alternatively, you can get either one at a deep discount if you support their Kickstarter campaign, which ends tomorrow.
