Cygnett ChargeBase 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger review

In Australia, the Cygnett ChargerBase 2-in-1 magnetic wireless charger  starts at $129.95. That's a pretty steep asking price for a wireless charger, even for one that does offer a slimmer, stand-based form-factor.

Still, you might be able to snag a deal if you shop around. Check out the table below for a round up of Australian deals for the Cygnett ChargerBase 2-in-1 magnetic wireless charger.

When you think about wireless charging stands, chances are you're thinking of something a little sturdier than the Cygnett ChargeBase. The word 'streamlined' doesn't do it justice. There's cutting the fat and then there's cutting to the bone.

Cygnett have stripped this thing down to the fundamentals and not much else. There's a main charging pad that's only just as big as it needs to be. This main event offers around 80-degrees of tilt adjustment an incorporates a set of magnets that had no issues holding onto even larger Android devices like the Google Pixel 8 Pro, provided they were kitted out with a half decent Mag Safe-compatible case. The magnetic hold here is decent enough to hold onto a device when it's vertically oriented but struggles if you're hoping to use it horizontally. 

Next up, there's a stem-like stand that's as small as it could possibly be. This bridges the space between the round charging pad and the square-shaped base that sits below it. This foundation comes adorned by a status LED plus a secondary charging pad. There's also a single USB-C port on the read end of the base, which is used to power the unit.

However, if you're looking to make use of the fastest possible charging speeds on the main set of coils or the secondary set one mentioned earlier, you'll want to make sure you're using a USB-C charger and power brick that supplies enough throughput.

While the flexibility of the design is such that I could find a half-decent angle for a phone that didn't have a MagSafe case, you're going to have a pretty frustrating time going about using the hardware that way. Aligning the coils is going to take you a lot of trial, error and tedium. 

The Cygnett ChargeBase 2-in-1 magnetic wireless charger has a great look to it, but the choice to try and do more with less here often ends up running into frustrating realities.

The Cygnett ChargeBase 2-in-1 magnetic wireless charger works exactly how you'd expect. You attach a smartphone to the main charging pad and it'll start to charge. The secondary pad works much the same, though its better suited for a set of AirPods than it is something like the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The device also comes with a 2 year warranty. This is nice to have but its not exactly earth shattering.

While the accessory will play nice with both Apple and Android devices, there is some small print to keep track of. What's here is MagSafe Compatible rather than made for MagSafe. The Cygnett ChargeBase is kitted out to deliver a full 15W of wireless charging to Apple devices, but most Android devices come in lower than that. According to Cygnett, those outside Tim Cook's walled garden can look forward to regular performance of closer to 11 watts or 12 watts.

Aside from the practical realities of the magnets here not being quite as strong as I'd like, that limitation in what devices you can and can't get the most out of the Cygnett ChargeBase is probably the main thing I'd knock it for. The asking price is pretty high for a caveat like that and there are ample alternatives out there that might work better if your household or office stretches across multiple ecosystems.