The DLO WallDock iPod Charger is a simple and effective gadget for anyone with one or more iPods/iPhones. This is a brain dead simple device weighing not much more than an iPod cable. No manual, no setup, nothing to configure – plug it into a wall socket and you’re ready to go.
The unit is a little wider than the widest iPod/iPhone, and is the requisite “Apple White” color. Unlike other docks, the rubbery top of this one is made so that when not in use it expands to be even with the dock connector. You can safely toss it into a bag and it will ride along fairly safely. When its time to plug in a device that same material will compress down and help keep the iPod in place, so you won’t need to talk along (or find) the appropriate dock adapters for all the devices you carry.
Operation
I feel a little silly telling you how to operate it, but here it is in a nutshell. Plug it into a wall socket.
It’s now ready to use. Obviously you want a socket that’s oriented the right way and has enough clearance that you can get an iPod in. You want a wall socket, because the wall is actually part of the dock for the larger iPods/iPhones.
Slide whatever iPod you grab first onto the dock, and it starts charging. Simple!
This is a “high power” charging system, so it will charge as fast or faster than when plugged into a USB port.
You can see from the photo above how the iPod leans back towards the wall while in the dock. The connector pivots a bit, so you can lean the docked device back until it touches the wall if you’d like. This will keep it steady (and it’s the reason you want a wall socket!). It seems as stable as any other docking system, and it charged everything I threw at it including 1st and 2rd generation iPod Touches, an iPod nano, and an iPod classic.
Final Thoughts
What can you say about a wall plug charging dock? It’s really handy, it weighs just a few ounces, and it works well. It seems to be durably made – it survived a family trip, and was in near daily use with 4 devices for a week. It would look to be ideal for the traveler, but I have yet to determine if it can work with non-US voltages, so that could be an issue.
Product Information
| Price: | $24.99 |
| Manufacturer: | DLO |
| Requirements: |
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I’ll bet if we could get a close-up of that green back, it’d have the info to tell whether it’d work overseas.
Yep, I really expected I would have had 10 seconds to check, but not yet 😀
I will post back later today with an update.
Is there enough clearance on the dock plug so that iPod and iPhones in cases can be charged?
I like this i pod charger is really a very nice one and it is easy to carry with you in travelling I am very excited about this one it is easy to operate also.
Looks like its quite happy with any voltage (input 110-220, 50-60hz) so with the right plug adapter it should work when traveling outside the US.
The dock plug does not have sufficient clearance to work with the cases I have on hand – you’ll need to remove them before plugging in to get a secure connection.
The only problem is that it still uses power when nothings plugged into it just like other wall warts. I wish there were a off switch or something.
Yep, you have to unplug it when not in use if you want to be green.
does this fit the iphone in the otterbox defender case?