I have had the opportunity to try many of the variety of Qi charging stands currently available – from the no-name flat plastic slab to the Brando stand to the Nokia 901 Fatboy pillow. While all get the job done and are nice enough, they are not very polished. The engineers at TYLT have taken the VÜ wireless charging stand to the next level of quality, workmanship, and design. TYLT started the VÜ as a well received Kickstarter project back in 2013. They reached their funding goal, and it is now available through their website and most of the usual internet resellers like Amazon and the like. 
Package Contents:
- VÜ Wireless Charger
- AC Wall Charger
- User Manual
- 1 Year Limited Warranty
Features:
- Qi Compatible
- Charging Indicator Light
- Soft Touch Surface
- Cable Management
- 45 Degree Viewing Angle
- AC Wall Charger included
Tech Specs:
- Input: 12V / 750mA
- Output: 5W
- Length: 7.5 inches
- Width: 3.5 inches
- Thickness: 1/2 inches
- Weight: 5.7 ounce
The TYLT VÜ is an inductive wireless charger for Qi-enabled devices. It has a three coil system, which means it can charge both vertically/horizontally and is engineered to accommodate and charge larger devices like my Galaxy Note 3 or even the Nexus 7 2013. The TYLT VÜ has a very nice rubbery feel (soft touch surface) which should never mar your device.
The VÜ is designed to hold your smartphone or tablet at a 45 degree angle, making your device more useable than laying it horizontally while powering up.
According to their Kickstarter page, the TYLT engineering team worked with chipset maker IDT to perfect a “Free Positioning System” enabling you to place your Qi-enabled device with less chance of missing the sweet-spot for charging.
The charging indicator light illuminates green when your Qi-enabled device is properly set on the VÜ and is charging. It also lights up red when there is an error. This is a great feature; the Vu is the first Qi charger that gives you visible feedback if there is a problem and your device is not charging. I have set my Note on other Qi devices, where I believed all was well, only to realize that my smartphone was totally discharged instead of being charged and ready to go.
I was surprised how fast the VÜ charged my Note 3 – approximately the same as with the stock microUSB cable. It takes approximately 30 minutes to go from 75% to 100% power and just under 2 hours to go from 25% to 100%. I find myself always placing my Note on the VÜ as the perfect place to keep my smartphone while working at my desk with the benefit of its battery always being topped off. 
As with the Nokia series of Qi chargers, the VÜ uses a proprietary power cable connector with large power plug. This is crazy in these days when everything has gone to using microUSB cables. But to be fair, as long as this lives solely on your desk, it does not matter all that much. 
The TYLT VÜ is available in black/gray, red, blue, and lime green. Here is the current list of compatible devices. There are many, many wireless chargers currently on the market with, I am sure, many more on the way. That said, the TYLT VÜ is without a doubt the best design and build quality I have seen to date. It is very well made and engineered to allow you to view and/or use your smart device while charging. At $70, it is more expensive than the competition, but many will find its good looks, ease of use, and nearly foolproof charging worth the cost. In this case, you’re getting what you pay for.
Update 02/05/15
Julie: I know Dave wrote this review, but I’m adding an update because I ended up buying two of these docks based on his review. I went with the blue version and use one on my night stand and one on the kitchen table for Jeanne’s Samsung Galaxy Note 2. I’ve never had a problem with these docks. They work great.
Update 02/26/15
Dave: The TYLT VÜ wireless inductive charger continues to be my favorite Qi enabled device. So much so, I have ordered several additional ones for key locations throughout my world.
Update 12/9/16
Julie: I’m still using the two that I purchased. Jeanne continues to use the one on the kitchen table with her Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (we really need to get her a new phone!) and the one on my night stand is now used as a stand for my Nexus 6P since it does not have wireless charging built in. Wish it did!
Source: The sample for this review was provided by TYLT. Please visit their site for more info.
Product Information
| Price: | $69.99 |
| Manufacturer: | TYLT |
| Requirements: |
|
| Pros: |
|
| Cons: |
|
Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
I ordered a blue one this morning 🙂
I have a case with a kickstand built in which has a bulge near the bottom on my Note 3. Does the Tylt still charge if you moved the bottom of your phone about 1/4 of an inch off the Tylt?
I received the one I ordered on Saturday. So far I like it a lot. It is my favorite wireless charger so far.
I bought a pair of Vus, unpacked one a few mins ago it does not charge my Note 3. Which backing cover do you use?
For me it just goes in and out of wireless charging mode.
this is the back cover I am using, it seems to work fine with the Samsung wireless charging station:
http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/cell-phones-accessories/EP-CN900IBUSTA
I’ve tried positioning my Note 3 in many different orientations all of which fail to charge.
I’ve seen a couple other folks using the Vu with the Note 3 so didn’t expect much trouble.
I noticed that the compatibility guide for the Vu mentions note 2 but not 3, though I think they would be pretty similar in any case.
going to try to contact support see if they have any advice
I’d wager it’s not working for me because the Vu doesn’t provide enough power. Though I don’t know why it would work for you.
The Vu specs say it draws 750mA of power, vs the Samsung wireless charging pad draws a full 2A. The Qi spec has both low power(0-5W) and medium power(up to 120W) options, there is no mention which the Samsung relies on(I can find no specs on what the output is of the Samsung pad). Though given the input current is more than double what the Vu draws I have to assume it is insufficient to charge with the standard Samsung back. I have seen a couple of other back covers but they all seemed to have front covers as well, this one is really clean and I like it.
Sent a note to Vu support, for now going to try to pack this thing back up and expecting to try to return it I guess.
Hello Everyone,
I wonder if anyone has an answer for me. I have a strange problem with my Tylt charger. The entire time my Samsung Galaxy S4 is on this charger, it blinks red, even when the phone is totally charged up. Why would this be happening ?. I have tried unplugging it, twice or maybe three times, to reset it, and it still is doing the same thing. The Green Light Never has come on !.
Is my charger defective ?, and possibly hurting my phone ?, even though this device does charge my phone, I am not trusting this device. If anyone knows, would you please email to here –
misychic at yahoo dot com . 🙂 I am befuddled. I bought this device off eBay and don’t know if the seller laid a bad one on me or not, even though it looked to be new in the box, but with these boxes that they come in, one can take them out and use them, put them back, put back the round tape thingys back in place , and no one would be the wiser.
Thank You Very Much !. Best Regards, Laura
@Laura my obvious question is do you have a wireless charging back cover for your Samsung Galaxy S4, or did you buy a Qi charging patch to go between the battery and back cover? The S4 does not have wireless charging built in. You have to add that option with either a Samsung wireless charging back cover or a 3rd party Qi patch.
Hi all
Just got a Tylt VU charger, I must say the engineering and product quality is second to none and it totally looks the part on the bedside table.
I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 with the Samsung wireless charging back cover, I have noticed the green charging light on the VU doesn’t go off at all which Tylt advise could be normal however in the morning the hone is overly hot.
Everything is working fine and it is charging however I am worried about the excessive heat of the phone after being on the charger overnight.
Anyone else have the same problem or any input.
@Jamie the LED on the Tylt never goes off on mine either. But my phone does not get hot. I’m using a Samsung Note 2 with a cheap Chinese Qi patch between the back cover and my battery. Are you only noticing the heat when the phone is charging? Try this experiment. Reboot your phone before you go to bed tonight and then place it on the charger without launching any apps. I’ll be curious if it’s hot in the Morning.
@Julie I did contact Tylt and they have explained I need to put the phone in bottom first instead of sliding it in but as all guys do I didn’t read any of the documentation. Tonight I will try placing the phone as Tylt advises and will also try closing all apps,
@Jamie that just sounds like odd advice to me. I wonder why that matters? I never pay attention to how I put my Note 2 on the charger… Anyone else know why sliding onto a wireless charger might cause an issue?
Hey Julie, I thought that as well but I took their advise, also followed yours and the phone is still heating up quite a lot, not sure if it has something to do with the factory charging back. I have a Vu mate charging pad on the way so I can still use the standard phone back cover, along with slim fitting cases so I’ll will see if that makes any difference.
I’m charging well without heat on the standard Samsung charging pad but it sure aint as pretty as the Tylt.
@Jamie keep us posted on what you find out after testing the other charger.
Folks with non wireless charging built into your phone ….don’t be scared off by this thing. I have one on order and all I have been able to gather, this is about one go the best on the market. I say don’t be scared off because there are many phones out there , especially Samsung a wireless receiver can be purchased from 10 to 15 dollars that fits under your existing battery cover. I have used wireless charging on a Note 2 , Galaxy s4 , Nexus 4 which has it built in and just recently added one to my LG-G2 which sticks to the back of the cover and is covered by your case , which most of us use . I have also been using wireless charging on my Nexus 7 (2013) and it works great. Att ran a special on the little Nokia 900 charger ., it is a very good charger also. The thing that impresses me about this TYTL charger is how simple it is to find the sweet spot so to speak. I was lucky enough to find one of these for around $50 and had to spring for it , they are a little hard to find at that price ! Do some research on you phone , you may be able to go the wireless route even if it is not built in !