The Apple Watch, like most of the company’s earlier products, has begun to spawn a cottage industry of paraphernalia: mostly stands, cases, and watch bands. Since the size of the charger is the same for both the 42 mm and 38 mm models, and only slightly thicker for the plastic charger versus the stainless steel model, charging stands are something of a given. That little tethered disc seems to rattle around on my desk once I remove my Watch from it in the morning, yet I can’t easily find it in the evening when I’m heading to bed.
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Since only a few of us here at The Gadgeteer have taken the plunge into the Apple Watch pool, I was able to snag a stand offered by iClever called – wait for it – Apple Watch Stand.
The first thing I noticed when taking it out of the shipping envelope was that it’s quite small. Not sure what I was expecting, but I remember some of the phone and iPod docks from days of yore, and they were quite bulky. This is a narrow black stand that rises only 4″ off the surface at its highest point. The footprint is 1.25″ x 1.75″, and the top slants down at a 30º angle. The top and bottom are covered by foam to help the sides grip the watch and table, respectively. The top has a form-fitting circular hole for the charger (not supplied) with a channel off to the left (facing the angle of the top) which continues to the left side. This groove runs down the left side of the stand, and extends to within half an inch of the bottom before curving toward the rear of the stand. This is reputedly for holding the cable of the charger.
The unit weighs 4.2 ounces without the charger inserted. Most of that weight is concentrated in the base for stability. The disc of the charger fits easily into the hole, and is just as simple to remove, yet stays firmly attached in use. Most of the holding power seems concentrated in the shock relief on the end of the charger cable, which becomes one of the main issues with the stand: the cable doesn’t stay in the cable management channel. It will stay in if I place it in without putting the disc into the hole on top, but as soon as I press the disc into place, the cable springs out within 30 seconds.
This isn’t really a problem, as the unit works just fine with the cable unfettered, but I wanted to make you aware of this. I saw a reviewer online who actually taped the cable into the channel. I suppose one could force the bend just beyond the strain relief collar, but I’m not willing to risk my charger for that test. And, nice as this stand is, I can’t say that it will be the only one I will own. (I’ve actually ordered another charging solution for which I’ll need to provide a charger for use.)
Source: The sample for this review was provided by iClever. Please visit their site for more info or Amazon to buy one.
