iMore Verdict
The ALLINSTATION Charging Station is a multifunctional tool that can add endless convenience to long travel days. It will charge up to five devices simultaneously and works as a MagSafe iPhone stand as well.
Pros
- +
+ Multifunctional design
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+ Portable for travel
- +
+ Charges up to five devices at once
- +
+ Strong MagSafe hold
Cons
- -
Charges slower when multiple devices are connected
- -
Lacks a magnet for AirPods
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By now many of us have experience with the wireless charging stations that are present on most bedside tables. The thing is, as much as these are called "wireless", they are still plugged into the wall outlet. This is not the case with the ALLINSTATION 5-in-1 MagSafe Charging Station. This is actually a power bank with a built-in 10,000mAh battery so you can use it to charge up to five devices on the go.
What makes this power bank unique is that it doubles as a MagSafe charging stand, so you can reliably prop up your iPhone 14 Pro for comfortable use and viewing as it charges. Alongside the MagSafe charger, you'll also find dedicated wireless charging pads for the Apple Watch and AirPods (including the new AirPods Pro 2). Since there are also a few USB ports for additional charging at the same time, you'll be hard-pressed to find a device you can't charge with this little powerhouse.
ALLINSTATION 5-in-1 Charging Station: Price and availability
The ALLINSTATION Power Bank can be purchased on Amazon as well as from the official ALLINSTATION website. It's available in white, black, and aluminum colorways. Right now, the best place to buy this unit is Amazon where you can get it for $48, over $10 cheaper than anywhere else. I'm partial to the aluminum shade if it's being used alongside an aluminum MacBook, because I like a good color match, but all three color choices look good with Apple products.
ALLINSTATION 5-in-1 Charging Station: Your airport companion
This is the first power bank I've used that charges five devices at once and doubles as an iPhone stand at the same time. While there are plenty of standard charging stations that can do all this, most portable power banks consist of one flat bar that can charge a couple of devices at once, often with a wireless charging pad and a few wired charging ports as well. What sets this one apart is the MagSafe charging stand that's built into the unit, providing a magnetic stand so you can prop up the iPhone 14 as it charges.
The MagSafe charging stand is especially handy in airports and on airplanes, because you can use the stand to prop up the iPhone at a comfortable viewing angle while you charge all your devices. The MagSafe magnets on this stand are unusually strong, holding the iPhone reliably in place despite a lot of jostling and movement. I have to say this is a pleasant surprise after my experience with many similar MagSafe stands. The stand portion of the powerbank will fold down flat when it's time to put away the powerbank, so the unit is slim and streamlined for travel.
The MagSafe charging stand is especially handy in airports and airplanes, because you can use the stand to prop up the iPhone at a comfortable viewing angle while you charge all your devices.
Alongside a MagSafe-enabled iPhone, the ALLINSTATION charging station will also charge an Apple Watch 8 and an AirPods case wirelessly. It includes both a USB-C port and a USB-A port as well, so there's room to charge a full five devices at the same time. The Apple Watch charging pad is magnet-enabled to keep the watch in place, but the AirPods charging pad does not. I'll get into that a little later.
Because of its small footprint and clever folding design, the ALLINSTATION power bank is easy to fold up and bring along. The palm-sized product will fit into the side pocket of most any bag, but it's powerful enough to charge an iPhone from start to finish. It comes with a USB-C cable and (surprise!) an actual 20-watt wall adapter for charging the power bank itself — a nice touch.
ALLINSTATION 5-in-1 Charging Station: The missing AirPods magnet
As I touched on above, there's no magnetic connection for the AirPods on the ALLINSTATION charging station. Now that AirPods cases come with MagSafe, a magnetic charging pad is always more convenient for products like these. Since the ALLINSTATION power bank does not have a magnetic charging pad or even a depression for the AirPods to nestle into, they have a tendency to slip and slide out of place while charging. This is not the case for the built-in MagSafe charging stand for the iPhone or for the Apple Watch charging pad, so hopefully ALLINSTATION sees fit to incorporate the same handy AirPods magnets into its next generation of power banks.
The only other thing I observed was that the more devices you have connected to the ALLINSTAION unit, the slower they all charge. When the iPhone is charging alone on this power bank, it charges up reasonably fast, but the more devices you plug into it, the slower it seems to charge. The slower charging speed is fine if you have plenty of time, but if it's a quick charge you need, it might be ideal to charge the device alone on the unit for the fastest results.
ALLINSTATION 5-in-1 Charging Station: Competition
After searching the interweb, I honestly could not find another portable power bank that could charge five devices at once and serve as an iPhone stand at the same time. There are some other MagSafe-enabled power banks that can charge multiple devices at once, however. One of these is the ZeroLemon MagJuice Magnetic Power Bank. Although this one will not serve as an iPhone stand, it will snap right onto the back of the iPhone and charge an Apple Watch at the same time.
This one also contains a 10,000mAH battery, but it will only charge two devices at once. The MagJuice is MagSafe-enabled and somewhat more compact than the ALLINSTATION, and it costs about the same at around $50. To choose between the two, you'll have to decide how many devices you need to charge at once and how important stand functionality is to you.
ALLINSTATION 5-in-1 Charging Station: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if...
- You travel a lot.
- You need to charge multiple devices at once.
- You'd like to prop your iPhone up as it charges.
You shouldn't buy this if...
- You expect five devices to charge quickly all at the same time.
ALLINSTATION 5-in-1 Charging Station: Verdict
I expect most anyone that travels often with multiple Apple devices could use an ALLINSTATION Charging Station. It's great for long flights or airport waits when you need to charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at the same time. With the built-in MagSafe stand, you can sit back and stream videos on the iPhone while it charges. Just keep in mind that the more devices you have plugged into it at once, the longer it will take to charge them up.
I find the portability of this product to be the key to its convenience. Unlike most multi-device charging stands, it doesn't need to be plugged into an outlet to work, and the MagSafe iPhone stand folds down to make the unit easier to slide into the side pocket of a bag. The ALLINSTATION is an excellent tool to bring along on long trips, and since it has a USB-C charging port, it can even be used to give a quick boost to a MacBook as well as your iPhone. Apple lovers won't want to travel without something like this to keep all those devices juiced up, no matter where your travels may take you.
Powerbank with extra props
There's no other wireless power bank on the market that can do all the things that this ALLINSTATION charging station can do. Charge five devices at once and keep your iPhone elevated at a comfortable viewing angle while you wait.
