iMore Verdict
With its multiple charging options and double-duty as a portable powerbank, the Journey AXIE is a great package for the travelling gadget user.
Pros
- +
Clever, versatile design
- +
Multi-purpose portability
- +
Travel bag completes the package
Cons
- -
A little chunky to hang out of a wall outlet
- -
Big for a battery pack
You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.
The gadget travel checklist seems to get bigger with every trip. Which cables should I bring? Which international adapters? Do I have space for a powerbank? It’s easy to turn up to a flight with the head-slapping realisation you’ve left an important piece of the charging puzzle in a drawer back home.
The Journey AXIE 3-in-1 charger is designed to take that stress away, acting as the only power-providing device you need to take away with you. Acting as a powerbank, wall charger and MagSafe charger all-in-one, it’s a great package that anyone looking to streamline their travel packing should consider.
Price and availability
The Journey AXIE 10,000mAh global charger and power bank is available now, priced at $139.99. That puts it towards the top end of what you could expect to pay for one of the best wireless chargers for multiple devices — but comes with the flexibility of doubling up as a very capable battery pack, too. Throw in the multiple global power adapters and a suitcase-friendly travel case, and it helps justify the price tag.
What I love
The smart 3-in-1 design is what makes the Journey AXIE so easy to recommend. Not only is it a travel-friendly wall charger package, complete with multiple global wall adapters, but the AXIE also features a MagSafe wireless charging element, and can be used on the go as a mobile battery pack. With a 10,000mAh capacity, that's a good size in terms of portable power too — good for about two charges of an iPhone 15 Pro.
Made of a white matte plastic, the Journey AXIE actually looks a lot like a standard wall charger for MacBook Pro in terms of its shape, and is a similar size at 91mm x 91mm x 35mm, with a 366g weight. It has a US-style two-pin power prong that can flip down in its default configuration, but in the box come slide-on adapters for the UK, EU and AU.
These are all kept neatly in a grey faux-leather carry case, which also has room for the charger itself. The AXIE also comes with a short USB-C power cable of its own, with one end ending in a right-angle connector. A simple cable tie and catch for the other end of the cable lets it double up as a carry handle for the charger too — a neat touch.
You’ve two charging options with the Journey AXIE — directly from a wall, or via the 10,000mAh battery built in. Via the wall, you get access to two USB-C ports, sharing 35W. When in power bank mode you get access to the raised MagSafe-compatible wireless charging element on the left hand side of the charger — 10W goes to the wireless charging element, with 20W shared between the USB-C ports. If you’re just using the wireless charging spot alone, it’ll pump 15W to your device, enough to be considered a fast-charger with Apple’s iPhone. If you don’t have a MagSafe device, an adhesive magnetic ring is included in the box that can be stuck on the back of other handsets, to allow for non-slip wireless charging.
A five-point power indicator sits on the side where the USB-C ports live, next to a power button — you’ll have to switch the charger on before it’ll start to give its juice up in powerbank mode. You can also pass through charge a device while the powerbank refills its own reserves.
It’s a well-thought-out design across the board — portable, flexible and easy to use.
What I don’t love
There’s not much criticism to level at the Journey AXIE. It’s well thought out for the most part, and priced fairly for the design ingenuity on show.
My one criticism would be that, though it’s portable given its multiple use cases, it is quite big for a wall charger. I’d imagine that using its US two-pin default plug in particular (I’m based in the UK and use the three-pin outlet style) would see its weight and shape lean a little out of the wall. Perhaps an AXIE mini that reduced the internal battery capacity for a more pocketable and wall-friendly size will alleviate this sometime down the road, but even today it’s just a minor gripe with an otherwise rock-solid item.
Should You Buy It?
Buy it if...
- You’re a regular traveller with MagSafe devices
- You’re looking to charge multiple devices at once
- You want to save space on carrying both wall adapters and battery packs
Don't buy it if...
- You want a pocketable battery pack
- You have older devices that don’t use MagSafe
- You don’t travel with multiple gadgets
Verdict
There’s great attention to detail with the Journey AXIE. From the holding recess for the included cable to the magnetic cable tie that turns the lead into a carrying handle, you can see that a lot of thought has gone into elevating it above your usual travel gadget. It’s well-realized and well-executed, with the slight exception being its weighty nature when used in a wall socket. It’s otherwise great though, and I know which charger I’ll now be reaching for when I go on my own travels later this year.
Bottom line: An excellent charging companion for the regular globe trotter.
