mophie UV Sanitizer with Wireless Charging review: Sleek and compact cleaning

We are living in some crazy times right now, there's no doubt about that. It's an era where it's more important than ever to keep things clean and sanitized, including (and especially) our phones and electronics. While you could use household cleaners and disinfectants, it's even easier to toss your phone into a UV Phone sanitizer for a few minutes, multiple times a day. I reviewed the PhoneSoap Pro a few months ago and have been using it every day since, but I was intrigued by mophie's new offering since it includes wireless charging.

So how does mophie's UV sanitizer with wireless charging compare with the PhoneSoap Pro that I've been using for months? Let's find out in our mophie UV sanitizer review.

Lightweight, compact, and fast sanitization

mophie UV Sanitizer review: Features

Let's start off this mophie UV sanitizer review by stating that it only comes in one color: white. The body is made from lightweight plastic, and the size is fairly compact, as it clocks in at 8.05-by4.97-by-1.69 inches. It's much smaller than the PhoneSoap Pro that I've been using, so it's easier to slide mophie's UV sanitizer into your tech bag or luggage. There are four rubberized feet on the bottom to make it more resistant to movement on a flat surface.

You get a USB-C power adapter for mophie's UV sanitizer, though you can also use it with any compatible USB-C cable. Once the sanitizer is plugged in, the button on the front lights up to indicate that it's powered on. You can lift the lid to the sanitizing bay with one finger pretty easily, but the hinge on the lid doesn't open back all the way, so you'll always need to support it with your finger. By comparison, the PhoneSoap Pro lid opens up slightly beyond a 90-degree angle, so you can freely have it open while loading up small items to sanitize.

The sanitizing bay is not very deep, so you won't be able to fit anything that's too much thicker than an iPhone in there. You could fit small items like earbuds, keys, and credit cards in the sanitizer. Unlike the PhoneSoap Pro, the lid is also thinner and doesn't have a hollowed-out space, so there isn't much leeway in what you can fit inside. Inside the cleaning area are some bumps that help keep your iPhone raised enough for the blue UV-C lights underneath and on the sides to penetrate and sanitize all over. To start a cleaning cycle, just press the glowing button on the outside.

As I was writing this mophie UV sanitizer review, I was disappointed that there is no automatic mode where the sanitation just kicks in once the lid is closed, like the PhoneSoap Pro. Instead, you need to push the glowing button on the front to start it up. When you hear the device beep, that means that the cleaning has begun, and it takes about five minutes to complete a full cycle. You can tell when it's done because it will beep three times. If the lid is lifted up enough, that means that the cleaning cycle has been interrupted, and it will stop. But you can barely lift it to see the blue UV-C lights at work. There is no other visual indicator that it is sanitation mode (unlike PhoneSoap Pro's glowing lightning icon) since the button is always lit up.

The top of the lid on mophie's UV sanitizer is a wireless charging pad. This can provide up to 10W of output, though iPhones can only go up to 7.5W for fast charging. Like every other wireless charging pad, you will need to properly center and align your iPhone or other Qi-compatible charging device on the top — otherwise, it won't charge.

The wireless charger works with all mophie cases with wireless power, and any third-party protective case that doesn't exceed 3mm in thickness. However, since there is no anti-slip material on the surface, devices may be prone to moving around (especially if a case is glossy and not matte or textured) if you aren't careful, thus interrupting the wireless charging. You can easily tell when the wireless charging is working correctly, though, because the light on the front button will gradually breathe (fading in and out) instead of being a solid light.

One of the nicest things about mophie's UV sanitizer with wireless charging is the fact that you can sanitize and charge simultaneously. So once you're done sanitizing your phone, just throw in some other small items to sanitize, then place your phone on top to top it off. Unfortunately, things don't charge up while inside the sanitization bay (I'm not even sure if this is possible, to be honest).

A portable sanitizer and charger in one

mophie UV Sanitizer review: What I Like

Honestly, for this mophie UV sanitizer review, I really like how lightweight and portable it is. It's not super small, but it's smaller and less bulky than my PhoneSoap Pro, making it easier to travel with. If I was traveling at all right now, I'd be sure to take this along with me in my luggage.

I also like how loud the beeps are to indicate when it's done cleaning. I left it in my bedroom this morning to sanitize my iPhone 11 Pro while doing my morning routine, and I clearly heard it from down the hall. The audible indicator is also helpful at night, as I'm laying down in bed waiting for my phone to sanitize — it beats having to continually look over to see if it's done, which is what I need to do with the PhoneSoap Pro.

The wireless charging aspect of this sanitizer is also great. In fact, I'm keeping it on my desk right now to top off my iPhone during the day, but it's nice to be able to sanitize something (as long as it fits) when I need to.

It's far from perfect

mophie UV Sanitizer review: What I Don't Like

There are a few things that I don't like, though, and I need to point them out in this mophie UV sanitizer review, especially when compared to my PhoneSoap Pro.

First, the depth of the sanitizing bay is much less than my PhoneSoap Pro, since the lid itself is thin and does not have a hollowed-out section. I actually sanitize my eyeglasses every night in my PhoneSoap Pro, but that's not possible with mophie's sanitizer, because the depth of the bay is too shallow for my glasses. For the mophie, you can only fit up to an iPhone 11 Pro Max, and other small objects that aren't much thicker than an iPhone.

There is also no anti-slip material on the wireless charging surface, so your iPhone can easily be moved just slightly. And since the wireless charging requires proper alignment, this means that your phone may not even end up charging overnight because it slipped slightly off from the charging coil. I had placed my iPhone 11 Pro on the wireless charging surface last night, and this morning my phone was at 50% battery, so at some point, it moved without me knowing (I must have brushed the nightstand with my hand during my sleep). Waking up with a phone that is anything less than 100% is pretty annoying.

While I appreciate the beeps to indicate when a sanitizing cycle starts and ends, I also liked having an easy visual indicator, as well. With the PhoneSoap Pro, I can easily glance over and see when it's done because the lightning bolt emblem on the top turns off. When it's glowing white, it's running. The mophie UV sanitizer doesn't have a visual indicator to let you know that it's running unless you slightly lift the lid to see the blue lights. I wish that the light on the front button wouldn't be on. It could have multiple colors to make it easier to see whether it's running or not from across the room.

Though the white looks sleek and modern (very Apple-y), it's so lightweight that it almost feels like cheap plastic. It doesn't have the heft that I associate with other mophie products. It's also unfortunate that the lid doesn't open wide enough for it to remain open on its own. But I suppose mophie was trying to keep it as small as possible so it could be easier to travel with.

A sleek and portable sanitizer for your phone

mophie UV Sanitizer review: The Bottom Line

To wrap up this mophie UV sanitizer review, I'll state that I still prefer to use my PhoneSoap Pro around the house, but the mophie UV Sanitizer with Wireless Charging is better for traveling. It's lightweight, compact, and can sanitize your phone or other small items in five minutes. And while the wireless charging surface doesn't have grip, it's a good way to top off your iPhone or AirPods battery throughout the day at your desk. And you can sanitize items and charge your phone at the same time. But if you want a bit more space for sanitizing things like eyeglasses, then you may want to look into something like the PhoneSoap Pro instead.

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