WatchStand for stylish charging of Apple Watch

For all its elegance, the Apple Watch can appear clunky when it is being charged.

This is because sticking the magnetic charging puck into the watch's back and seeing a power cord snake out from the watch just seems too unwieldy.

This is why a flurry of charging docks has appeared on the market since the Apple Watch launch, and the Griffin WatchStand is among the most affordable.

It might not have the wooden finish or aluminium construction of its more expensive rivals. However, WatchStand's plastic build is neither flimsy, nor does it look cheap. In fact, its smooth all-black finish looks quite fetching to me.

The dock comes in three parts - a base, stand and stand cover.

Assembly is easy. Slip Apple's charging puck into the round recess at the top of the stand. Wind the power cord around the stand. Then, slide in the stand cover and snap on the base. The power cord will be neatly hidden from view after you do so.

If you have the stainless steel Apple Watch that comes with a metallic charging puck, you need to insert an included spacer to make it fit snugly.

No spacer is needed for the Apple Watch Sport.

The result is a sleek-looking black pedestal for you to perch your Apple Watch on as it is being charged.

You can place your Apple Watch either vertically or horizontally on the stand.

However, if you are using a closed-loop band like the Milanese Loop, you will have no choice but to place it horizontally.

The horizontal orientation will be useful when Apple's watchOS 2 arrives. This upcoming OS has a Nightstand mode showing time in the same orientation as the watch when it is placed horizontally and connected to the charger.

Another nice touch is the raised lip at the front of the base for resting your iPhone, which gives you a convenient and neat way to charge your iPhone together with your Apple Watch.

Verdict: The Griffin WatchStand is a good-looking charging dock for your Apple Watch and great value for money.

TECH SPECS
PRICE: $49
WEIGHT: 510g
RATING DESIGN: 4
PERFORMANCE: 4
VALUE FOR MONEY: 4

OVERALL: 4

This article was first published on August 5, 2015.
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