Kensington StudioCaddy Review

If you’re living in an Apple household, you’ve likely adopted many Apple products and use them on a regular basis. From the iPhone to the iPad, AirPods and MacBook, these products can become prized tools in your everyday work and personal life. If your office or desk is a chaotic mess, mobile accessory company Kensington has launched its StudioCaddy in hopes of organizing your Apple products.

The small, compact, multi-functional caddy can store and charge a plethora of Apple products. Priced at $249.99 CAD, the Kensington StudioCaddy is a modest purchase for anyone seeking to minimize the footprint of their Apple products as they work or once the day is complete. The StudioCaddy holds a lot of promise but is it right for you? Let’s have a look.

Unboxing

The Kensington StudioCaddy is deceptively small, as is its packaging. Within its box is the two-piece magnetic StudioCaddy stand. Out of its packaging, the StudioCaddy measures out to be 8.12-inches x 5.98-inches x 5.37-inches. The total weight of the product is around 3lbs.

The front piece of the caddy consists of two Qi-enabled charging pads designed for Apple products. On the left side is a horizontal indent made to place your Qi-enabled AirPods or AirPods Pro case. On the right is a vertical stand to place your Qi-enabled iPhone.

The back piece, which attaches to the front only by magnets, has two slots made for an iPad and a Macbook. The StudioCaddy has a single USB-A and USB-C port. The respective charging cables can then be used to charge an iPad and MacBook at the same time.

The Kensington StudioCaddy also comes with an A/C power adapter and interchangeable prongs to coincide with various regions including North America, UK, Australia, and the EU. You’ll also find a user manual included in the box. One complaint I do have in regards to the power supply adapter is its size. It’s so cumbersome that it partially takes up the real estate of the second wall plug. Depending on your setup, you may run into issues so keep that in mind.

Compatibility and Charging

Once an iPhone or an AirPods case is placed on the Qi charging pads, the front of the StudioCaddy will emit a blue LED light. I did find there to be a sweet spot on the AirPods-specific pad where if the case was up too high, it wouldn’t register properly. Additionally, the caddy will notify the user if the device isn’t compatible or if the iPhone case is too thick. In the event that a charge can’t be conducted, the LED will turn red.

To give you an idea of which devices are compatible, the Kensington StudioCaddy can support:

  • iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
  • iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and iPhone SE
  • iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and iPhone 12 Mini
  • MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13-16 inch models
  • iPad, iPad Mini, and iPad Pro 11-12.9-inch

Additionally, the StudioCaddy’s Qi charging pads will support the following Android phones:

  • Samsung S8, Samsung S10, Samsung S20, Samsung Note 10, Samsung Note 20
  • Xiao Mi10
  • Huawei P40
  • Other Qi-enabled Android devices with a screen size smaller than 6.68 (models with a size larger than 6.68-inches may not be supported)

Charging rates are fairly standard. The dual Qi charging pad can charge at 7.5W for iPhone fast charging and up to 10W for compatible Android devices. Qi charging for the AirPods is limited to 5W. The StudioCaddy can charge through most slim cases. If you’ve experimented with wireless chargers with success in the past, you’ll probably find similar results here.

The caddy has a rubberized grip on the bottom of the verticle Qi pad to hold your phone in place. The grip can be swapped with what I refer to as the booster seat for smaller phones like the iPhone 8. Using this attachment will raise the device to the needed height to charge. It’s easy to swap out and certainly helps from accidentally knocking the phone off the caddy.

Practical Use

The inherent functionality of the Kensington Caddy is to clear up room in your workspace or give you a place to store your Apple products at the end of the day. From a design perspective, StudioCaddy accomplishes the job it sets out to do. It’s a simplistic form but it works in giving all four devices a place to settle without creating an eyesore on your desk.

Of course, all of this hinges on your current setup and the amount of available room your desk has to begin with. The StudioCaddy is made to face a certain way, with your phone facing you while it charges. Unless you have that available real estate on your workspace to place it horizontally, you lose some of that benefit. However, you can easily place it off to the side while all devices are charging.

Beyond that, the all-in-one caddy doesn’t necessarily have to sit in place as an all-in-one. If you find it more convenient to have the dual Qi charger sitting directly in front of you with the stand piece off to the side, you can keep them separated. Additionally, you can use the stand on its own as a way to hold your iPad while you watch Netflix or take it into the kitchen and use it to follow a recipe, it can be used as such.

Final Thoughts

The Kensington StudioCaddy is an all-around solid addition to your workspace. Its design will assist in clearing up room on your desk or workstation while charging your Apple ecosystem. The rate at which your devices charge is fairly standard when looking at wireless options.

That all said, it does air on the pricier side. With budget-friendly wireless chargers on the market, the $249.99 CAD investment should also take into account the storage perks. If you find a use for the organization benefits on top of needing to have a charger near your workspace, you’ll likely be happy with what StudioCaddy provides.

The Kensington StudioCaddy will be available in Canada through Amazon starting next week.

This product was provided by Kensington in order to conduct a review.

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