Review -How is your desk organizing games? Mine seems to ebb and flow with the phases of the moon, or maybe just when inbound review products start to gather on me. In any case, whether it is the location of the cable, charger or laptop, I will try to keep my desk clean. Kensington has a new solution to help solve this exact scenario. It’s called StudioCaddy, and although it’s designed for Apple devices, it’s designed to help those of us run closed laptops connected to external displays, USB-C tablets, and Qi-compatible phones and wireless earbuds.
What is it?
Kensington’s StudioCaddy combines a laptop/tablet stand that can be magnetically connected to a dual Qi device charger, allowing you to neatly organize and charge Qi and other USB-powered devices.
What’s in the box?
- Laptop and tablet resting
- Dual charger
- Power adapter with optional interchangeable international wall pins
- 2 device holder sizes for mobile phone holders + for additional cable clamps
- Various instructions and regulatory brochures
Hardware specifications
USB charging: Power supply only (no data)
- 1 x USB-A up to 12W (5V/2.4A)
- 1 x USB-C up to 20W (5V/3A or 9V/2.25A) (two power supplies only)
Apple device compatibility:
- Most MacBook models
- All iPad models (use your own data cable for USB charging)
- All Qi compatible iPhone models
- All wireless charging AirPods and AirPod Pros
- Apple Watch (use your own cable to charge and place)
Non-Apple device compatibility:
- Laptops up to 17 mm thick
- Tablets up to 21 mm thick (use your own data cable for USB charging)
- Qi charging compatible mobile phone
- Qi charging compatible earbuds
- USB powered device (use your own cable)
Design and features
StudioCaddy is designed to accommodate up to 4 devices at the same time while saving some valuable desktop space. It consists of two parts; fabric-wrapped dual Qi chargers for mobile phones and compatible earplugs…
There is also a laptop/tablet holder that can be magnetically attached to the back of the dual Qi charger for easy separation when needed.
Mobile phones and earbuds can be charged wirelessly from their location, while tablets and other devices can be charged with your own cable.
The sturdy structure and non-slip silicone under the two components ensure a firm foothold.
set up
Step 1: Clean up your desk to make room for StudioCaddy
Step 2: Choose your location and remember these things…
- If you actively use your phone while charging, you may want to place it in your dominant hand.
- If you want to be able to actively use the tablet on the stand, please set the laptop stand separately from the charger.
- Use your own USB cable to power any device from the USB-A or USB-C port.
Step 3: Assuming you are all in place now, turn clockwise to install the appropriate pin on the wall adapter until it clicks (not turned in the photo), and then connect the power adapter to the wall and the left side Dual Qi charger with power port.
To use a mobile phone or earbud Qi charger, you need to press the power button on the left. This also controls the power to the two USB ports. When the device is charging, the LED indicator lights up blue. This point will be described in detail later.
Now you can place the gadget and start charging.
Performance
StudioCaddy is a unique solution because it provides a home for all your critical computing devices in one solution, while still allowing you to use it with a certain degree of flexibility. The cool magnetic design allows these two parts to be stuck together as a unit…
Or use them separately in different areas of your desk.
In my case, I recently switched back to a non-ultra-wide monitor and switched back and forth between wanting/needing my M1 Macbook to be turned on or off as the second screen and not getting in the way. I set up StudioCaddy on the right side of the screen, where I can easily use my phone to charge Qi hearing aids. The entire device was pushed to the last edge of my desk, and my MacBook was behind the screen of the stand, keeping my desk tidy.
I’m still using Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 docking station I reviewed it in February 2021.I put it on the left side of my screen and have a long enough cable. My Mac can be closed on the stand or opened in the front. The screen is neatly placed below my home screen. My iPad is either in StudioCaddy Charge on the cradle, or actively use it on the left side of my desk
My favorite feature is that all charging can be turned off via the power switch on the left side of the device. The angle of the stand is close to perfect, it’s great to be able to use it all day and only turn on the charging function when I really need it. If I charge earbuds or other things from the USB port, I can always put the bottom of the phone on the table and still lean against the rest without charging.
As for the USB port, there is an A and a C. I use A to charge the Apple Watch charger and C to charge my iPad Pro.
I picked up a thick coiled C cable to easily charge the iPad or even my MacBook in the night slow charging mode.
For two reasons, the laptop stand may be the weakest part of the equation.
First, it needs to shut down your laptop. If you already work in this way, this is not a problem, but if you are used to using your laptop as the second screen of an external monitor, you need to learn to like a single screen or set up a second monitor (for an M1 MacBook like me It is impossible for users).
The second reason is that if the stand is docked behind the dual Qi charger, your tablet is really unusable because it will block a large part of the screen. Likewise, if you’re just charging, or if you use two StudioCaddy components separately on your desk, it’s not a big deal.
You will notice that the laptop size is definitely suitable for MacBook, so you can only use laptops with a maximum thickness of x”. The angle of any tablet you place in the front groove will depend on the thickness of any case you are running Or how vertical the laptop is placed in that position.
The last thing to mention is that the wall adapter is very large for direct plug-in and may prevent you from using the adjacent socket on the power strip. I would rather see a power brick with wires on both ends, or better yet a smaller GAN charger.
what do I like
- Excellent dual Qi charger with on/off power control
- Separately useable laptop and tablet stand
- Beautiful weighted design, non-slip traction, can keep the original shape
- Clean gray and beautiful, with durable fabric wrapping on the charging surface
What will i change
- For some non-Mac laptops, the laptop stand may not be deep enough
- Tablets are very vertical, and more and more cases
- The power adapter is too large and can be plugged in directly
Final thoughts
There are many Qi chargers for mobile phones and earplugs, as well as many laptop holders, but there are few integrated units, and of course there is no flexibility that Kensington designed in StudioCaddy. Obviously, this is designed for Apple products, but for anyone who has a laptop that can drive the display when it is turned off and compatible products, they have missed the opportunity. The flexibility of setting methods and the fees you can charge are combined with space saving to create a product that can create a clean, practical work space.
Price: USD 179.99
Where to buy: Amazon Either Kensington
source: The sample of this product is made by Kensington
