The Zens Nightstand Charger Pro 2 fails to tick all my boxes

As the name suggests, the Nightstand Pro 2 is meant to be for your bedside table. The benefit of this? The charging dock can be plugged in, put in position, folded out and can then simply be left where it is. If I’d only done that during my review, the charger’s shortcomings might not have been so apparent.

It all starts with the contents of the box. To be fair, the charger’s supplied with everything you need in order to use it right away. The power adapter’s fixed to a cable, which can’t be removed. On the other end of that cable, there’s a proprietary plug that connects to the charging station. That means you can’t just use it with any old USB-C cable plus an adapter of your choice. As a result, the Zens Nightstand’s seriously unsuitable for travel. If you were to take it on a trip, you’d always need to pack the original adapter.

Mind you, the charger does come with two attachments for the power adapter. So, as well as the type C adapter used in the EU and Switzerland, you also have the option to use type G and type A. Perfect for a trip to the UK or the US.

The thing is, the option of swapping plug types makes the power adapter pretty bulky. It’s actually thick enough to block all three sockets on a typical Swiss triple-socket power outlet.

If you’re packing the charging station in a suitcase, it won’t take up much space. Although it tips the scales at a hefty 300 grammes, it’s still compact when folded shut, measuring around ten by ten centimetres and just over two centimetres tall.

Standby and charging

I test the Zens device with the assumption that it’ll be used on a bedside table. In those circumstances, it’d be plugged in 365 days a year. I measured around 0.4 watts in standby mode, which works out at an annual consumption of 3.5 kWh. Compared to charging stations I’ve tested before, this is a really good figure.

Charging speed is generally more important than how much power the device consumes in standby mode. I tried the Zens charging station out with different iPhone models (the 14 Pro Max and 13) as well as the Apple Watch 9 and 10. Here’s what I found out after almost 100 charges:

• Both the latest and the previous Apple Watches charge just as quickly as they do with the original Apple charging cable. Hardly surprising, given Zens has obtained official Apple certification.
• The hefty iPhone 14 Pro Max charges just under 30 per cent on the magnetic dock in half an hour. That’s with a starting battery level of about 20 per cent.

Bear in mind that the iPhone charges significantly slower on a magnetic dock via induction than it does via cable. Like other charging station manufacturers, however, Zens can’t do much about that. Induction charging is simply less efficient; only about half of the power goes into the battery, while the other half generates heat.

Even the current Qi2 standard, which Zens has installed, charges the iPhone with a maximum of 15 watts. During charging, the power meter says the charger’s drawing 22 watts from the socket. The difference is lost.

Room for two Apple gadgets

The Nightstand Pro 2 boasts enough space to charge two of your Apple gadgets at the same time. An iPhone or an Airpods case can go on the large plate, while an Apple Watch can charge on the puck. To do this, you have to flip open two parts of the charging station. Step one goes without a hitch. There’s a small notch for your finger, so you can fold the MagSafe surface upwards.

Underneath the folded up part, there’s the charging puck for your watch. Although I use the first hinge’s 80-degree angle to get a good grip, popping out the puck is no easy task – and it’s a hazard for your fingernails. The notch is inconveniently placed and too small. As a result, I keep the station opened out pretty much all the time, even if folding the lid back down after each use would look neater in the bedroom.

Still, the device is really robust and sturdy, so I’m not concerned about accidentally breaking it when I’m prising away at the puck.

Once it’s all nicely folded out, I can dock my iPhone. Horizontally. The charger’s not high enough to do it vertically. Meanwhile, the part that charges an Apple Watch has been better thought through. The puck is positioned high enough so that there’s even sufficient space for a larger wristband.

Oh, there’s also a compartment that opens up once you’ve flipped open the MagSafe adapter and popped out the charging puck. This provides storage space for an Airpod case, but doesn’t charge it. Zens has missed an opportunity here if you ask me. Since the device has room for another charging coil in the base, it could’ve easily become a dock capable of charging three gadgets at once.

Zens has had the right idea on LEDs. To be precise, there aren’t any. Having a light-up battery indicator on a device intended for use in the bedroom would just be a nuisance. Once docked, the Apple gadgets hold in position, and charge. If you want to check charging progress, you can see it on the display.