iCulture reviews: Zen’s 4-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe

Zens ZEDC17W/00 charger with MagSafe

There were already multi-chargers from Zens that had regular wireless Qi charging points. However, with this new Zens 4-in-1 Wireless Charger (€99.99) you can also use MagSafe. You will have to provide your own MagSafe Charger (€45), because it is not included. There is a charger for your Apple Watch. You can place your AirPods on top and there is an extra USB-A port on the side for an iPad or similar device.

Text, review and photos: Gonny van der Zwaag (@gonny). The test was carried out in May 2021. Not all products that we test in the iCulture editorial staff receive an extensive discussion. For cases, cables and other accessories we have the more concise ‘iCulture looks’ reviews. The Zens charger was made available by the manufacturer.

Zens 4-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe in brief

These are the most important features:

• Type number Zens ZEDC17W/00
• Made of aluminum
• Suitable for iPhone 12 series (all models)
• Available in white with aluminum edges
• MagSafe Charger not included
• Apple Watch charger is included (removable and can be plugged into any USB-A port)
• Available for €99.99 at Amac and other stores such as Bol.com

For those who are not yet familiar with the Zens range, it is important to make sure that you have the correct type number, because not all of them work with MagSafe and sometimes you have to bring your own Apple Watch charger. They therefore differ in price between about 80 and 150 euros. The less you get included, the cheaper the charger is.

The model we tested here is the Zens ZEDC17W/00. This is made of aluminum and costs €99.99 at all stores we checked. You do not receive a MagSafe Charger, so the total price is €145. It does contain an Apple Watch charger, which you can detach to use in other ways. You also receive a 45 Watt Power Delivery power adapter, with connections for USB-C (for the MagSafe cable) and USB-A (for the power supply of all other charging functions).

Design of the Zens 4-in-1 Wireless Charger

This 4-in-1 charger consists of a white plate with rounded aluminum edges measuring 19 x 9 x 5.5 cm. It looks great on a white desk. You place the iPhone and AirPods on top and hang the Apple Watch in the appropriate holder. On the right side you have a normal USB-A port to charge your iPad, for example.

It is unclear how much power this port supplies. Zens talks about 20W output (2 x 10W) ​​with Apple Fast Charge, but does not indicate whether this also applies to the port on the side. Naturally, 15 Watts apply for charging with MagSafe, because you are using the official MagSafe Charger from Apple. The whole thing weighs 228 grams, a great weight to throw in the suitcase during weekend trips.

The Zens charger in use. There is an additional charging port on the right.

Such a charger fits both on your desk and on a bedside table. We would have liked to see two color options, but the Zens ZEDC17W/00 is only available in white. You can optionally tie the two cables together with a supplied textile cover (see photo).

Package contents: Charging mat, Watch charger, cables, cable cover and power adapter for Europe and UK.

Zens 4-in-1 Wireless Charger in use

If you take all the parts out of the packaging, everything is actually self-explanatory. You attach the devices to the various charging points and it works immediately.

We did encounter a few criticisms during testing. The Apple Watch hangs a bit wobbly on the holder. Some kind of adjustable foot for the 40mm and 44mm format would have been useful. In terms of material and construction, it also receives a passing grade. Because this is an MFi charger for the Apple Watch, it is slightly larger in diameter than the charger that originally came in the package with the Apple Watch.

The MagSafe charging point is too far from the edge, causing the camera bump to get in the way.

However, we think a bigger objection is that the iPhone does not fit properly on the charger. The charging plate is too large, so the aluminum can scratch the camera lens of your iPhone 12. Even on the large iPhone 12 Pro Max, the camera bump gets in the way. The solution? Place your device at an angle on the charger, so that the cameras protrude outboard. But it is not pretty and it is often difficult to find the right angle, also because you have to maintain contact with the magnetic part of the MagSafe charger.

It lies comfortably this way – but also nicely crooked.

None of the iPhone 12 series models fit well on this charger. You could solve this by using a MagSafe case so that the camera bump is no longer a problem. But it is exaggerated that you have to buy a case to ensure that your iPhone rests properly on the charging mat.

Zens has chosen to align the MagSafe charger exactly in the middle of the shelf. In terms of design, this may be a logical choice, because it will look symmetrical, but for practical use it would have been more logical to move the MagSafe charger slightly upwards.

Conclusion Zens 4-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe review

Our first impression of this 4-in-1 charger is good: it looks good quality and you also get a long warranty of no less than three years. It is also useful that every conceivable charging function is available: wireless Qi, Apple Watch, USB-A and MagSafe. The fact that you have to buy the MagSafe Charger yourself makes it a fairly pricey solution at €145. We also find that the Apple Watch hangs a bit wobbly on the charger. But the biggest drawback is that the MagSafe charger is not properly aligned, so you can only place the iPhone at an angle on the charger because the camera bump is in the way.

Buy Zens 4-in-1 Wireless Charger

This charger is available at various stores and usually costs €99.99. You can also find all kinds of variants of this charger at Zens, but often MagSafe is not supported.