Cubenest is a relatively unknown brand when it comes to chargers, but when you see the Powercube, a light might come on. This is a square power strip that you can stack on top of each other. Cubenest is also affiliated with Vocolinc, a manufacturer of HomeKit accessories about which we have already written several reviews on iCulture. Reason enough to take a look at the Cubenest, to be specific, the 3-in-1 Fold travel charger. In this review we share our experiences with the Cubenest 3-in-1 in terms of ease of use, design and options.
Text, review and photos: Benjamin Kuijten (@BenjaminRK). The Cubenest 3-in-1 foldable charger was tested in August and September 2023 and describes the situation at that time. The charger was made available by the manufacturer for this test.
Cubenest 3-in-1 Fold travel charger in brief
These are the most important features of the Cubenest 3-in-1 Fold travel charger:
- Foldable charger to charge an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch at the same time
- Folds into a small square block
- MagSafe-compatible (but not MagSafe-certified)
- Maximum 7.5W charging for iPhone
- Apple Watch fast charger
- Qi wireless charging for AirPods
- Supplied with USB-C to USB-C cable and 20W USB-C adapter
- Works with Standby, not suitable for night clock mode Apple Watch
- Recommended retail price: €109.99
Cubenest 3-in-1 Fold in use
The 3-in-1 Fold from Cubenest is one of the most remarkable wireless chargers we have tested recently. The charger consists, as it were, of three square plates, which are connected to each other with hinges. You can unfold it so that it can stand in a Z-shape on your desk or bedside table. You need two hands to unfold the charger. The hinges are so tight that you cannot do this with one hand. And we mean that positively, because a hinge that is too weak would only cause it to collapse like a house of cards.
We were certainly surprised by the build quality of the charger. The charger is made of aluminum, with a rubbery base so that it does not slip. It’s also quite heavy, which is less practical for a wireless charger intended for travel. But the Cubenest 3-in-1 Fold certainly doesn’t feel like a cheap thing. And with a suggested retail price of around €110, it certainly isn’t.
Due to the foldable design, you can use the Cubenest however you want. The most obvious configuration (and if you want to charge three devices at the same time) is to expand everything. Place the MagSafe part upright, so that the Apple Watch part is at an angle. Then unfold the Apple Watch charger so that you can place the Apple Watch on it. The base is then suitable for placing your AirPods. This way you can charge three devices at the same time with a very compact charger, which is the biggest advantage of this charger. A disadvantage of this method of charging is that you cannot see the Apple Watch at all while charging. This makes the night clock mode virtually unusable. After all, the MagSafe part for the iPhone blocks the view of the Apple Watch screen. This is not very useful for your bedside table.
But fortunately, thanks to iOS 17, you can use Standby mode, which performs a similar function to the night clock mode of the Apple Watch. By magnetically attaching your iPhone to the charger and turning it a quarter turn, the special screen automatically activates the widgets you set. This works with all chargers, as long as you hold the iPhone horizontally. But with a magnetic charger like this, it just makes it easier and looks stylish.
What you should keep in mind is that the MagSafe part is MagSafe compatible and not MagSafe certified. What exactly does that mean? In practice, this means that you can magnetically attach an iPhone with MagSafe to it to charge, but it will be at the same speed as normal wireless charging. That is a maximum of 7.5W. The charger does not support the MagSafe specification of 15W charging. You can especially see this in the charging animation: you do not see the full-screen green circle like with a real MagSafe charger, but the normal battery at the top of the screen as soon as you attach your iPhone to the charger. We think it is a missed opportunity that this charger (especially at this price) is not MagSafe certified. The manufacturer claims otherwise in product photos (the large MagSafe animation is shown there), so this tends to be misleading.
If you are not using the AirPods part, you can also simply lay the Apple Watch part flat. This is useful, for example, if you have a strap that can be fully opened, so that you can charge the Apple Watch with the screen facing up. This makes the charger less high, which can be practical in a cabinet. The versatility of folding is therefore the greatest convenience of this Cubenest 3-in-1 Fold. The Apple Watch charger does support fast charging of the Apple Watch Series 7 and newer, so that is a nice bonus.
This Cubenest charger comes with a handy travel bag, in which you can store the charger itself as well as the cable and power adapter. This is especially useful for your hand luggage or suitcase, so that everything is not lying around loose when you travel. A practical extra, but that is also acceptable for this price.
Score
8
Cubenest 3-in-1 Fold
€109.95
Advantages
+
- Versatile charger thanks to foldable design
- Charge three devices simultaneously in a compact charger
- Apple Watch part supports fast charging
- Suitable for Stand-by function thanks to magnetic charging section
Cons
–
- Not officially MagSafe certified
- Apple Watch screen not visible and therefore not suitable for night clock mode
- On the heavy side for a travel charger
Conclusion Cubenest 3-in-1 Fold wireless charger review
The Cubenest 3-in-1 Fold foldable wireless charger is convenient for traveling, thanks in part to its unique design. The charger is quite compact and despite this you can charge as many as three devices at the same time. The biggest asset is the design and the versatility to charge in the way you want. A disadvantage of the design is that you cannot see the screen of the Apple Watch and that it is located in a somewhat uncomfortable place. We are happy that the Apple Watch charger supports fast charging, although it is a disappointment that the MagSafe part is not MagSafe certified. This makes charging just as slow as with regular wireless charging, with a maximum of 7.5W. For this price, we expected the charger to be fully MagSafe-compatible.
Also check our overview of wireless chargers for iPhone or AirPods. Would you prefer a MagSafe-certified charger? Then we have a separate guide for that.
