One of the drawbacks of being a tech geek is the large collection of cluttered chargers and cables you have to keep on hand to charge all of your tech gear. The all-new HiRise 3 from Twelve South helps you eliminate that clutter and even adds some functionality to charging by acting as an iPhone stand while simultaneously charging your Apple Watch and AirPods.
What Is the HiRise 3?
The HiRise 3 from TwelveSouth is three chargers in one. It can simultaneously wirelessly charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods in a single form factor. The front elevated platform has a slanted surface onto which you can magnetically attach your MagSafe compatible iPhone—which is all versions of the iPhone 12 and 13—using induction charging to charge the phone. Just behind that slanted surface is a horizontal surface that has an Apple Watch magnetic charging adapter built in. Just lay your Apple Watch down on that magnetic surface and it charges your Apple Watch. The AirPods are charged at the base of the stand. Simply lay your AirPods case down on the flat base of the stand and the case is wirelessly recharged. There is also a bonus charging method. A non-MagSafe iPhone (without a case or with a thin case) can be charged wirelessly using the AirPods charger at the base.
Below are some specs for the HiRise 3:
- Dimensions: 6.5 in tall, 4.8 in deep, 3.4 in wide
- Weight: 0.7 lb
- Cable length: 59 inches (does not come with a 20 W USB-C charging brick, which is required)
- Power:
- AirPods: 5W
- iPhone 10W
- Apple Watch 3W
How Have I Been Using the HiRise 3?
I own the full trifecta—an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods—so I have been taking full advantage of the versatility of this charging stand. I may be a little unique in that I don’t take my iPhone into my bedroom at night. So for me, having a 3-in-1 desktop charger that doesn’t live in my bedroom actually works really well. But for those of you that charge your iPhone on your nightstand next to your bed at night, this form factor would work really great for that too. However, because of where the Apple Watch charger is located on the stand (behind the iPhone charging surface) you can’t utilize the Apple Watch’s nightstand mode. Since I use the HiRise 3 outside of my bedroom this works perfectly for my needs, but if Night Stand mode is important to you keep this in mind.
The other aspect of how I use this charger is also important. I am very rarely in need of doing a rapid charge on any of my devices. I charge my Apple Watch several times for short periods during the day and other than that I wear it nearly 24/7. My iPhone is typically only charged at night when I sleep, so the speed at which it recharges makes zero difference to me. My AirPods Pro is similar in that I only tend to charge the case every week or so as I notice the case power levels are getting low and I simply set the case down on the charger to charge and walk away with no rush to have them charged up right then. I suspect most people charge their devices as I do, but there is a small percentage of people that really want (and will use) the fastest charging possible and this charger simply isn’t for them.
As far as functionality goes, the HiRise 3 works really well just as designed. In order to start using the charger right out of the box, you will have to find a 20W USB-C charging brick, as the HiRise 3 only comes with a 5-foot USB-C charging cable and no charging brick. The assumption here is that you already own one, so if you don’t, be aware that you will have an additional purchase in order to use the charger. Once you get your HiRise 3 plugged in and set it down on a surface, you will notice that base of the device has four soft micro-suction feet that securely stick the HiRise 3 to whatever surface you are placing it on. This ensures the base doesn’t move when removing your iPhone from the strong magnetic surface of the angled phone charging portion of the device. With the HiRise 3 plugged in on a secure solid surface, you will notice when charging a device that there is a status light at the base of the stand. If the light is green it indicates that the charger is not getting enough power from the charging brick you have provided, and blue indicates that a device is connected and charging and the HiRise is getting sufficient power. A blinking light with either color indicates that there is interference, like a foreign object, between the charger and the device being charged. The indicator light only works for the bottom AirPods charging platform and the iPhone surface and not the Apple Watch. For the Apple Watch, you have to rely on the feedback you get from the Apple Watch screen showing that it is charging.
From an iPhone charging perspective, the magnets for the iPhone are very strong and instantly snap the iPhone into place on the surface of the slanted platform. While the HiRise 3 does use the iPhone’s built-in MagSafe magnets, be aware that it is not taking full advantage of the high-speed charging you get when using a MagSafe charger with your iPhone. Because the HiRise 3 has to split the power between 3 devices, the devices are not charged as fast as they could be if they were charging on dedicated chargers that provided the maximum wattage each device can handle. This is a trade-off you are making when choosing this particular charger: getting a sleek all-in-one charger in exchange for a slower charging rate. One additional bonus that I get out of this charger is that I can charge both my personal iPhone (an iPhone 12 mini) and my work iPhone (an iPhone 8) by setting the iPhone on the AirPods charging base. The base is an induction charger so it will wireless charge any device small enough to fit on the base and is induction charging compatible (assuming any case on that device is also compatible with induction charging and isn’t too thick to interfere). Another bonus is that my 3 kids all have non-MagSafe iPhones, and because I keep the HiRise 3 in a central location in the house, they can also use it to charge their iPhones.
Verdict
The HiRise 3 is a solidly built, sleek-looking, and highly functional charger. If your charging use case is like most people and doesn’t actually require the maximum charging speed, I think you will find the HiRise 3 will add a lot of functionality and reduce a lot of clutter all at the same time.
Pros:
- Sleek and simple design
- Minimizes charging cords
- Serves as an iPhone stand when charging a MagSafe iPhone
Cons:
- Slower charging speeds than what is possible for each device
- Can’t use Night Stand mode when charging the Apple Watch due to orientation
The HiRise 3 is available now for $99.99 at Twelve South’s website and if you use the discount code GeekDad15 at checkout you save 15% on your order.
Disclaimer: I was provided a HiRise 3 for the purpose of this review, but Twelve South had no input into the review content.
