My wife uses an iPhone, my son a Samsung phone, and I've got HTC, Samsung and Palm (as well as whatever I happen to be reviewing at the time) phones. Add my daughter's Nintendo DS Lite, a few iPod Touches and we begin to run out of electrical outlets and we also have to deal with the spaghetti pile of cords.
In the same boat? If so, Powermat may have a solution to help clean up the clutter numerous chargers present. The charger is offered in the WMExperts Store for $97.95. It will handle up to three devices at once, tying up only one wall outlet.
Ease on past the break to see how well the Powermat performs, not only in charging devices but also in clearing up some of the clutter.
First, a little clarification. The Powermat Home/Office charger is offered in WMExperts.com Store. The charger pictured throughout this review is the Portable model simply because that was the model that was sent for review. It's my understanding that there were supply issues with the Home/Office model and the Portable model was sent. The only difference in the portable and home/office models is that portable model folds up, obviously for portability. Beyond that, there is no difference in functionality or controls.
Design
The design is simple and straightforward. You have a charging pad that measures just under a foot long. To charge your Windows phone you have a Power Cube that attaches to your charging port and then you lay the Power Cube on the charging mat. Presto, chango, your phone is now charging.
Now let us clear the air a little on the "wireless" part of the product title. Powermat bills this as a "wireless charger" and with some phones, it is. Powermat offers a case for Blackberry and iPhones, as well as the Sony PSP handheld gaming device. For these electronics, the Powermat is "wireless" in that you simply lay the device down on the mat to initiate charging.
For the time being the rest of us will have to live with seeing our charging wires reduced significantly. I guess for the non-Blackberry, iPhone, PSP users the Powermat is a "almost wireless" charger.
Both the Office/Home and Portable models can charge up to three devices at once and a magnet helps aid in positioning the Power Cube into the right position. The mat will chirp when it's placed just right and the charging indicator will light up.
The Powermat comes packaged with one Power Cube that has a mini-USB connector. Adapters are included with the mat for mini-USB, the iPhone, Samsung phones, LG phones, DS Lite and DSi, and Sony devices. Powermat does include a carrying case for these adapters but it's not not large enough for all the adapters.
Home/Office vs. Portable
The key difference in the Home/Office and Portable Powermats is that the Portable model folds up and comes with a travel case. The Home/Office model is a solid mat that is designed more for permanent placement.
Both models will charge up to three devices and also have a USB port to allow it to be powered via your computer. Both models have controls to mute the chime and turn off the charging light.
Performance
No complaints what-so-ever. The Powermat charges devices no different than the wired AC adapters. In using the Powermat for several days, I did not experience any of the Power Cubes getting warm during the charging process or the mat itself getting warm.
While not exactly "wireless" the Powermat reduced the number of wall plugs to one. Where I had nine plus feet of charging cords to deal with, now all I cluttering up my counter is three Power Cubes. I can keep the extra adapters in the travel case, which is neatly stored in a drawer.
Overall Impressions
I liked the Powermat "wireless" charging mat. I'm a multi-device household and to be able to charge every device from one point, with one wall socket being occupied and minimal wires to keep sorted the Powermat is a welcomed addition.
If you are in a similar household, the Powermat is definitely worth looking into. The charging mat comes with one Power Cube and additional Cubes, as well as the device specific fitted charging cubes, can be purchased seperately.
Currently, you can pick up the Home/Office model in the WMExperts Store for $97.95, and we may offer the Portable model in the near future.
Update: Looks like we are now offering the Portable Model (as well as the Home/Office Model) over at the WMExperts Store and you can find it here.
