Neil Hughes
Apple Watch owners looking to conveniently charge and showcase their wrist-worn device have a new, affordable quality option with the Griffin WatchStand Charging Dock.
Griffin provided AppleInsider with a WatchStand dock for review this week, and we found that it's a well-made accessory that does exactly what it advertises and is easy to recommend. The Apple Watch charging accessory retails for $29.99
Right out of the box, the first thing we noticed about the Griffin WatchStand is how heavy it is. The base of the dock has a metal exterior, with big, sturdy rubber feet at the bottom.
In addition to holding the pedestal for the Apple Watch, the base of the WatchStand also includes a lip at the front that allows users to rest their iPhone at an angle. Users can plug in a Lightning cable and place their iPhone at the base of the dock to have an all-in-one display solution.
The WatchStand does not come with its own Apple Watch charging solution — Â users will have to bring their own authorized Apple cable and insert it into the accessory. We found the setup and installation to be relatively easy, just requiring us to thread the USB end of the cable through a hole up top, and that hole is then covered by the magnetic charging end of the cable once it's inserted into the rubberized, scratch-proof enclosure.
The USB cable then runs down the column, which is inserted to a plastic hole in the base.
A rubber exterior on the inserted column can be used to hold the cable in place, wrapped around as many times as the user chooses. This allows any excess cable to be reduced, allowing for a more clutter-free desktop or nightstand.
It's a unique design, it's well made, and for $30, we think it's a competitive price.
The Griffin WatchStand is also considerably larger than the competing Mophie Apple Watch Dock, which we also reviewed in May. At that point, it's essentially a matter of aesthetic preference — Â some will prefer the heavy base, iPhone stand and cable management of the Griffin WatchStand, while others might prefer the smaller and lighter design, as well as the "premium" leather, found on the Mophie Apple Watch Dock.
Left: Mophie Apple Watch Dock. Right: Griffin WatchStand.But considering the Mophie Apple Watch dock sells for $59.95 and it lacks the excess cable management of the Griffin WatchStand, as well as the ability to prop up an iPhone, we think most users will prefer the more affordable option from Griffin. Recommended.
Where to buy
The Griffin WatchStand is available for $29.99 with Prime shipping from Amazon.
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15 Comments
I have the Nomad stand and I think it looks nicer than the Griffin although more expensive and without the iphone stand bit. My wife doesn't mind the design of the Nomad either which is important as she'd chuck it out if she didnt like it...
It looks to me, from the pictures, that the Griffin stand will not accommodate the Milanese loop watch band. I have the Mophie stand and it does. The cable management on the Griffin one does look interesting.
Curious to know if you can re-orienetate the watch face in the upcoming nightstand mode in watch OS 2.0. If not, I'm not sure I would want one of these stands.
It looks to me, from the pictures, that the Griffin stand will not accommodate the Milanese loop watch band. I have the Mophie stand and it does. The cable management on the Griffin one does look interesting.
perhaps should have been pointed out in the review.
Curious to know if you can re-orienetate the watch face in the upcoming nightstand mode in watch OS 2.0. If not, I'm not sure I would want one of these stands.
surely it would use its built in sensor to orient the nighttime watch the correct way, depending on watch orientation. Unlike apple to miss things like that