Powme's 3-in-1 wireless charger review: a game-changer for working on the go

By Amber Neely

The Powme 3-in-1 Wireless Charger is a small USB-C hub that the manufacturers promise is the ultimate wireless charger. We took a look at it to see if it could live up to those claims.

Look and feel

Powme has intentionally designed the 3-in-1 Wireless Charger to be an extremely portable device, capable of fitting within laptop bags, suitcases, backpacks, and even most purses. And they're right -- it's pretty small compared to most other powered hubs on the market.

Coming in at less than three inches across, five inches long, and under an inch thick, the Powme 3-in-1 Wireless Charger takes up less space on your desktop than most iPhones. We love this because it means that it can fit easily in even the most cramped setups.

Our iPhone 11 sits atop the Powme charger and obscures it entirely

It also has a decent weight for its size, and while we've only been living with it for a short while, it feels pretty well made.

We have one gripe, though: the Powme logo. While we don't mind the logo's look, it does light up when it's plugged into power. That makes it a less than ideal bedside companion, should you be the type of person who keeps their gear near their bed -- such as a college student in a dorm.

Powme ports

The biggest reason most of us turn to hubs like this one is that our MacBooks don't have enough ports.

The 3-in-1 Wireless Charger provides a few extra ports in a small, easy-to-carry package. It has USB-A QC 3.0 port, perfect for connecting a USB mouse or keyboard or charging additional devices. A USB-A 3.1 port allows you to connect thumb drives and external hard drives and transfer data up to 10 gigabits per second.

As expected, it includes a micro SD and standard SD slot -- but we were still happy to see it included. This is perfect for those of us who occasionally shoot on cameras that write to SD cards.

And it also includes a single 60Hz 4k HDMI port, perfect for connecting to an external monitor or a board room projector if needed.

Overall, we were pleased with the pint-sized hub's offering and thought that it could easily earn a permanent spot in your tech bag as your travel hub.

Powe power

Of course, all those ports aren't the only draw to the Powme 3-in-1 wireless charger -- it is a charger, after all.

While it wouldn't be an ideal solution for higher-power MacBooks -- especially if they're under load -- the 30W USB-C port can keep your MacBook topped up. However, it'll work well if you're doing lower-power tasks like editing spreadsheets or responding to emails, and will charge an idling or sleeping machine with no problem. If you rock a MacBook Air or an iPad, it's a perfect tech-bag companion.

Yes, it even charges your Apple Watch

Not only is it a convenient little hub that powers your MacBook or iPad, but it's a wireless charger that can charge your iPhone, Apple Watch, or AirPods, too.

The Qi wireless charger can charge at up to 10W, while the Apple Watch wireless charger maxes out at 5W.

This was where it was a game-changer for us. A cluttered workspace is hardly ideal, especially if you're doing short-term traveling or doing something as simple as moving from your office to the board room for the afternoon.

Because it can charge your MacBook, iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods, it cuts down on the number of devices you'll need to pack. You can also charge many of these devices at the same time, albeit a bit slower.

We can keep our iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and bluetooth keyboard charged with just one USB-C cable and the Powme 3-in-1

Again, if you're the type to pack light, we think that this is a great way to take all your essential tech without needing to worry about packing a ton of cables and adapters.

Overall

While we're not rushing to make this our main hub, we do want to keep it around just the same. Our perfect use case for it is pairing it with our mobile or iPad-centric workspace, allowing us to pack everything we'd need for working on the go into a small bag.

If you're interested in snagging your own Powme 3-in-1 wireless charger, you can head over to Powme's site and pick one up in silver, gray, or gold for $119.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

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