Twelve South's latest accessory is a bespoke, leather-laden valet that will charge your iPhone with an elevated MagSafe-compatible perch and is impressively customizable.
Like it or not, chargers are a necessary evil in our lives. Realistically, they will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.
When examining the available models on the market, which are numerous, several factors must be considered, including design and performance. Twelve South has mostly focused on the former with its new wireless charger.
Twelve South Valet review: An elevated design
The clear inspiration here is your typical accessory catchall that someone may have in their home. A small tray that can hold your pocket remnants like keys, your wallet, coins, receipts, and other small items.
This isn't the first time we've seen a company add a charger to such a device. Both Courant and Nimble have put their spin on this category.
Courant went with real, pebbled leather that looks nice and elegant and Nimble went with an eco-friendly cactus leather with a real wood trim. I have no complaints with either of those, but Twelve South still has some tricks of its own up its sleeve, too.
Twelve South Valet review: Two of the popular catchall-style MagSafe chargers with Twelve South on the left and Nimble on the right
The whole valet is under eight inches wide and under ten inches deep. It sits up in the air an inch and a half, which feels like a decent size, though maybe a bit on the small side once your phone is placed.
Twelve South Valet review: Placing iPhone Air on the magnetic charging perch
Genuine Nappa leather envelopes the whole charger, up to and including the border and the charging perch. The leather comes in two colors for the body — either a soft creme taupe or black.
The border trim comes in ecru (off-white), brown, black, and taupe, which can all be matched with either color body. One of the more unique aspects is that the border is fully removable.
Twelve South Valet review: The leather trim is held in place magnetically and can be swapped for other colors
That gives owners the ability to take off the trim and swap it out. It's held in place magnetically, and Twelve South sells them by themselves at $25 a pop.
Courant opted to put its charger on a large, raised surface on half of the charger, while Nimble chose to integrate a metal stand that can raise into the air to support StandBy mode. Twelve South sits in the middle, putting a square leather-covered perch on one side.
Twelve South Valet review: iPhone Air looks like it's floating on the Twelve South Valet while charging
I like this design because when the phone isn't there, you have more space for your knick-knacks. It also keeps it off the main surface and creates a great floating effect.
As an aside, iPhone Air looks beautiful on this. It really sells the lightness of the phone as it appears to float over the leather surface.
When the phone is placed down to charge, three downward-facing lights glow for a moment before fading away. This helps provide feedback that your phone is placed correctly and charging, though the magnets also aid with this.
Twelve South Valet review: You can see the soft glow of one of the three lights that indicate your phone has begun charging and is placed correctly
I love how the charger looks sitting on a table or nightstand. It's sleek, elegant, and the natural leather colors all look lovely.
Twelve South gives you many options for placement, too. Since there are three lights, they can be seen no matter how the charger is placed. This is a very smart little touch.
Twelve South Valet review: The brand includes color-matched power accessories
Placement consideration is also part of the cable management. It comes bundled with a color-matched USB-C to USB-C cable as well as a 36W power supply.
The cable plugs into the underside of the charger. It routes out any side you need, in between the elevated silicone feet.
Twelve South Valet review: Little cable clips on the underside help keep your cord oriented correctly, no matter its position
To help maintain the cable, there are four small cable clips on the underside. It will hold the cable perfectly centered on any of the four sides, so you can place it in any orientation in your home.
Twelve South Valet review: Charging performance
The Twelve South Valet is a dual charger with two outputs. There is the Qi2 charger on top for your iPhone and a secondary USB-C port on the bottom for something else.
That USB-C port is capable of 35W of power output, though not when the Qi charger is in use. The Qi2 charger will output 15W of power, and the bundled USB-C power adapter taps out at 36W.
Twelve South Valet review: There is a USB-C input and USB-C output on the underside of the charger
So when used by itself, you can do 35W to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, but that will decrease if you use the Qi2 charger at the same time. It's not a dealbreaker on its own, but something to definitely be aware of when you're trying to charge your gear.
I do take a bit of umbrage with Twelve South's decision to opt for a standard Qi2 charging pad with 15W of output instead of the newer Qi2.2 spec that is capable of 25W. It ultimately depends on how you use it, but for me, it's not quite adding up.
Twelve South positions this as a valet-style charger designed for an entryway, shared space, or atop a dresser. It's not intended to serve as a bedside charging solution for overnight use.
If it was meant to go on a nightstand, I'd insist on features like StandBy mode to angle the phone towards the bed. Even in Twelve South's marketing images, it's placed on shelves or cabinets in a home, studio, or office.
Talking to Twelve South at CES, they said a possible scenario is like placing your phone down to charge while you get ready to go out. In all of those spots and scenarios, I specifically would insist on the fastest charge possible.
Those are exactly the moments when I need fast charging, since I'm only setting my phone down briefly rather than leaving it overnight. If I have just 15 to 30 minutes before heading out, I want to squeeze in as much charge as possible.
Twelve South Valet review: Twelve South makes a great looking charger
I'm not oblivious to the fact that adopting Qi2.2 would inflate the price tag even further, and I do know that not everyone wants, needs, or has the devices to support those speeds. For me, though, it's a big deal in my constantly on-the-go life.
Especially when the charger is as expensive as it is. If I am paying more than a hundred dollars for a luxury charger, I want it to last and use the latest tech, not last-gen speeds.
Twelve South Valet review: Chargers are personal
To me, chargers are like cases. There are seemingly endless options out there, and they come in so many shapes, sizes, colors, and speeds that you can find a perfect one to fit your lifestyle and devices.
Twelve South Valet review: The logo is subtle and elegant to match the charger
I tend to burn through a lot of battery — I'm filming throughout the day, after all — and I rarely have the luxury of slow-charging my phone. I also want the accessories I bring into my home to look as good as they perform.
It's why I'm so torn about this charger because I love the aesthetics. The design is exceptional, and the build quality and materials are fantastic.
I'd like to see more accessory makers embrace premium materials that offer alternatives to the sea of plastic options on the market. The leather here, for example, gives the piece a warmer, more inviting feel rather than presenting as another cold tech accessory.
Twelve South Valet review: I love the look and feel of this charger, I just wish it were faster on the newer iPhones
The Twelve South Valet will elevate any space that it occupies and bring the convenience of a MagSafe charger and catchall. But I'd rather pay more to have faster speeds that will last me for years to come.
It's one thing to be a premium product with top-of-the-line tech; it's another to be a premium product using outdated tech. If you're using an older device or don't mind the slower charging time, then this is absolutely something to check out.
Twelve South Valet review: Pros
- Beautiful Napa leather in multiple colors
- Modular design with swappable trim
- Leather wraps every part, including trim and charger
- Decent size to hold common pocketable items
- Includes color-matched cable and charger
- Customizable cable mangement
- Bonus USB-C output for secondary device with higher output
- Magnetic perch looks great with floating effect
Twelve South Valet review: Cons
- Expensive, premium price tag
- Last-gen 15W Qi2 charging speeds
- Could be slightly larger
- Can't charge both devices at max speed at the same time
Twelve South Valet Rating: 3 out of 5
Where to buy Twelve South Valet
You can purchase the Twelve South Valet directly from the Twelve South website for $179 in eight different color configurations.
