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Summary
Apple fans rejoice! TheESR 100W 6-in-1 Charging Stationis one of the best fast-charging desktop companions you’ll be able to find. And thanks to its MagSafe-certified engineering and top-notch power distribution, you may finally be able to toss those Lightning to USB-A cables in your drawer of forgotten wires.
ESR 100W 6-in-1 Charging Station
The ESR 100W 6-in-1 Charging Station includes three MagSafe charging spots, two USB-C ports, and one USB-A.
Design: Looks and Feels Like an Apple Device
Measuring about 6.5 inches wide, 7.5 inches tall, 3.25 inches deep, and weighing 0.86 pounds, ESR did a fantastic job designing this 6-in-1 Charging Station to look exactly like an Apple-branded peripheral. From the glossy silver plating that takes up most of the P-shaped Apple Watch pedestal and iPhone stand, to the matte-white surfaces that cover the rest of the hub, it would be easy to mistake this for something the Cupertino-based company made itself. I also didn’t take for granted the inclusion of four rubber pads on the bottom of the ESR, which prevents the dock from scratching up your desktop or table.
Billed as a 6-in-1 charger, the iPhone perch isMagSafe-certified; so as long as you’re using a MagSafe case (or no phone case), throwing your iPhone on the padded mount is quick and easy. And because we’re working with an Apple-certified MagSafe product, the iPhone dock delivers a full 15 watts of power. I loved the magnetized divot for an AirPods case that sits directly below the iPhone stand, which pushes up to 5 watts to the audio device. There’s also a button below this section that toggles the CryoBoost fan (more on this awesome feature in a moment) and status light (located below the AirPods section) on and off.
The right side of the hub is where you’ll find the P-shaped Apple Watch pad (which you’re able to also use to charge your AirPods Pro 2). But wait, there’s more! There are two PD 3.1 USB-C ports and a single 3.0 USB-A to the right of the Apple Watch section, located on the bezel below. The only thing you’ll find on the back of the ESR is the power port.
Features: Fast-Charging Meets Efficient Cooling
Good ol’ gallium nitride (GaN) is being used more and more these days, to the point where it’s becoming unusual if the charging stations I’m reviewingdon’tinclude it as part of the engineering. But as a silicone replacer, GaN is much more efficient, allowingUSB hubsto charge faster and cooler. ESR uses GaN internals for its 6-in-1 Charging Station, and it might be the best inclusion of the tried and true semiconductor I’ve seen yet. Even whencharging multiple devices at once, my ESR station never got too toasty.
And speaking of keeping things nice and chill: Have you ever heard of CryoBoost cooling? It’s a patented technology used across multiple devices that allows phones, tablets, and laptops to fast-charge while implementing cooling tech (like fans) to prevent your hardware from overheating. I absolutely loved ESR’s CryoBoost tech, which is just a little fan that’s built into the back of the iPhone’s MagSafe mounting pad. When powered, you’ll see a solid-blue LED light ring around the pad, letting you know the CryoBoost fan is activated. You can also stick your hand behind your iPhone to physically feel the breeze.
I was a big fan of the ESR’s smart power distribution, which automatically adjusts how much power is sent to the devices you have magnetically attached and/or plugged into the ESR. There’s no need to worry about whether your Apple Watch is going to get the juice it needs if your MacBook is connected to the ESR at the same time.
Using the ESR 100W 6-in-1 Charging Station: A Desktop Godsend
I’ve been an Apple devotee for years now, so the ESR Charging Station is basically tailor-made for my workstation. I use a late 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, an iPhone 12, and the second-gen AirPods Pro, all of which I was able to attach and connect to the ESR.
I ended up docking my iPhone more than any other device, both by itself and with other gear charging at the same time. With its 750-gauss grip (a measurement of a magnet’s strength and expressed as “g”), the iPhone MagSafe pad provided a safe and secure mounting location for my phone for both portrait and landscape positioning. As far as charging goes, there were many days when I docked my iPhone with around 50 percent of its battery remaining (I often forget to turn my Roku app off at night). But in no more than half an hour, even with my AirPods charging at the same time, my iPhone would get all the way up to 85 percent. Well done, ESR!
Using my Apple-certified USB-C cable, I connected the laptop to the left-most USB-C port on the ESR, with no other devices attached or plugged in. At 5:05, my battery was at 47%. By 5:49, it was up to 82%. While it’s hard to say if my computer was or wasn’t getting the full 100 watts during that entire charge cycle, the ESR was able to restore about a third of the laptop’s battery life in about 45 minutes. Not too shabby.
In terms of charging output, the ESR Charging Station will put a cap on USB-C power distribution when you’re using MagSafe charging at the same time. For instance, if there’s no MagSafe activity going on at all, either USB-C port will push up to 100 watts. Using both at the same time, the left USB-C supplies 65 watts, while the right will push 35 watts. If all three USB ports are in use, the first USB-C one puts out 65 watts, the second one 30 watts, and the lone USB-A will give you 5 watts.
But with MagSafe charging activated, right off the bat, a single USB-C port gets capped at 65 watts. Using both USB-C at the same time, the left port gets capped at 45 watts, while the right one will only push 20 watts. If you’re using all your USB ports with MagSafe charging, the first USB-C one delivers 40 watts, the second 20 watts, and 5 watts from the USB-A one. Oh, and do keep in mind that no matter the charging configuration, the USB-A can only deliver up to 5 watts, even if being used by itself.
All things considered, I think the ESR Charging Station did a fantastic job at providing a lightning-fast charge for a single iPhone or MacBook and is equally proficient at delegating power when multiple devices are charging at the same time.
Should You Buy the ESR 100W 6-in-1 Charging Station?
Yes, you should! For $170, theESR 6-in-1 Charging Stationis one of the best Apple-friendly charge stations I’ve ever tested. In fact, I can’t really think of a single gripe I have with it whatsoever. I suppose Apple Watch owners might be slightly peeved that the wearable’s podium only pushes 5 watts (the same goes for the AirPods) of power; but when most Apple Watch magnetic chargers don’t fast charge anyway, that’s a relatively small sacrifice (at least in my opinion).
