Today we are taking a closer look at the new Spigen ArcField MagFit+ charging stand as part of the latest entry to our Tested with gadgetnewsonline series. There are loads of magnetic charging stands out there…I mean more than basically anyone can keep track of, but this one does find a way to stand out with the Apple-certified 15W iPhone power, 5W Apple Watch charging, and a bonus 3-in-1 + 1 setup. Check out our hands-on impressions below.
You’re reading Tested with gadgetnewsonline, where we explore everyday tech essentials that make life a bit easier. Browse through our entire guide for all of the latest reviews, and sound off in the comments below if there’s something you’d like to see featured.
Hands-on with the new Spigen ArcField MagFit+ charging stand
The new Spigen ArcField MagFit+ charging stand carries a regular price tag closer to $125 on the brand’s official Amazon storefront, but you can score it down at $99.99 shipped right now if you clip the on-page coupon.
Features at a glance
- 3-in-1 Charging Station with bonus 4th magnetic pad
- MFM and MFA certifications – Apple Certified Made for MagSafe & Apple Watch
- 15W MagSafe iPhone charging
- 5W Apple Watch charging
- MagFit Plus – Keep your MagSafe wallet, popsocket, or other accessories conveniently attached
- Includes a 6.6ft USB-C to USB-C cable and a 30W wall charger
gadgetnewsonline’ Take
We see a ton of MagSafe charging stands come through the offices here at gadgetnewsonline, that’s for sure. And it is becoming increasingly difficult for brands to stand out from one another. The new Qi2 standard brought the max 15W charger into a more affordable price range for many brands without the official MagSafe action, and that is certainly a factor, but in the end it really comes down to a few main factors (outside of whether it actually works, of course):
- Build quality
- An amount of charging pads to accomodate your setup
- Output power
- Overall aesthetics
With this particular model, the build is better than I expected, it features a complete 3-in-1 + 1 design (more on this below), it definitely delivers the full Apple-certified 15W of juice (as opposed to the third-party Qi2 action), and, while this is always a personal taste thing, I do happen to like the compact nature of the footprint as well as the mix of darker paint jobs throughout. So looking good so far.
Build
While Spigen isn’t exactly best known for its particularly robust and durable build quality, it does tend to offer gear that hits above its usually quite affordable pay grade. It’s hard to say this $125 (more like $100) MagSafe stand falls into that category, but it does have a number of things going for it that justify the price.
Firstly, it’s far more robust in terms of its build than I thought before I actually opened the box. There is no mention of it being made of metal or aluminum, but it sure feels like it is to me – the main body of the device features a sort of dark gunmetal grey (likely) in some kind of metal that has more weight to it, again, than I expected. It’s certainly not as heavy and robust as the Nomad model we just took a look at, but it is more affordable and I don’t think anyone would have expected that.
It is certainly heavy enough to remain on the table when you’re removing your iPhone with one hand (providing you aren’t overly aggressive about it).
You’ll find a slightly softer plastic material lining the inside of the housing where your AirPods sit, some rubber feet along the bottom to help it stay in place, and a bonus magnetic landing pad hiding around back.
3-in-1 + 1
Speaking of which, let’s dive in the where the MagFit+ namesake comes from here. There are three charging pods on this device; the main 15W MagSafe charger for iPhone, the 5W Apple Watch charger jutting off to the side, and a semi-enclosed Qi pad on the bottom for AirPods and other wireless earbud cases. But around back, Spigen has hidden a bonus magnetic storage area.
The back-mounted MagSafe pad isn’t a charger (although that might have been a cool idea too). It is instead just a handy and tidy place to stow other magnetic accessories – you can, for example, pop off your MagSafe wallet before throwing your phone down to charge and neatly stow it on the back of the device.
I like the idea here. Why not have an organized place to store your other magnetic accessories that might get in the way of charging hidden around back instead of just throwing them on the desk or something like that? I can certainly see why some folks might prefer to skip the up-charge this bonus feature comes with, but I also like having a place to magnetically stow an accessory when not in use as well.
All told, it really just comes back to the four main points I listed above. If you like the way this thing looks, need the 3-in-1 setup, and can appreciate the 15W of juice, there’s not much to complain about here. The bonus magnetic pad is just that, a bonus feature I’m not sure I’ve ever seen elsewhere on these MagSafe charging stands, and the whole thing comes in at what I would consider a fair price – if you spend $50 more you can land a seriously premium model from brands like Nomad with the third-party Qi2 15W charging, or even more for the official Apple seal of 15W approval, but you won’t get the bonus magnetic storage and $50 is $50 if you ask me.
Buy the Spigen ArcField MagFit+ charging stand
FTC: gadgetnewsonline is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links
Subscribe to the gadgetnewsonline YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!
