ZDNET reviewer: $29 AirPods Max stand delivers nearly the same charging experience as Mophie's $150 model

ZDNET reviewer David Gewirtz compared Mophie's $150 AirPods Max charging stand with a $29 VAWVVA model and found the cheaper stand delivers nearly the same charging experience.

Gewirtz said the Mophie stand is heavy (about 1.61 lb), has a padded landing area and uses a small magnetic dongle that plugs into the AirPods Max USB-C port to activate sleep mode when docked. He noted the Mophie stand includes a Qi wireless charger for smaller AirPods but supports USB-C only and does not include a Lightning adapter. When asked about the price disparity, a Mophie PR rep told him, "Mophie believes the Max Stand is hands down the best, most premium device on the market." Gewirtz also reported the stand sells for $150 (sometimes discounted to $135 at Amazon) and is available from Mophie at full price.

By contrast, Gewirtz said the $29 VAWVVA unit weighs about 0.64 lb, also puts the AirPods Max into sleep mode and generally worked the same, though he described a charging glitch that he and another user resolved by returning the headphones to their original pouch. He added that the magnetic dongle is essentially the same on both devices.

Gewirtz wrote that he would choose the $29 VAWVVA stand based on his experience, saying he could not justify Mophie's roughly five-times price for similar charging performance, while acknowledging that Mophie's heft, design or included AirPods charging might suit some buyers.

Key Topics

Tech, Airpods Max, Mophie, Vawvva, Usb-c, Lightning