ZDNET reviewer finds $29 AirPods Max stand matches Mophie’s $150 model

ZDNET reviewer David Gewirtz tested Mophie's $150 AirPods Max Headphones Charging Stand against a $29 VAWVVA stand and found the cheaper option delivers nearly the same charging experience.

The Mophie stand is heavier (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 trigger sleep mode when docked. Mophie also includes a Qi wireless pad for charging smaller AirPods on the same unit. Mophie’s PR told the reviewer, "Mophie believes the Max Stand is hands down the best, most premium device on the market." The stand has been offered at a discount to $135, though it lists for $150.

The $29 VAWVVA unit weighs about 0.64 lb, does the job of putting the AirPods Max to sleep and, in the reviewer’s experience, charged the headphones reliably after a reset. The cheaper stand the reviewer used came with both USB-C and Lightning dongles, while the Mophie stand supports USB-C only. The reviewer noted the magnetic charging dongle is essentially the same on both devices.

The reviewer said he would buy the $29 VAWVVA unit, calling the Mophie stand fine but hard to justify at five times the price. He added that the lack of a Lightning adapter undermines Mophie’s premium positioning and noted the per-adapter retail price is about $3, with a likely cost of goods of roughly $1.

Key Topics

Tech, Airpods Max, Mophie, Vawvva, Qi Charging, Usb-c