Review: Powermat Home & Office Mat

Wireless charging has caused a stir all over the world because it is one of the more convenient ways to charge the wide variety of mobile devices available.

Many people are always on the move nowadays and are looking for an easier way to charge their multiple gadgets and the manufacturers across the globe have been working on solving this.

The answer to this is wireless charging, which might be possible with Powermat, which was recently released in SA and according to many, has already become a household name in the US.

The Powermat's primary element is a thin, black mat shaped like a skateboard. The mat is mostly plastic, but a rubber section underneath it ensures it won't slip around on a surface.

This device is a charging mat that allows one to wirelessly charge up to three electronic devices simultaneously. It works on almost all small mobile devices, such as iPhones, BlackBerries, MP3 players, cellphones, headsets, hand-held electronic games, digital cameras, and GPS units.

Devices such as iPhones and BlackBerries charge through a special cover, which is referred to as the receiver. For unsupported devices - those for which no receiver is available - a Powercube can be used. This is basically a universal receiver that gets its power wirelessly, but has a wired mini-USB charger on the end and comes with seven other adapters that adapt from mini-USB to other form factors for charging.

Eventually, Powermat hopes that its tech will be embedded in devices, so you'll be able to charge your gadgets by simply placing them on the mat. Until then, the iPhone and iPod cases and BlackBerry and Nintendo battery door replacements are an acceptable substitute, adding wireless charging capability without adding substantial bulk to your devices.

The Powermat can even disconnect power once a device's battery is fully charged to maximise energy efficiency, periodically checking the gadget's battery levels and topping off if necessary.

For a long time, we have been battling with a tangled mess of cords or searching for the right adaptor, but this may become a thing of the past. All you have to do is just plug in the mat's one cable and then you can place up to three devices on the Powermat to charge.

The other thing that I found truly annoying was that the magnetic base sometimes does not sense the receiver so one has to move it a couple of times before the receiver can be sensed. I later realised there are points where one has to place the receiver. For a lazy person like me, I found that this method of charging is more like using a normal charger.

The downside of the Powermat is that it is costly, and you have to fork out extra for the receiver depending on which phone you're using. All the receivers cost four times more than the normal charger, which is not affordable to many South Africans.

I feel this device is for the high-end users who can afford to spare a couple of hundreds to buy a compatible charger.

The Powermat is really user friendly and it adds value. Even though one might find it hard to migrate from traditional charging, once you get the hang of using it, it proves to be a valuable device to have.