When I first saw the Griffin WatchStand a couple of months ago, I was immediately turned off by its design. Why would an accessory aimed at a device as small as the Apple Watch have such a large footprint? I just couldn’t find a use for something that tall. That was until I received my Apple Watch.
Made of polycarbonate plastic, the WatchStand is bold and shiny. The molded base of the stand can hold an iPhone angled for easy viewing, while the post will allow you to hide the excess length of the charging cable.
The Griffin WatchStand is a passive stand, meaning you will have to use your own charging cable. The top of the post cradles your inductive charger, and the cable is then wrapped around the pole. This is probably my favorite feature of the WatchStand as it allows you to tuck away all that extra cable you might not need, in favor of an uncluttered desk or tabletop, depending where you place the stand.
To be honest, the set up wasn’t that simple, although the instructions made it look like it. I just struggled to figure out how to handle the USB end of the cable. Reading the instructions several times didn’t help, but after a few trials and errors, I finally figured it out. Maybe I’m just not that smart.
Once installed, you can lay your Apple Watch either vertically or horizontally on top, and the magnetic charger will take care of holding it in place. And that’s about all there is to it.
The base holding your iPhone is great but I wish Griffin had made an alternate version of the stand that would also come with an iPhone charger. I typically put my watch for charge and plug my iPhone in, then rest the iPhone on its base, leaving me longing for a way to use the WatchStand as a double charger. Still, even without that feature, it’s nice to have that extra space go to good use and make sure both Apple Watch and iPhone are in one location.
Once again, the minimalist in me would never use the Griffin WatchStand on my night stand, but I find it to be the perfect accessory for our kitchen. It blends in perfectly, and to be frank, also helps reduce the cable clutter caused by the 6-foot Apple Watch cable.
All in all, it is a great buy. Available for $29.99 with free shipping from Amazon, Griffin WatchStand represents an affordable and sleek way to charge your Apple Watch. I realize most people aren’t as picky as I am, so I’m sure the WatchStand will be the perfect accessory for your night stand, your desk, or like me, your kitchen counter.
Also see: Spigen Apple Watch Stand: an elegant and affordable charging solution