I travel quite often and have spent an embarrassing amount of time looking for the perfect travel charger for my Apple Watch. I want to pack a few extra bands, the charging puck, and the wall adapter. Yet nothing I’ve run across can handle all that, let alone while looking good. That was at least the case before I ran across the TimePorter from Twelve South.
The TimePorter is a portable charging dock that can easily transport an extra band or two, plus the UK or US wall adapter. Alternatively, you could actually fit a small backup battery inside and create a portable charger to take with you on the go.
When you pick up the TimePorter, there isn’t anything superfluous. A simple box in Twelve South’s usual design. The inside of the box is even felt lined so you can hopefully use it for something after the fact. Included is the TimePorter, some Twelve South stickers, and a handy getting started guide
The TimePorter itself comes in black or white with (I believe) leather on the outside and a silicone lined interior. A charging puck isn’t provided so you must use your own. Luckily it has built in cable management that can handle even Apple’s longest 6ft cord.
Your Apple Watch rests right on the top to charge. It can charge flat, or if you open the clamshell style case, it can charge at the optimal viewing angle for your desk, or nightstand. Unfortunately, for those diehard fans of Nightstand Mode, that won’t work particularly well with this case.
To get started, you simply pop out the silicone Twelve South logo from the upper surface of the TimePorter. You don’t need to save or discard this however, as they smartly added a way to easily mount this to the posterior of the lid. You then add your charging puck in its place, then route the cable around the edges. On the left and the right are two contours that allow you to get the cord out of the case to afford easy charging. Now rest your Apple Watch on top and you are set. The bottom of the TimePorter is even slightly bevelled to allow the band to wrap underneath and not make it off kilter.
As I mentioned at the inset of the review, I’ve tried a lot of different travel cases for my Apple Watch. Some have allowed me to easily take my charger, but don’t offer any storage. Others offer storage, but no way to charge. TimePorter is the best of both worlds. There is actually quite a bit of storage space and I’ve been looking at slim batteries I could tuck inside. That would give me the option to either take a few bands and a charger, or a backup battery.
Pros:
- Comes in two colors, white and black to match your taste.
- Can charge your Apple Watch, either flat or at your ideal viewing angle.
- Inside you can store bands and a charger.
- I really like the look of the TimePorter itself.
- If I pickup a battery, I can create a portable charger for long weekends.
Cons:
- Since no charging puck is included, you will have to provide your own.
- Bands that are 1-piece make it hard to open the case to view at an angle.
- If you really like Nightstand Mode, you will be disappointed that this doesn’t easily support that.
If you travel, or just want a display stand that can squirrel away a few extra bands, this might be the perfect accessory for your Apple Watch. Build quality is top notch and it checks off all the boxes on my want list for a portable charger. You can find it on Amazon for $49.99 if you’d like to pick one up for yourself.
What do you guys think of the TimePorter? Is there something else you would like to see built into an Apple Watch portable charger?