Much as we love Qi-compatible charging pads and the convenient way they allow us to charge our gadgets, calling them wireless is a bit of a misnomer, since you still have to plug the actual charger to a wall outlet, so you can clearly still see wires running behind the pad. The Humanscale NeatCharge doesn’t eliminate the wires, but makes them a lot more discreet by hiding everything under the table.
That’s right, this wireless charger is designed to be stuck to the underside of a desk, coffee table, or nightstand, so you can run its power cable away from sight, making your charging surface appear completely wire-free. Whether you’re a total neat freak, a cable-phobic, or just someone who wants as neat a desk as possible, this thing should let you add a charging pad while keeping its wires completely out of sight.
The Humanscale NeatCharge is a disc-shaped device that you attach to the underside of your charging surface using the included double-sided tape. That’s right, you can put your charging pad under the table and have it charge a device on top of the table, although it’s limited to desk and table surfaces that are 1.18 inches or thinner. If the table is any thicker than that, the current won’t able to transfer, so best make sure to make measurements on the surface you’re planning to install it before purchasing. That means, it should work fine with most consumer-grade desks installed in homes and offices, although it’s not likely to work with the more expensive, heavy-duty furniture whose thick materials are designed to hold up for decades. You know… like that grand-looking hardwood desk your boss had installed in his corner office.
As with other wireless charging solutions, the pad will have to align properly with your phone in order for the charging to happen, so you might have to spend a bit of time trying to get the placement right (keep moving the phone until the battery icon starts its animation). To make it easier to find the proper alignment, the outfit includes a sticker that you can affix to the top of the table to serve as a visual marker. Just make sure the sticker is properly aligned with the charging pad and you’re set.
The Humanscale NeatCharge can deliver up to 10W of power to any Qi-compatible device, so it’s one of the more powerful charging pads out there on top of making the whole process easier on the eyes. The disc itself measures just 5.14 inches in diameter, so it should fit even in a small nightstand to get some wireless charging in the bedroom. The set, by the way, also includes four screws, so you can mount this to the underside of a surface more permanently if you want to avoid accidentally knocking it out of position, although the double-sided does seem way more convenient, as it makes the whole thing to easier to move for whatever reason.
The Humanscale NeatCharge is available now, priced at $149.