We’re big fans of Humanscale’s under-the-desk charger, which allows you to charge your phone on top of the desk while the charger is mounted under the table. It’s awesome. Problem is, the darn thing costs a buck fifty, making it a bit too rich for an erstwhile wireless charging pad. The IKEA Sjormarke Wireless Charger provides the same under-the-desk-charging function at just a fraction of the price.
Just like the more expensive Neatcharge, the device sticks to the underside of a table, all while charging whatever compatible device sits on top of the desk that’s right in line with it. That way, you don’t just get a typical wireless charging setup that won’t require you to plug a cable on your phone, the whole thing looks perfectly clean, with every single cable tucked completely out of sight.
The IKEA Sjormarke Wireless Charger is a bar-shaped charging pad that measures 7 x 3 x 1 inches (length x width x thickness), so it’s about the same size as one of today’s larger phones. To use, simply stick it under the table using double-sided adhesive tape right in line to the desk section you want to charge your phone on. According to the outfit, it can work on all non-metal tabletop materials (we’re guessing metal can interfere with the electrical signal), so wood, glass, and plastic composites should all be fair game. It also won’t work on those thick wooden tables like you’ll find in antique stores, as it requires desks to be 0.875 inches or less in thickness, which should cover most modern office desks.
Holes on all four corners of the device will also let you secure it to desks using screws, although given how thin it requires tabletops to be, that’s probably not the best idea. It also includes a pair of stickers that you can use to mark the section on the desktop right in line with the charger, which should make it just that much easier to align your phone with the charger (yes, you’ll still have to keep an eye on the battery icon to make sure it’s actually charging).
The IKEA Sjormarke Wireless Charger houses a Qi 1.2.4 charger, so it should provide a steady supply of 5W. That means, no fast charging on this thing, so it’s not the charging pad you want when you need to give your phone a quick boost. For setting up on a desk where you’re spending the day typing up emails, poring over spreadsheets, and trying to look halfway decent on video meetings, though, this just might work, as it can slowly trickle charge to your phone throughout the workday.
According to the outfit, it has onboard temperature and power monitoring, so while it won’t deliver fast charging, it does provide the necessary protection to prevent unwanted accidents like overheating. It comes with a six-foot long cable, too, so you can route it discreetly to a wall outlet a fair distance away.
The IKEA Sjormarke Wireless Charger is available now, priced at just $39.99.