KickStand Charging Dock ($40) is a new Apple Watch dock from Odoyo. The small dock comes in two parts — a wooden piece holds the Apple Watch charger, while an aluminum base with non-slip bottom makes up the rest of the dock. The two pieces are joined by powerful magnets. Odoyo offers KickStand in three different aluminum colors — black, silver, and gold. The top piece which holds the charger is always the same beech color, however. KickStand works with every Apple Watch of every size.
The charger’s cable is routed out through where the wooden piece meets the aluminum, which gives the dock a minimal — but still complete — look. Kudos to Odoyo for trying something a bit different with the design, but on one of the three docks we received, the magnetic plate built into the aluminum stand detached completely. It appears that not enough adhesive was used to secure the magnetic plate to the stand, and because the magnets are so powerful, the plate remained stuck to the other magnet. The dock wasn’t rendered completely useless, but it took very little for the beech piece to fall off the stand — a slight push or movement and it fell right off. Odoyo either needs to use better (or more) adhesive, or come up with a solution that doesn’t involve magnets.
Odoyo’s KickStand is great on several fronts — it’s attractive, and despite its minimal design, it does an admirable job with cable routing. Both Apple Watch chargers fit and successfully charge the watch. But if the magnetic plate detaches from the stand (as we observed) or the wooden piece, you’ll either be trying to fix the dock yourself or seeking a refund. Two of the three docks we received had no such issue, but we’re still concerned about how well KickStand will hold up over time. It’s enough to prevent us from issuing a recommendation to an otherwise fine dock.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: Odoyo
Model: KickStand Charging Dock
MSRP: $40
Compatibility: Apple Watch