I love Twelve South’s range of changing stands and still use the HiRise Deluxe 3 today. The HiRise Deluxe 2 follows in the footsteps of its slightly larger predecessor while bringing some new and interesting features to the fold.
The new Qi2 charging certification certainly helps your services charge quicker, while the premium finish and sturdy build quality help this blend into any bedside table or bench, but stand out as one of the prettier charging stands you can buy today.
Design
In the box, you’ll get a 35W USB-C power adapter, a 1.5m charging cable, and the stand itself. Simply plug it in, and you’re off and running. The stand is incredibly minimal and sleek, with a raised MagSafe puck for an iPhone, AirPods, or MagSafe-compatible device and a pad below that can also charge a second device of your choosing, even a second phone.
The stand is also wrapped in soft vegan leather and comes in either black or white. We got the chance to check out the white version, and I must say, its smooth finish is as easy on the hands as it is on the eyes.
The arm on the stand is also made from aluminium as opposed to something like plastic, which doesn’t feel necessarily important to the naked eye, but feels extremely solid when you pop your phone on the charging stand. As a result, it’s incredibly sturdy from a design perspective, while that vegan leather finish provides enough to stop your devices and the stand itself from sliding around.
Performance
The stand can charge two devices at once, with 15W up top on the raised charging puck and 5W on the charging pad below. The stand is also Qi2 enabled, meaning it can now charge certain devices like phones up to 15W wirelessly, as opposed to the previous 5W.
If you’re charging your phone on your bedside table overnight, this might not make a huge difference, but it’s a game-changer when you’re on the go and in need of a quick charge.
The bottom pad will still only charge devices at 5W, but it’s worth noting you can still pop a second phone here for example, instead of just your AirPods. While that can’t provide a quick charge of sorts, its intention feels like it benefits from those smaller, secondary accessories that don’t take as long to charge in the first place.
The raised charging puck can also tilt upwards at an angle of 35 degrees depending on how low it’s sitting, but it’s worth noting here that it can only move upwards and downwards. Much like the HiRise 3 Deluxe, I feel that an opportunity has been missed, to allow this to swivel left or right so that it can face you as you sleep.
Given iPhones can be placed on the upper MagSafe charger horizontally to enable the standby mode to function and appear more like a traditional alarm clock, I still have to turn the entire unit towards me.
Verdict & Value
Overall, the Twelve South HiRise Deluxe 2 is an incredibly sturdy and premium-feeling 2-in-1 wireless charging stand that solidifies its premium price tag to go with its look, design and faster Qi2 charging.
While I wish the stand could be rotated left and right, it is but a small design flaw that rarely detracts from the solid charging accessory that would blend into any bedside table or bench.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Excellent build quality; Premium vegan leather finish; Qi2 charging enabled
Lowlights: The upper charging arm only tilts upwards and downwards, and would benefit from swiveling left and right
Manufacturer: Twelve South
Price: A$140
Available: Now
Review based on unit supplied by Twelve South.
