Journey Nova 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station review: Simply gorgeous

Price When Reviewed

$139.99

Best Prices Today: Journey NOVA 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station

We have reviewed a lot of MagSafe and compatible magnetic chargers ever since the first wireless iPhone 8 and later magnetic wireless iPhone 12. Check them out in our best MagSafe chargers roundup. Some have been useful as phone stands, some have folded into pocketable travel companions, while others have included built-in power banks to save you on the road.

But few have been able to grace a bedroom nightstand or designer desk without incongruously looking exactly like something there do charge your devices. That’s where the Journey Nova stands out, and a new black model adds a touch of sultry class.

Design

The Journey Nova looks like no other wireless charger and is sure to grace the pages of your favorite home-style magazine. Journey has directly tried to find an “anti-tech aesthetic” that it believes will complement decors “much like a vase, chair, or pot plant might”.

Its 6-inch vertical hollow block gives it a feeling of both weight and lightness while taking up little space with its small footprint: 3.2 x 3.6 inches (8 x 9.2cm). The split-material—with either wood grain or what Journey calls “Sparkle Gray” below a matte Corian-like white and now black—look gives it a Skandi design identity. The look won’t be for everyone, but there’s no denying the striking pose it cuts on a desk or table.

The iPhone magnetically connects to the 15W Qi2 wireless charging space above the hollow 5W Qi pad for AirPods charging. Inside that hollow is a guiding night light that can be switched on or off with a light touch under the roof.

At the back you can flip out the 5W Apple Watch charger module, keeping it both hidden and protected when not in use. That means each device gets as fast a wireless charge as can be got outside of Apple’s unique (iPhone 16-only) 25W MagSafe Charger. Additionally, the Apple Watch module is certified by Apple for fast Watch charging, and 5W is plenty for a swift AirPods power-up.

If there anyone out there who owns an Apple Watch and AirPods but an Android phone (unlikely given the Watch doesn’t play well with Android and AirPods work best with an iPhone), Journey includes a magnetic ring to update non-MagSafe smartphones to work with Qi2.

Price

The Journey Nova costs $139.99 / £119.99 / AU$189.99. This is not a huge extra expense on some of our favorite 3-in-1 wireless chargers such as the Twelve South HiRise 3 Deluxe, which is more flexible but looks utilitarian in comparison to Nova.

The Mophie StealthCharge 4-in-1 Wireless Charge Stand (also available as a 3-in-1) is a speedier 25W charger with a spare retractable USB-C cable for your MacBook, but it doesn’t have the interior design chic of the Nova.

There are certainly cheaper 3-in-1 chargers but none would grace the style section of the Sunday newspapers with the possible exception of the squatter but still lovely Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Dock.

What you get is a bold, décor-friendly look allied with top-end charging tech that features just one cable to power all your mobile and wearable gadgets in a style sympathetic to the smartest homes.

Verdict

If you value your home décor and don’t want an out-of-place ugly charger sitting by your bed or on your minimalist desk, the Journey Nova offers style-magazine looks alongside the fastest wireless charging speeds, and now a new black model if you prefer your chargers dark and moody.