I have a new favourite charging stand for my iPhone – its simplicity is why it wins

Charging stands are more complicated things than they look – and I've used half a dozen in the last few years, each one with strengths and some weaknesses. Recently, Twelve South sent me one of its very best, and I've been surprised by how comprehensively it's won me over on a few different fronts, despite an objectively steep price tag.

The HiRise Deluxe is a 3-in-1 stand that's aimed squarely at Apple users, since one of those functions is an Apple Watch charging puck that's unlikely to be much use for Android fans. The other two charging points are an elevated 15W MagSafe charger, and a standard, non-magnetised wireless charging point at the back of the charger as a whole.

This means that in its ideal setup, I can use the charger to power up my iPhone, AirPods Pro 3 and Apple Watch all at the same time, and it's convenient to know that's an option. That said, since I use it by my bedside overnight, it's really mostly my phone and watch that it takes care of (and an overnight charge means that its modest charging speeds aren't an issue).

What I really like about the charger, though, is how simple and small it keeps its design. The base is just a slab of metal, rounded so that there are no sharp edges, and heavy enough to feel steady on a surface. Its Apple Watch puck can pop up vertically in case your strap needs to wrap around the back, but otherwise there are few moving parts.

The elevated MagSafe charger, meanwhile, also has the ability to tilt and swivel, so that you can have your phone at whatever angle suits you, and this feels sturdy and well-built. It has that sense of good design and proper materials that can be hard to find in cheaper alternatives.

Directly before swapping to the HiRise 3 Deluxe, I'd been using Anker's Prime Wireless Charging Station, a significantly pricier charging dock that has far more features built in. While the built-in active cooling fans and display could sometimes make for impressive results, the reality was that I found them too much for the bedside, sometimes lighting up when I was trying to fall asleep, or spinning up fans when I didn't want them.

By contrast, Twelve South's charger has no such ornamentation, and I've discovered that I clearly prefer it this way. Its price (£99.99 here in the UK) is still pretty punchy, but compared to the £300 Anker wanted at launch for its more space-age charging set, it suddenly looks pretty reasonable.

Whether it's right for you might be a personal thing, but if you're looking for a charging dock that keeps things classy and simple, I'd give it a recommendation – it's working a treat for me.