Updated August 2023: We added chargers from Belkin, OtterBox, Xiaomi, Courant, and Nomad, removed some discontinued chargers, and updated prices. Slow and steady is key here. If you go through the other side, your table is ruined. Whitson Gordon A discrete port can be found on the rear of the charger, making it easy to subtly integrate this product into your home. This Solid Wood Wireless Charger is available in Walnut and Oak variants. This charger still works great with other smartphones, you just won't be able to access many of those Pixel features. The biggest downside? Charging only works in portrait orientation. Oh, and it's definitely overpriced. The good news is the first-gen Pixel Stand is still available for much less; you can recharge your phone in landscape and portrait orientation, and I daresay it looks more interesting.

Note: If your table is real wood, or you’d rather use a power tool than some elbow grease, you can use a router in the next step to finish the job in no time. If you aren’t familiar with the tool, there are plenty of YouTube videos that can get you started. If you’re an iPhone user, then anything from the iPhone 8 to now can be wirelessly charged. Samsung Galaxy lovers can still get a top-up from the S6 series (any phone from 2015 onwards to the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra), while Google fans can enjoy the boost if using the Google Pixel 3 or beyond. Although you can get adapters that transform older phones into wirelessly-compatible ones, you’ll have to buy those separately. There are a lot of wireless chargers. Here are a few more we like, but for one reason or another don't warrant a place above. Tip: If you haven’t used a chisel before, there are a ton of great videos on proper technique, but I really like this one, which shows all the different ways it can be used to dig a big hole in a piece of wood. That said, I was working with cheap, crumbly particle board, so I didn’t need my mallet much, nor did I need it to look super pretty. No one’s going to see the underside of my table anyway. Fast charge times are important, and this device is able to achieve some of the best wireless charging speeds on the market thanks to its 10W power output. CompatabilityWireless charging isn't nearly as cool as it sounds. It's not exactly wireless—a cord runs from an outlet to the charging pad—and it won't charge your smartphone faster than plugging it in with a good ol’ cord. Still, I'm always disappointed when I test a smartphone that doesn't support it. I've gotten used to simply plopping my phone down on a pad every night, and fishing for a cable in the dark feels like a chore. It's pure convenience more than anything else. Stands will prop your device up so you can watch videos or glance at incoming notifications while you work and will more than likely have additional space for watches and earbuds to recharge at the same time. Is a wireless charger worth it? Broadly speaking, wireless chargers fall into two categories: wireless charging pads and wireless charging stands. Pads are circular discs with a magnetic charging coil that snaps onto your iPhone or Android phone to boost it up while the device lays flat on the desk. Pads are only really useful if you’ve got a single phone to charge, as there’s no room for anything else, though some top models are bigger so you can sit all your high-end tech next to each other for a one-stop recharge.

Handcrafted, this Solid Wood Wireless Charger is a great choice for those who want their electronics to meld seamlessly into their decor. Wooden Phone Charger I recommend doing this outside or in the garage, since you will be making a little bit of a mess (even if you aren’t using power tools). The exact steps for this project will vary a bit, depending on your table’s construction and the tools you have available. Get your tools ready—it’s time to start carving. The issue when buying wireless chargers isn’t the cost, but actually whether they are Qi-certified or not. If it’s got a Qi-certified stamp on it (the Chinese word for “energy flow“, do you get the metaphor?), then you know it’s got the charging standard stamp of approval by an electricity safety board to not start sparking and overheating as soon as you use it. See what your table is made of. Head out to your workspace and put something soft down so your table doesn’t scratch against the ground. Then flip your table over, grab your chisel, and hammer it into the underside just a little bit, prying it up to see what’s inside. This is how I discovered that my table, like many inexpensive tables, was made of extremely cheap particle board—almost like cardboard—that came apart pretty easily. Some tables are nothing but honeycomb cardboard inside, which would make this project incredibly simple.Choose a table. Obviously, you’ll need a surface to convert to a wireless charger. I used this end table I had in my office, since it was cheap enough that I didn’t have to worry about ruining it if I messed up. You can use any table you have on hand, though I wouldn’t necessarily do this with a valuable family heirloom. Alternatively, you could build your own table or computer desk and integrate these steps into the process. The solid wood construction of this wireless charger makes it stand out from the crowd, giving you the chance to transform your bedside, desk, or wherever else you use your wireless charger into something far more beautiful. There's no definitive evidence that it's harmful. You may worry the phone's battery might degrade faster with wireless charging, but manufacturers set safe limits for phone batteries, stipulating how much a battery can be charged and how far it can discharge. Regardless of the charging source you use, whether you plug into a wall adapter or use a wireless charging pad, these limits can’t be overridden. There’s no risk of overcharging your phone by leaving it on a wireless charger all night. This Solid Wood Wireless Charger is compatible with any Qi-enabled device. This includes the iPhone 8 to 12, Google Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy devices, giving you access to universal wireless charging that can work with all of the phones in your household.

Not all phones support wireless charging, but most brands have models that do, so look up your phone model first. You'll usually see "Qi wireless charging" (the default standard) or simply "wireless charging" if it does. Note: There are a few ways to attach your charging pad to the underside of your table, but I went with hot glue—it’s easy and strong while remaining removable if you have to adjust things. Before you start A preview of what it’ll look like when it’s done. Just to get you pumped up. Whitson Gordon While there are chargers that disguise themselves as regular decor (like lamps or picture frames), I wanted something even more invisible. So I grabbed the end table next to my couch, carved a hole in the underside, and glued in a wireless charger. Now I can juice up just by plopping my phone on the table. StatsSelect a wireless charger. I’m using an inexpensive charging pad from Anker with a QC 3.0 adapter for fast charging, plus an extra-long cable to reach the outlet a few feet away—but any charging pad should do the job, as long as it still works if there’s a few millimeters of space between the pad and the phone. Aukey even has one with multiple coils, so you don’t have to hit a specific “sweet spot” for your device to charge (though I haven’t tested that pad myself). Test fit, and keep carving if necessary. Once you get deep enough, see if your charging pad fits flush in the hole—you may find you need to take a bit more off the sides. Again, it doesn’t have to look perfect. If your table is anything like mine, it’ll be pretty difficult to get a clean edge, so just make it functional.