Review: KIKR S1 Dual Wireless Charger

The KIKR S1 is a pretty unique wireless charger because it doubles as a phone/tablet stand whilst at the same time retaining the ability to charge. It has two wireless charging surface so you can even charge up to 2 devices at once. Its height adjustable stand and two in-built hinges makes the KIKR S1 a highly flexible wireless charging stand.

Tech specs

Design and build quality

The KIKR S1 is made mainly from plastic and the screws and other parts are joined securely. The overall build of the device has a slight bit of heft to it and feels well made. The hinges on the KIKR S1 are quite strong, but a little too strong (I’ll get into details in the ‘Usability’ portion) for my liking. There are also many non-slip mats on the stand pad and grip, and also the base of the device.

As for design, the KIKR S1 comes in white with visible metallic accents and the grey non-slip mats. It looks just okay in my opinion. It’s by no means aiming to look premium or modern. Instead, the KIKR S1 gives off a very functional and practical look.

Dual wireless charging

The KIKR S1 can charge two devices wireless at the same time. That’s pretty awesome especially if you own two devices that can charge wirelessly, such as your smartphone and a pair of true wireless earbuds like the Urbanista London There are two wireless charging surfaces on the KIKR S1 – the base of the KIKR S1 where is the ‘KIKR’ logo is at, and the large grey non-slip surface on the stand portion.

The input port of the KIKR S1 uses USB-C which is great. Both chargers on the KIKR S1 is able wirelessly charge both devices up to speeds of 10W. I’d recommend using a fast power adapter (QC3.0 or 2.0) so that you will be able to generate charging speeds of 10W. Do also note the phone that you’re using will affect the speeds. For example, if you’re on iPhone the wireless charging speeds maxes out at 7.5W anyway.

Foldable

If you wish to bring the KIKR S1 around, you can even fold it up and take it with you. When the KIKR S1 is folded up, it is only about 3.7cm thick. The overall folded size is no bigger than a typical power bank, making it convenient to take with you on the go.

Features

Let’s start with the bottom (base) wireless charging pad. The bottom wireless charging pad does not have a non-slip mat. The width of the wireless charging pad is about the same as the Spigen F309W. With the stand portion at its lowest height, there is still enough space and gap available to charge a phone on the bottom charging pad. Ideally, you would want to charge devices such as your true wireless earbuds.

The stand portion of the KIKR S1 features a wireless charging pad which is more flexible in terms of its usability. This flexibility stems from the height adjustable stand and feet, and the hinges that allows you to play with angles. The construction of the KIKR S1 is even strong without to hold the weight of a tablet.

Height adjustable stand and feet

The stand of the KIKR S1 can go up to a maximum height of 4.6cm, which places your phone at about eye level. This is helpful because you don’t have to remove from your phone from the charging base or tilt your head in an awkward manner if you simply want to check notifications.

The feet that supports the phone on the stand is also adjustable in terms of height. This means that you can charge in either landscape of portrait orientation.

The height-adjustable feet of the KIKR S1 also it provides more greater flexibility to charge any phone size. For example, my iPhone 11 wasn’t charging on the stand if I left the feet at its shortest height. This is because the wireless charging coils are not in close enough contact to initiate wireless charging. Once I adjusted the the height of the feet, my iPhone 11 now charges. You can check out the video demo below for a clearer illustration of the above commentary.

I found extending and retracting of the stand to be a little ‘stiff’, and requires some effort to retract it back to the lowest height. I understand that the the ‘stiff’ feel could be intentional as the stand is also designed to support the weight of a tablet, so perhaps KIKR prioritised on strength and sturdiness, and decided not make it too loose. Video demo below:

As for the extending and retracting of the feet, KIKR employs something like a ‘saw-edge groove’. It still requires some effort, but it is not as ‘stiff’ like the stand. Video demo below:

Angle adjustable hinges

There are two hinges you can adjust – one at the base, one at the charging stand portion.

Both hinges can be adjusted to a maximum angle of 90º. The ability to adjust both hinges at the same time means you can really get creative and setup the KIKR S1 in any way you like. Check out the following photos and video for a clearer illustration:

Both hinges require some effort to move them, they are not ‘stiff’ per se, but I guess you can think of them as strong and therefore requiring some force to change the angle. Angling the hinge downwards generally feels easier than angling it upwards.

As you have seen from the videos, adjusting the height or hinges usually require my other hand to apply weight on the base so the KIKR S1 doesn’t topple over. This can be a little annoying if you constantly want to adjust the shape of the KIKR S1. For me, I didn’t find myself adjusting the shape of the KIKR S1 very often so having to use another hand to adjust was not really a bother to me.

LED charging lights

When the KIKR S1 is connected to power, two LED lights at the back will light up in green. Once you have placed a wireless charging compatible device on the charging base, the light will change to blue. The left LED shows status for the stand portion, while the right LED shows status for the base portion. If you place a device that is not wireless charging compatible, the LED will flash red. Check out the video demo below:

The LED lights does get quite bright, so it would have been nice to have the lights auto turned off after inactivity as it can get a little distracting, at least for me.

Usability

I use the stand portion of the KIKR S1 to charge my phone and the base portion to charge my wireless charging capable earbuds. When I feel like using my phone while wireless charging, I can simply lower the height of the stand to a more comfortable level for my hands to scroll. Having the option to watch a short YouTube video in either portrait or landscape is great too.

As I’m using an iPhone 11, I like how I can just tap my screen while it charges on the stand to check my notifications as FaceID works. As the hinge is strong, even when i’m tapping away on my phone while charging on the stand, it doesn’t wobble much.

Conclusion

The KIKR S1 is a rather innovative wireless charging stand as it offers two places to wireless charge your devices at 10W, and it can even be folded up for portability. The hinges and height adjustable stand allows for greater flexibility of use and setup, making it more than just a wireless charger.

The KIKR S1 is launching on Kickstarter at HKD$279, which is about S$50. KIKR is also giving a free set of four cable holders if you back the KIKR S1 on Kickstarter. Simply send your order information to support@kikrteam, and in the email mention “Backed this because of Tech Jio!”, and the gift will be shipped together with your order.

If you’re interested in backing, head to KIKR S1 Kickstarter page here.