Twelve South HiRise 3 Wireless Charging Stand Review: Simple and Effective 3-in-1 Charging

I’ve long been on the hunt for the “perfect” bedside charger. “Perfect” means something different for each person, but for me, it means a MagSafe wireless charger for my iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods with the smallest footprint possible; the Twelve South HiRise 3 Wireless Charging Stand ticks all those boxes. Let’s take a closer look. 

I have several wireless chargers spread around the house. Many of them are highly functional, made from premium materials, and have a refined industrial design.

Believe it or not, that doesn’t describe the Twelve South HiRise 3. Instead, the HiRise 3 is made almost entirely from plastic in your choice of black or white. It’s also fairly light and doesn’t have the most striking or unique design.

This isn’t a product that blew me away as I unboxed it; in other words, I wasn’t thinking anything along the lines of, “Oh wow, they really upped their design game with this charger. It looks and feels as premium as I’ve seen” when looking at the Twelve South HiRise 3 for the first time.

But once I set it up and started using it, the Twelve South HiRise 3 quickly proved to be a thoughtfully designed, well-crafted, and highly functional accessory. 

TwelveSouth makes clear the fact that this was, in fact, their goal when designing the product. 

HiRise wirelessly charges your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods using less desk space than an iPhone. The space-saving design ends the clutter of multiple chargers and uses only one plug. HiRise holds your MagSafe iPhone upright to easily read notifications and tap snooze – without even lifting your phone. 

The HiRise 3 has a similar sign to the Twelve South Forte we previously reviewed. Like the Forte, the Twelve South HiRise 3 has a weighted base, a long, simple stem, and a disk for charging an iPhone.

The Forte required you to provide your own MagSafe charge, though, while the HiRise 3 has the MagSafe charger built in. That’s part of the reason the HighRise 3 is twice the price. 

But the differences don’t stop there. 

Extending from the back of the MagSafe Charging disk is a small shelf. This is also a wireless charger that holds and charges an Apple Watch. This makes it easy to ensure your iPhone and Apple Watch start the day with a full charge. 

But there’s more. 

Built into the base of the Twelve South HiRise 3 is a third wireless charger. This one is intended to charge AirPods with a wireless charging case or, for that matter, any earbud that offers wireless charging. 

Charge a second phone, not just AirPods: The wireless base charger is not just for AirPods. It can charge a second phone, too. Great for other wirelessly-charging phones such as non-MagSafe iPhones or non-Apple mobiles too.

The Twelve South HiRise 3’s base can also charge a second phone. This is great if you have a work and personal phone, your significant other doesn’t have a charger next to their bed, or you have a second phone that doesn’t have MagSafe. 

I appreciate this tiny bit of device agnosticism in an otherwise highly Apple-centric accessory. 

Your nightstand – decluttered: One outlet, one cable is all it takes to charge your three most important devices. HiRise 3 helps clear off your nightstand to maintain a minimalist vibe or make room for more books. Choose Matte Black or Matte White to match your room aesthetic.

A single cable extends from the back of the Twelve South HiRise 3. The product doesn’t ship with an AC wall adapter, but any 20W USB-C adapter will work. The result is a single charger that requires a single plug but can still charge three devices simultaneously. 

Your floating phone shows screen news at a glance: Magnetic iPhone charging is both magical and practical. No picking up your iPhone to read a late-night notification or check the time. Vertical support holds everything viewable at a glance. For stability,
the front pad is 82% larger than puck chargers. So hit snooze – HiRise has your back.

Part of the Twelve South HiRise 3 design’s brilliance is that the large MagSafe charging surface is large enough to securely hold your phone in either portrait or landscape. It makes it easy to see your phone at night and, when the next release of iOS arrives and brings Nightstand Mode. 

I also appreciate that the base is large and stable enough that I feel comfortable my iPhone is secure when on the stand. I wish the base had a bit more heft since the stand tends to shift a bit when I grab my phone from it. I’ve never had an issue, but a slightly weightier base would add to the stability overall. 

Here’s the thing, you could quickly get an inexpensive wireless charger for your phone and a wall adapter with multiple inputs so you could also plug in cables to charge your Watch and AirPods.

It would work well but wouldn’t have the same clean appearance and wouldn’t position the iPhone where it can double as a bedside alarm clock. Perhaps best of all, the Twelve South HiRise 3 does the job without calling attention to itself. As the company puts it, 

HiRise typically lives in your bedroom so it should be minimal, graphic-free, and take up as little space as possible. When your beloved devices are connected & charging, HiRise 3 practically disappears – that’s ok, too.

It took me about a minute to set the Twelve South HiRise 3 up when the review sample arrived, and I’ve been using it ever since. If you are deep into Apple’s ecosystem and use their phone, watch, and earbuds, this charging station was made for you.

The Twelve South HiRise 3 sells for $99.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: Easy to set up; Can charge three devices at once; AirPods charging area can also charge a second phone; Small footprint means it takes up minimal space; Simple design means it doesn’t call attention to itself and fits in with just about any decor

What Needs Improvement: I would love it if the base were a bit heavier; You have to provide your own wall adapter