Twelve South's new charging tray is a slice of luxury – which doesn't mean you need it, per se
The Valet is fairly ridiculous, and for the few rather than the many
by Max Freeman-Mills · T3
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When Twelve South confirmed that it was bringing the Valet to the UK this month, I wasn't surprised by the price attached, but that didn't stop me raising an eyebrow at it. Twelve South makes some of the best tech accessories in the business, but it's long priced them at premium and ultra-premium levels, and £179.99 for a wireless charger is still pretty out there.
In terms of raw specs, the Valet makes no economic sense, in either of its size variants. You get a single Qi2 charging puck, capable of wireless charging speeds of up to 15W, along with another USB-C port if you want to run a cable out for more passthrough charging (although the two won't work at the same time).
That puck is situated on a tray, either long and thin in the smaller version, or squatter and bigger in the larger one that I've been using. The rest of the space is for whatever you see fit, whether it's reading glasses and daily pills on a bedstand, or keys and your wallet near your front door.
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I've got the Valet in its taupe colour, but there's also a far starker looking black version if you prefer. It's finished all over in high-quality materials, including a heap of Nappa leather, and has the weightiness that I associate with most of Twelve South's kit, which is invariably well-made.
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To be fair, it's made a lovely addition to my living room, as an organising receptacle that guests can also stick their phone onto if they're in need of a charge. That's the configuration I've gone with for now, because I wear an Apple Watch Series 10 and need a bedside charger that can handle my phone and my smartwatch at the same time.
That sort of limitation is really quite amusing when you consider the sheer cost of the Valet, but it's also really obvious to me that this isn't intended as a utility purchase. After all, if you want a three-in-one charger that's beautifully made, Twelve South has options there, too.
Rather, the Valet is clearly a niche product aimed at those who like the idea of having situationally useful charging points around their home without ugly plastic or metal catching the eye. On top of that, the customer I'd imagine going for the Valet necessarily has a budget that won't be rippled by such an expensive choice.
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It's not that uncommon here at T3 to test something that you wouldn't yourself buy, and the Valet does tick that box, but the fact is that for those with the budget, it's a beautiful bit of charging kit that is as understated as anything I've seen in the sector for years.
Whether that's enough to justify a screamingly high price tag will be up to you, and there are definitely wireless chargers that cost a fraction of the price while still looking fairly easy on the eye. For those who know exactly what they want aesthetically, though, this is a real pleasure to interact with.