Otterbox 15W Wireless Charging Pad Review: Keep Your Wires Handy

The Otterbox 15W Wireless Charging Pad joins the ranks of other mini-charge pads in its class. Yes, they’re desk-friendly and easy to travel with, but based on my own experience with the gadget, I can’t say I’ll be going out of my way to convince friends and family to buy one.

Design: Almost Too Minimalist

I really liked the idea of having a wireless charging pad of any kind on my desk because my workspace is normally a mess of tangled USB connections. And based on my own experience with Otterbox (my iPhone 12 is shielded by an Otterbox Defender case), I was excited to put the company’s charger to the test and was expecting some awesome results. 

In terms of measurable design, the Otterbox Wireless is 3.82 inches in diameter and 0.38 inches tall. Silicone padding on the bottom of the charging pad prevents the Otterbox Wireless from slipping around on smooth surfaces, and a ring of silicone stoppers on the top part of the pad helps to prevent your phone from toppling off. 

For only $40, I wasn’t expecting a lot of chargeable surface area, but I guess it would have been nice if there was a little more real estate to play with. Most phones, including my iPhone, are long enough that they extend well beyond the pad’s length/width.

I would also be careful if you decide to put the Otterbox Wireless Charging Pad close to your arms (which I imagine many of us will). Seeing as the charging pad raises your phone up about a half-inch in the air, the top and bottom parts of the device aren’t supported. During testing, I had to move the Otterbox charging pad to the far corner of my desk because even a slight bump from my elbow was enough to move my iPhone out of the charging position. 

And that’s the other thing: The charging pad was pretty particular with where my phone needed to be placed. Anything less than close-to-centered would immediately stop a charge cycle. A little flexibility in the charging location would have helped immensely.

As far as box contents go, you should find the charging pad itself, a 20W USB-C port wall power adaptor, and a 6.6-foot USB-C cable. 

Charging Experience: Temper Your Expectations

True to its name, the Otterbox Wireless was able to wirelessly re-juice my Defender-protected iPhone 12 and my girlfriend’s iPhone 12 (protected by a third-party case).

In terms of actual charging experience, I saw the best results when charging my iPhone 12. From a half-dead battery, the Otterbox Wireless brought the iOS device to a full charge in about an hour. This was a little better than the traditional USB-A to Lightning connection and Apple’s old 5W charging bricks. It won’t be able to match newer chargers with higher output, like UGREEN’s Nexode 100W.

And while the charging pad had no trouble in making a connection with my iPhone 12’s Defender case (once placed perfectly centered on the wireless charger), I can’t say that I would be comfortable charging from a dead battery back to full, which was my original plan. 

Why? Because my iPhone started getting very toasty on the Otterbox Wireless. Even just a quick five minutes on the charging pad was enough to make the backside of my phone warm to the touch. And my girlfriend had the same issue with her iPhone 12’s third-party case. In fact, neither of us felt comfortable leaving our devices on the Otterbox Wireless at all while we were out of the office. 

In terms of other Qi-ready gadgets, I also tested the Otterbox Wireless with my AirPods Pro 2 case. Without a hitch, the amber light on my MagSafe case indicated that charging began as soon as I placed it on the pad, but my excitement wore off quickly. After several repeated attempts, the Otterbox Wireless would simply not raise the battery life of my truly wireless earbuds case.

And that’s not all: Once in a while, my iPhone 12 would stop charging, too. But once I picked it up and re-seated it on the charging pad, the charge cycle would start again. Go figure.

Should You Buy the Otterbox 15W Wireless Charging Pad?

Unless you’re looking for an alternative grab-and-go option for family getaways, or it’s available at a steep discount, it’s hard for me to recommend the Otterbox 15W Wireless Charging Pad. I’ve used other small wireless charging pads before, and the unfortunate nature of the beast is I think they’re okay for an incremental device boost, but not my go-to choice when it comes to charging hardware from dead to full. And in this age of exploding smartphones, the toasty-warm results definitely make me nervous. 

I was hoping the Otterbox charging pad would lay my mini-charging pad doubts to rest, but alas, it did not.