Furniture With Built In Charging: How It Works And What Are The Drawbacks?

Recent introduction of furniture with built in wireless charging has already changed a lot in interior decoration. Even though so far the choice of models is a bit limited (and mostly presented by IKEA ), there is hope for some variety in the nearest future. And like every new development, furniture with built in wireless charging is currently associated with a couple of limitations, which are going to be discussed in greater detail below. All in all, here is the latest info on types of furniture with built in chargers, explanation on how it works, and current challenges of having one:

How it works?

First things first. Furniture with built in wireless charging is equipped with electric chargers — that is, batteries, powered by electricity. So, the piece itself will have to be plugged into a socket. The phone, on the other hand, does not — that is the whole point. The internal battery has a rubber top with a ‘plus’ sign on top of it, and that is exactly where you have to place your phone for it to start charging. Point is, do not get confused — there is no magical charging ‘on the go’ — not just yet, anyway.

Available furniture units

So far, the selection is not overwhelming. Your choice will be limited to three options:

Nightstands – a charger built into a nightstand is probably one of the most impressive examples of available furniture with built in wireless charging so far. Simply place your phone on a rubber pad before you go to sleep — this is quick, convenient, and right where you need it in the morning.

Floor lamps — to boost your charging options in a living room  or a dining room, check out floor lamps with built in chargers. These lamps have a semi-decorative stripe approximately in the middle of the body, where you can place and charge your phone.

Table and work lamps — one more lamp subtype is table lamps  and work lamps with chargers in a prop-elevated leg. The arrangement also seems to be quite convenient, even though not as convenient as charging a smartphone next to a bed.

Portable pads — and finally, there are portable pads that are very compact and look like stylish accessories. However, they will still have to be powered in somewhere.

Limitations and possible solutions

Even if you are fond of the idea of wireless charging, pause to check your smartphone certification before you run to the nearest store. The thing you need is Qi certification — some phones have it, some others — don’t. A couple of latest iPhone models, for example, are not Qi certified, so Apple fans might have to wait or look for another way around.

One of the examples of ‘another way around’ would be to get a special smartphone case that supports wireless charging. This, however, is mostly the question of aesthetics — most of these cases are not very thin or visually appealing.

Bottom line, if you have Qi-certifaction on your phone or if you do not mind a bit awkward case, going with furniture with built in wireless charging might well be worth it.