We Tried the World’s Smallest 2-in-1 Travel Charger
The ButterFly is a USB-C MagSafe charger that’ll help you cut down on cords. Is it worth the hype?
It’s a scenario I know all too well: I get to my hotel room, eager to drop my belongings and explore my surroundings. I grab my phone, only to realize I’ve used up all its juice on the plane—AirPods, too. I fish for the jumble of chargers in my luggage, connect my devices, and begrudgingly wait, like that meme of Tiffany “New York” Pollard sitting on a bed with her sunglasses on and hands crossed.
Twelve South’s latest product, ButterFly, aims to solve this inconvenience, as “the world’s smallest” 2-in-1 USB-C MagSafe charger. It’s a real cutie pie of a gadget. The shape of a hockey puck, it fits in the palm of your hand. Open it up like a makeup compact to reveal a MagSafe charger for your IPhone or Airpods on one side, and a magnetic fast charger for your Apple Watch on the other.
The ButterFly can transform into some other convenient shapes, too. Stack the sides back to back to create a pedestal fit for Apple Watch Nightstand Mode, or tilt it 180 degrees to create a hands-free display stand for IPhone’s StandBy Mode—perfect for streaming pillow-side entertainment when you’re jetlagged.
The product comes with a 30W power adapter, a meter-long charging cable, and four, lightweight international plug adapters—US, UK, EU, and AU—that attach pretty seamlessly to the power supply. It all packs up in a small, velvet pouch. The design is super sleek, with an anodized aluminum shell similar to that of a MacBook. The interior is upholstered with a soft, vegan leather.
It’s hard to find a MagSafe charger that can charge your devices in a pinch, let alone a travel-sized one. Not only does it easily slip into a pocket in my carry-on, but it also takes up very little space on my nightstand. And considering how hotel desks can be so unnecessarily cluttered—telephone, stationery, etc.—this charger is a real game-changer for maximizing space. The extra-long cord is also a nice touch, as hotel outlets never seem to be placed in logical locations (what’s up with that?).
But retailing at $130, this mini piece of technology is not cheap. For that price, I’d expect it to perform a little more magic, perhaps in the form of portable charging. Because the gizmo is so tiny, it would be ultra-convenient to use it on the go, but the required wire connection in some ways negates the compactibility. Here’s to hoping that innovation is next up on Twelve South’s agenda.