Review: Native Union's BLOCK wireless charger is sleek and stylish—if you can afford it

Earlier this year, Apple canceled its long-delayed AirPower wireless charging mat. (I called it, by the way.) While it wasn't the end of the world, it did leave a certain void in the wireless charging world.

Without Apple jumping into the fray, where would people get a sleek yet pricey device that works well?

That's where the Native Union BLOCK wireless charger comes in. With a price point that could be described as "luxurious," it's definitely not meant just for utility. But if you want to cut down on desktop cables in a way that looks attractive at a glance, this might be the wireless charger for you.

Form over function

By default, you can put just about any modern smartphone on the charging pad and anything else in the valet tray. Credit: zlata ivleva/mashable

Out of the box, the BLOCK wireless charger features a charging pad with visible machinery next to a large, horizontal valet tray where you can put your keys, earbuds, or anything else you don't want sitting in your pockets while you're at your desk. Made in conjunction with designer Tom Dixon, it comes in either silver or black.

Its appearance was clearly a priority. Native Union's product page even calls it an "artisanal statement piece."

To its credit, the BLOCK wireless charger is a fairly elegant looking device. My desktop is as unorganized as it gets and I still think it looks attractive in the clutter; those who are better at maintaining their work spaces will probably get even better returns on that front.

Don't like the valet tray? Don't use it! Credit: zlata ivleva/mashable

My favorite feature is that the charging pad is removable from the base. If you don't like the valet tray, you can ditch it and just put the small, circular pad on your desk. I might question the need to pay $200 for this, but hey, your money is your money.

It does function nonetheless

Raw technological innards are on display with the BLOCK wireless charger. Credit: zlata ivleva/mashable

When it comes to performing its actual duties, the BLOCK wireless charger is adequate. I used it regularly with my iPhone 8 for several days and found it satisfactory, but I wouldn't call anything about the experience revolutionary.

It works with the Qi charging standard, so a decent variety of phones are compatible with the charging pad. The aforementioned product page has a list of compatible devices, so you should definitely consult that before buying.

I didn't notice any egregious overheating problems or technical errors in my time with the BLOCK charger. My only real gripe was that it wasn't as fast as my iPhone's default wired charger, but that's to be expected. If you're not under an extreme time crunch, the charging speeds I experienced were acceptable.

Is it worth it?

Is this worth $200? Credit: zlata ivleva/mashable

As a luxury product, the BLOCK wireless charger's price tag isn't a huge surprise. That said, from a purely practical standpoint, you can definitely do better.

There are plenty of options out there for much, much less money. You can't fit multiple phones on the BLOCK's charging pad, while some of those other, cheaper alternatives allow that. If someone with a restrictive budget asked me for a wireless charger recommendation, I would have a hard time directing them towards the BLOCK.

But if you have expensive tastes and you like the way it looks, the BLOCK wireless charger is effective and stylish enough. It will charge your phone and might occasionally make people who walk by think your desk looks nice.