It's the age-old question: what do you do with your phone at night? If like most people you fiddle around to find the charging cable then leave it plugged in on your bedside table all night, read on. There is a another, better way. Find out how as we check out the KitSound XDock Qi Charging Bluetooth Speaker.
First of all... yay, KitSound! We've been reviewing KitSound stuff from the very beginning and we've never been let down in terms of quality of design or price. Therefore it's nice to see that they're still innovating and making products that really fit right into your life and solve several issues. The KitSound XDock Qi Charging Bluetooth Speaker tackles your night-time routine... and more.
The XDock is essentially a Bluetooth speaker with built-in alarm clock capabilities. You can therefore use it to your heart's content playing music wirelessly from your phone, then set an alarm to wake your sleepy head up in the morning. But there's more.
The KitSound XDock Qi Charging Bluetooth Speaker is so-called thanks to the very handy, and very well designed, Qi Charging dock on the front. Beneath that pretty fabric grill through which the LED clock shines is a magnetic wireless charger. If your smartphone is Qi enabled you lean it up against the front and it will start to receive a charge. Nice.
Cleverly, that charging dock works in both portrait and landscape, meaning those of you who like to watch a show on your phone prior to snoozing can do so, and your phone will still be juiced up. So nor more awkwardly leaning your phone up against the lamp to see the screen.
The magnetic dock works a treat to hold your phone in place. We found the strength of the magnetic hold varies from phone to phone, as you might expect, but it's still enough to keep it from falling off, even with knocks and bumps to the XDock.
The KitSound XDock Qi Charging Bluetooth Speaker works elsewhere, too. It's a 5W Bluetooth speaker with a radio built-in, meaning there is plenty of day-time use as well. Although we happily found a home for it in the bedroom, we could see it being a go-to speaker and radio for the kitchen or living room. The chunky top-side buttons help in this, letting you play/pause, skip tracks, set the alarm, and even dim the LED clock (something we recommend you do if you're sleeping next to it and don't like any light).
Hooked up to a phone the speaker produces rich and clear sounds, ideal for a room-filling jam. The quality of sound won't blow audiophiles away, but this isn't really intended to. For localised, casual listening, and for listening to a few tunes while you wake up, the KitSound XDock Qi Charging Bluetooth Speaker performs well.
Available in three colour combinations, the XDock from KitSound ticks a lot of boxes for modern home use. You'll probably come for the Qi charging station, but stay for the versatility. We approve.
£69.99 (although Amazon currently has the black version for £49.99)
Available from www.amazon.co.uk