iKinkoo 6-Port High Speed USB Desktop Charger Review

Most of my reviews have been focused on power banks, but I had the opportunity of acquiring the iKinkoo 6-Port Desktop Charger a while back. As I own a wide range of electronics including a portable Bluetooth speaker, two Bluetooth headsets, a bunch of power banks, a couple of smartphones, this is the perfect accessory to keep all my devices charged. I have yet to find an elegantly designed desktop multi-charger. If you do find one, let me know as I'd definitely be interested in seeing it.

The Kinkoo desktop multi-charger redefines how we charge our mobile devices. Now that we are in the digital age where a single individual will likely have more than one electronic device needing to be charged, the simplistic solution is here! I wouldn't go as far as saying you can ditch your existing OEM chargers, but you can certainly tuck them away because you now just need one wall outlet for all your electronic devices.

Of all the features the Kinkoo totes, the most attractive for me is the high quality and durable materials used ensuring long term use. When I make an investment into anything, I want it to last. On first touch, the Kinkoo feels very durable with a glossy white coating that doesn't seem to get dirty.

The second feature is the iPower technology which claims to be a smart controller that can optimize each charging port to deliver the maximum charging efficiency. This was a bit difficult for me to measure as not all my devices are capable of measuring charge statistics. Nevertheless, I did the next best thing. I compared the charging times against the OEM chargers I own and so far the Kinkoo does live up the iPower technology.

I have seen a couple of dual chargers USB chargers before, but nothing like this. The Kinkoo packs some serious heat with six USB chargers. If you own less than six devices, I would still definitely recommend getting this! This is absolutely a no compromise solution. I sometimes had friends over and they were looking to charge their phone without their charger. Showing them the Kinkoo was truly a joy as they too did not realize something like this existed.

Last, but not least safety is definitely an important topic. The Kinkoo is CE, RoHS, and FCC certified enduring complete safety. When I plugged six devices to charge, I did not detect a slight of overheating. During the rapid charge stage in most of my devices, I did detect the a bit of warmth and I believe that is not a major issue.

My packaging arrived slightly damaged as I suspect due to the shipping, but the good news is that it works! The packaging is in a rather unique design featuring a longer rectangular shape. This is definitely not what I had expected, but stoked nonetheless when I first received it. I'm not quite sure about the black and orange color choice, but each to their own.

I think what's absolutely great about the Kinkoo is their customer service:

• 18 Months Warranty
• Free Worldwide Shipping via FedEx, UPS, and DHL
• 30 Days Money Back Guarantee

They are very open about with their contact information. The support contact details can be found right on the box, which I find is an added convenience. In my correspondence with the staff at Kinkoo, they have been very quick to reply to me and I believe they are truly a company operating on the global stage.

Typical inside contents. I do love the how there is a shine to the Kinkoo. The glossy look is due to the use of premium plastic. Not only is the plastic hard and durable, it does not scratch easily and maintains its shine well. I think this is what makes the Kinkoo so great, it's just absolutely eye-catching.

Apart from the Kinkoo itself, you get a special cord to plug one end into the Kinkoo and other end into the wall outlet. Finally, there are instructions. I recommend quickly going over them to better familiarize yourself with the features.

Very straightforward stuff with some charging advice and safety warnings. I personally did not find the instructions helpful as I do not think there is a complex setup process with this. This is literally a plug and play with minimal configurations necessary.

This is where things get very interesting. If you notice the ports, they are actually labelled with recommended usage. From top to bottom, they are:

1. Smart
2. Smart
3. iPad / iPhone
4. iPad / iPhone
5. Android
6. Android

To be honest, I actually dislike seeing the labels and I will tell you why in a minute. The intentions of the labels are to assist users in safely charging their devices. I owned an Apple device for a little while and the charging currents are a bit different from Android's. The iPhone's OEM charger focuses on a 1A output. Most Android devices are capable of going up to 2.1A. I won't be touching upon the scope of the various Quick Charge technologies out there, but rest assured that I do know they play a factor in the charging speed. Going back to my original point, it is definitely very interesting to see the Kinkoo separates the two. As for the "Smart" ports, they will have priority in adapting to your device's charging limitations to maximize the charging efficiency.

I actually dislike the way this is setup, especially for Android users. This is because this device might be suitable for the techsavvy user who can tell the difference between an Android phone and iPhone. I would think most users tend to have a set and forget mindset. It doesn't really make too much sense for them to think and weigh in on whether to use the "Smart" port or one of the "Android" or "iPhone" ports. I do believe that the labels should be removed and the ports be designed to receive equal weighting. I do hope to see this as a next generation improvement.

The wider base provides an added stabilization benefit and is not easily to tip over. The bottom really just contains the basic specifications and the safety certifications it has. I do have an idea that I would like to see integrated in the design and that is having the ability to secure the base hopefully with some kind of double sided sponge tape or one of those peel and apply adhesive.

While I don't have a concern of the Kinkoo tipping over, I find that it does slide around a bit especially if I were to use my phone real quic as it is charging. The cord yank will drag the Kinkoo along with it.

My recommended solution is to buy some of the adhesive putty from your local dollar store. With the adhesive putty, you can safely apply it to the bottom of the Kinkoo and stick it on your desk. When you lift it up, you will notice that the putty will leave some residue on the desk. It is a very simple fix. Just roll up the remaining putty in a ball and use that to lift off the residue.

Nevertheless, I still would like to see some kind of integrated solution and do hope it is re-usable instead of a one time apply.

The Kinkoo currently comes in two color option. Originally, the Kinkoo came in white. As I'm updating this review, the yellow edition was introduced. I did not get my hands on the yellow version so I cannot comment much on it. Of the two colors, I would still prefer the white edition as I like the glossy finish on it and I believe it pairs nicely with my aluminum MacBook. I like the silver and white combinations a bit better than the yellow version.

The only other multi-charger I know of is the Anker series and the 6-port version also retails for about the same price at $39.99 so I wouldn't say the Kinkoo's $39.90 is a significant price advantage. Nevertheless, I see this as the industry price and you are definitely not being overcharged with the Kinkoo. Both the Anker and the Kinkoo have pros and cons actually. The major benefit of the Anker is the longer power cord while the Kinkoo sits upright on your desk.

Kinkoo definitely gets a solid 10 quality wise. The Anker multi-charger focuses on a rugged design with a rubbery outer feel. Kinkoo opted for a hard plastic finish and I think it suits well. It is highly durable showing no signs of wear and tear through my daily usage if not multiple times a day.

The cord is long no doubt about it, but I still found it a tad short of sitting at the edge of my desk. in short, I think it will suit most people just fine, but you may experience the length problem if your desk isn't right next to a wall outlet. There isn't any mention on their website in terms of using a power bar setup. I would like to know if charging speeds could be affected if I use a power bar to extend the reach.

Finally, I do think the design is a hit or a miss with you. I personally liked it and the glossy coating does add a shine to it. Although it is plastic, it does give off a nice minimalistic and premium look to it.

The only comment I have in terms of accessories is I would have liked to see a travel pouch like the ones found on the Kinkoo power banks. The reason for this is a multi-charger is very useful for frequent travellers carrying multiple electronic devices. It makes more sense to carry one multi-charger than several individual chargers.