In recent years, wireless charging has become quite ubiquitous; even some real bargain wireless headphones support it. Considering this, it is entirely possible that you have several wireless charging compatible devices floating around your home now. If you’re looking to simplify power management, a charging pad for multiple devices can help you do just that. Artellia Monno, now funded by Kickstarter, is an elegant and competent charging pad that can charge three wireless devices at the same time. If you can buy one at the starting price, there’s not much to complain about – but you better hurry up.
Design, hardware, what’s in the box
The Monno looks strangely attractive for a wireless charger. It is shaped like a pill, about 23 centimeters wide. It is not as impressive as something like the Zens Liberty, but it is discreet and clean just like many Google household products, with smooth edges and a fabric-covered top (the color I am using here is even called “Chalk” in the box; also available in darker gray). It doesn’t look particularly technical, which I appreciate – I wouldn’t mind having it in my living room.
Artellia describes the fabric that covers the loading surface of the cushion as “anti-scratch”, which is very good, but I have my reservations about how it will age. Large flat extensions of fabric are dust magnets, and I haven’t had Monno long enough to get an idea of how easy it is to keep it clean. It still looks good after a few weeks at my desk, but I wonder how it will look over months or years.
“Anti-scratch” fabric.
There is a white LED on the front of the charger that blinks slowly when there is a compatible device on the keyboard or blinks if there is a problem. At the rear, there is a USB-C charging port that can take up to 35 watts, openings for the Monno’s two cooling fans (one input, one output) and two five-watt USB-A ports. I would like these ports to be inserted a bit for more flexible cable management, but it seems that Monno’s internal layout makes this impossible.
The entrails of Monno. | Image: Artellia
In the box is the charger itself, a one-meter USB-DC cable and a 45-watt power adapter that is inconveniently large: in the power strip under my desk, it blocks the adjacent outlets on both sides of the one it’s on connected. It does not obstruct the second receptacle of an outlet, at least, but for the price, the packaging should include something more slim.
acting
You can charge up to five devices at once with Monno: two wireless devices up to 10 watts each and a third one up to five, plus two wired via USB-A five watts each, for a maximum output of up to 35 watts . This capacity should be more than sufficient for the loading needs of most people. Even if you don’t have three devices you need to charge wirelessly, Monno’s seven overlapping charging coils mean he isn’t particularly picky about where to put his phone or headphones. You cannot be totally whether you like it or not, but it is very difficult to lose the loading area.
Monno is actively cooled by two fans.
I had no problems charging phones on Monno, even in some cases. If you have three large phones in Otterboxes, you may not be able to put them all in the charger at once, but two phones and a pair of headsets fit very comfortably.
The charger’s built-in cooling fans rotate whenever it is active, with increasing intensity as you add more devices. I never felt the charger get so hot, even after several hours of charging. Most of the devices in the charger don’t get very hot either. My phones maintained their battery temperature in the mid-90s – warm to the touch, but not too hot. However, I noticed that my Pixel Buds got a little more roasted than I would like.
The rotation of the fans is definitely noticeable in a quiet room, but using it on my nightstand, the soft humming didn’t keep me awake.
USB ports on the rear. I am offended because the white of the supplied USB-C cable does not exactly match that of the charger.
Wired charging is slow at five watts; I would have liked to see more capacity on the Monno’s USB ports. I would also like them to be USB-C instead of USB-A. Still, they are sufficient to power smartwatches or other small devices overnight.
Should you buy?
Artellia Monno wireless charger
7.5/10
Perhaps. Monno is currently funding Kickstarter, where it has already surpassed its bizarrely small goal of $ 644 – until publication, the campaign raised nearly $ 13,000. You can guarantee one for $ 79 before financing ends at 9am on January 14th (tomorrow), which is a fair price for a beautiful and functional charger. The problem: units should not be sent to funders until April. If you are patient enough to wait, go ahead.
After the campaign ends, however, Artellia says he plans to charge $ 129 for Monno. Frankly, this is a very high price to pay for an accessory like this from a company you’ve never heard of – almost what I would expect to pay for a similar product from Apple or Google, and would even claim that then. If that’s Monno’s retail price, I can only recommend buying one if it’s exactly What are you looking for.
Buy if:
- You can join the Kickstarter campaign before it ends.
- You like the simple look of Monno.
Do not buy if:
- You don’t have multiple devices that charge wirelessly (duh).
- It ends up costing $ 129 and you don’t love the concept.
