Twelve South Valet 25W MagSafe charging tray: faster, but it's now a different product

Months after reviewers docked the original Valet for its 15W wireless ceiling, Twelve South has launched a compact version that addresses the complaint directly. The new Twelve South Valet 25W MagSafe charging tray raises wireless output to 25W while cutting tray depth from 7.5 inches to 4.5 inches, making it faster but considerably more focused than what it replaces. Whether that's an improvement depends entirely on what you were using the original for.

At $129.99, the smaller model is fifty dollars cheaper than the original's $179.99 price point, The Verge reported today. Both sit well above what a functional Qi2 charger costs, a gap the brand covers with premium materials rather than charging hardware. The original earned a 3 out of 5 from AppleInsider earlier this year, with the 15W wireless output listed as the central failure. The smaller Valet corrects that. But the corrections come with tradeoffs that will disqualify it for a meaningful slice of potential buyers.

What changed in the Twelve South Valet 25W MagSafe charging tray

The wireless charging improvement is the easy part. Output jumps from 15W on the original to 25W on the new model, according to The Verge. For context, AppleInsider's review faulted the original specifically for using a standard Qi2 pad rather than the newer Qi2.2 spec capable of 25W. Whether the smaller model carries Qi2.2 certification hasn't been confirmed in current coverage, but the spec gap that drove the criticism is closed. For a device positioned around short-burst use, setting a phone down while getting ready to leave the house per Twelve South's own CES framing relayed by AppleInsider, that speed difference carries more weight than it would for an overnight charger.

The tray reduction is where it gets complicated. Nearly three inches of surface depth is gone. The original's 7.5-inch tray could hold several items alongside a phone; the new 4.5-inch version is realistically suited to a single small item, like a pair of glasses, The Verge notes. Buyers who treated the original as a genuine valet, keys in one corner, wallet in another, phone charging in the center, will need to rethink that habit entirely.

The more consequential change is what happens to the secondary USB-C port under simultaneous load. On the smaller model, that port drops to 10W while the wireless charger is active, The Verge confirmed today. The original's secondary port is rated at up to 35W, per Twelve South's product page and AppleInsider's review. Ten watts handles AirPods or an Apple Watch without complaint. It rules out anything heavier, like an iPad or a second iPhone, if the wireless pad is already occupied.

These aren't minor spec adjustments. Together, they redefine what the product is. The smaller Twelve South Valet wireless charger trades versatility for focus: faster wireless output at the cost of a smaller tray and a fraction of the simultaneous wired capacity. That's not an upgrade for every buyer. It's a different product aimed at a narrower use case.

Who should buy the smaller Valet, who should stick with the original, and who should skip both

The materials are consistent across both models: a weighted zinc alloy base, Nappa leather in black, brown, or taupe, and a removable metal frame swappable with alternate colors Twelve South sells separately at $25 each, per The Verge and AppleInsider. A buyer paying for aesthetics gets the same quality from either model. The divergence is entirely in what each one does with it.

Choose the smaller model if faster wireless charging matters to you, you're working with limited surface space, and you typically charge one device at a time. The 10W secondary port handles AirPods or an Apple Watch. If the morning routine is phone on the tray and earbuds plugged in and nothing else, this is the cleaner fit.

Choose the larger original if you rely on the tray as a genuine multi-item surface or regularly plug a tablet or second phone into the secondary USB-C port while wirelessly charging simultaneously. The original's 35W secondary output under combined load is the deciding variable, and that gap, 35W versus 10W, matters the moment you need to top up anything more demanding than a wearable.

Skip both if charging performance per dollar is what drives the decision. Neither model competes on that axis, and The Verge notes both sit considerably above comparable Qi2 alternatives on price. That premium is justified by materials, not charging hardware, which applies equally to either version and doesn't help anyone choose between them.

One note on positioning: AppleInsider's review frames the Valet as an entryway or dresser-top charger designed for quick use, not overnight bedside charging. Early CES marketing, including language cited by 9to5Mac, described it as suitable for "the nightstand" and "any place in the home." The smaller model's tighter footprint leans further into the focused, single-surface use case regardless of how Twelve South characterizes it.

What's still unknown and what to watch for in reviews

The 25W wireless output is confirmed; the underlying certification standard is not. Current reporting frames this as a 25W charger without explicitly confirming Qi2.2 certification, according to The Verge. Which specific iPhone models receive the full 25W rate, and whether non-Apple Qi2 devices hit the same ceiling, isn't answered in available coverage. That matters for buyers running older iPhones or pairing this with non-Apple headphones.

Whether the smaller model ships with the same bundled braided cable and power adapter that accompanied the original is also unconfirmed. The original included both, per AppleInsider's CES launch coverage, with the bundled adapter rated at 36W. For a $129.99 accessory where simultaneous output is already constrained, the bundled adapter's wattage isn't a small detail.

No hands-on reviews of the smaller Valet exist yet. The original's first critical review arrived roughly six weeks after its CES debut, per AppleInsider. Real-world magnet alignment, thermal behavior under sustained 25W output, and build quality under daily use were the questions that mattered most in evaluating the original, and they apply equally here.

Before buying, it's worth waiting to confirm:

• Which iPhone models receive the full 25W rate, and whether non-Apple Qi2 devices are included
• Whether the secondary USB-C port has any standalone maximum above 10W when wireless charging isn't active
• What power hardware ships in the box
• First hands-on findings on magnet strength and sustained charging performance

The bottom line

The smaller Twelve South Valet corrects the original's headline weakness and comes in $50 cheaper, but does so by halving the tray and dropping simultaneous wired output from up to 35W to just 10W. That's a sharper, more focused tool for a narrower job.

The original earned a 3/5 largely because of charging speed, per AppleInsider. The smaller model addresses that. Whether the other tradeoffs introduce new reasons to dock a star is what hands-on reviews will need to settle.

For buyers who've already decided they want a premium charging tray for a tight entryway or dresser surface and only need to top up one device at a time, the smaller Valet has a clear use case at $129.99. Everyone else should wait for the first reviews and check what's in the box.