It’s great to be able to revisit a line-up of essential accessories for our electronic lifestyle from an Aussie company.
We last had an EFM Show some 5 years ago, so we imagined the great products we reviewed then, would be improved on since. (If you want to go back in time, you can check it out here.
Let’s see how we went.
First product on our test bench is the EFM 15W Dual Coil Automatic Wireless Car Charger.
All EFM products come in an informative signature orange box. They sport a photo of the item on the front and the main features are highlighted on the back.
DUALITY
This Car Charger has not only dual charging coils, (meaning it’s universally compatible, regardless of the size of your phone) but it also is dual use.
This means that you can use it as a vent or dash mounted charger.
It comes complete with a long enough (1m) USB-C cable and a big enough 20 Watt car power supply.
It’s a pity that this doesn’t have dual USB ports as well because often your passenger’s phone can do with a top-up during the ride. And with 20W on tap and only needing 15 for the car charger itself, it could work…
This Qi certified car charger oozes quality and versatility and is easily the best-looking mount I’ve come across.
But how will it handle my Galaxy S22 Ultra with the original Samsung Flip Case?
TESTING
Flip cases present a unique problem for automatic chargers of this type and you can easily see why.
If the case is closed – no problem but also no use except charging.
If you open the case and fold it onto the back it is very bulky and will impede charging…
Fortunately, the designers at EFM thought this through really well. The padded clips that automatically enclose the phone, just grip the sides without impeding the opening of the flip cover.
And what’s better: I can fold the flip cover all the way back and it’s still charging!
I’m impressed.
It’s a secure mount with a very secure grip on your phone even if it’s the biggest phone on the market.
There are 2 LED lights on either side of the unit, blue when charging, white for standby and red when the charging is not working as it should.
Below the LEDs are the side keys to open and close the clips.
There is also a mysterious button on the back (not described in the little instruction leaflet) that will also open and close the clips manually. Often that’s the easiest way to do it.
The clips only work, of course, when the ignition is switched on. I sometimes forget that and need to switch to switch the ignition back to AUX after having turned off the engine.
One of the handiest features is the rotatable lever which allows you to place the phone screen in the best position for viewing. A previous vent mounted car charger always obstructed part of my car display…
Another great feature is the adjustable support on the vent mount. This prevents the car charger with my heavy phone from moving the vent louvres down. I always had to jerry rig this with a previous mounting solution.
The dash mounted option is also a good choice if you want your vents to be unobstructed. My Ford Territory only has gently curved panels so fixing the flat-bottomed dash mount is not as secure in this vehicle.
CONCLUSION
In my opinion, the EFM 15W Dual Coil Automatic Wireless CAR CHARGER is well-built, versatile and well worth your consideration.
The price is $129.95 and availability is good with many of the big outlets carrying this product.
Of course, you can also order directly from EFM and they have free shipping.
Check them out here.
Stay tuned for Part II in a few weeks when we look at the revolutionary D3O®, impact protection tech as used in EFM’s phone cases and screen protectors.
We thank EFM for giving us the opportunity to check out these items.
