I hate charging my Apple Watch, is there no solution?

[deuxani]

So, I have many places in house where Lightning cables are just available for an iPhone or iPad to plug in. The same goes for the office. However, every time I want to charge my Apple Watch I have to inconveniently unplug a Lightning cable, find the Apple Watch charging cable with connected puck and then connect it to the adapter, charge the Apple Watch and then unplug it again and reattach the Lightning cable. When travelling it's even worse because because when you have one outlet in an inconvenient location (under a table for instance), I don't want to unplug the Lightning cable every time I need to charge my Apple Watch.

You could have a dedicated Apple Watch charging location in house, but I travel a lot and I have to dive under desks at each location to connect to outlets, so I need a more flexible solution. I still don't understand why the charging puck has the cable embedded inside instead of being able to connect a Lightning cable to it like this:

With the above cable you only have to bring or use one cable and charge your Apple Watch everywhere without bringing the very long Apple Watch only cable.

Has anyone found a solution for this problem yet? I heard about some concepts and projects trying to solve this problem, but they couldn't get it Lightning certified and therefore they switched to MicroUSB which doesn't solve the problem at all.

Or would something like this be possible: The Diskus MicroUSB Apple Watch charger

And then use a Lightning to MicroUSB adapter with it:

You would basically have the Lightning to MicroUSB adapter inserted in the Diskus charger all the time and you would be able to charge your Apple Watch with every Lightning cable available at any location.

I think there is an official Apple accessory available too, but that pad is huge and pretty expensive:

Is there an accessory that I am missing or are these the only options?

 

[Julien]

Since charging your Watch is such an inconvenient BIG problem how have you/do you deal with your iPhone?

 

[deuxani]

Since charging your Watch is such an inconvenient BIG problem how have you/do you deal with your iPhone?

That's written in the very first sentence of my post I have Lightning cables sticking out from behind the desk, couch and two on the side of my bed. So I just plug my iPhone in wherever I want, no need to switch cables or search for an adapter. Nothing inconvenient about that. I know it's a very first world problem, but Apple is always about convenience and charging an Apple Watch for me is the opposite.

A very simple example of what happens at one of my business trips (this happens weekly):

• I travel to another country.
• I go to the office and find a place to sit.
• There is a power outlet underneath a desk across from where I am sitting.
• I go to the other persons desk, go underneath it, connect my adapter and then have my 2m Lightning cable go to my desk.
• I can charge my 2 iPhones there, my iPad and AirPods whenever I want.
• Then suddenly my Apple Watch is without power.
• Only way to charge it is to grab my Apple Watch cable, go under that same desk, unplug my Lightning cable and plug in my Apple Watch cable.
• I have a MacBook 12" with the regular AV adapter, but very often I'm already using that 1 USB-A port, so plugging the Apple Watch in a power outlet is the only option.

The same goes for the apartment or hotel I'm staying in. I am charging my iPhone. iPhone is full. Now I want to charge my Apple Watch. If I could just plug in the Apple Watch or the puck to the Lightning port it would save some hassle and room in my bag.

My laptop bag is already filled with cables (USB-C Cable + Charger for MacBook, Powerbank + Charging Cable, smaller Powerbank + Charging Cable, Lightning Cable + Charger for iPhone, iPad and AirPods, a world power adapter for all different sockets, etc), so if I can do away with another cable, that would be great. Because one dedicated 2m cable that can only be used by an Apple Watch just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[pedrowerner]

You can get a charger with more than one USB port

 

[BarracksSi]

Basically, all you need is a puck, right?

Maybe they'll introduce one this fall. I can see how it'll be a great little addition to a travel bag. It's not that often where I need to charge both my phone and my AW at the same time. Or, if I'm at my laptop, I could charge them from the laptop itself, and I'd still not miss any notifications because they all come through the laptop anyway.

(one thing I'd like is a puck with a pass-thru, so one USB port can charge both the AW and the phone simultaneously)
[doublepost=1502978044][/doublepost]BTW, I've said that if I get a Link bracelet -- and/or, if I get a job with a lot more traveling required -- I'd spring for Apple's charging pad like the one you pictured in the opening post. Since it lays flat, it'll easily fit anywhere that a power adapter will fit.

 

[zhenya]

Why don't you just leave the AW charger plugged in by your bed just like the lightning cable? No need to constantly switch them out.

For travel, buy a usb-charger with more than one port.

 

[BarracksSi]

Thirdly...

You can get a charger with more than one USB port

That's what I've got. Found a dual-USB adapter that's barely any bigger than Apple's (I think it's from Griffin), and I plug it into one of the outlets in my hotel room (most of them have an outlet in most of their table lamps now, too).

Fourthly...
I haven't yet needed to charge my AW more than once a day. BUT, the closest I've come to draining it was on an overnight bus trip where, across two days, I nearly didn't have the option to relax and plug it in somewhere. While on the bus, I was able to clip the AW charging cable to my shirt using an office binder clip, but it still wasn't totally secure, and the AW could have slipped off my lap and onto the bus floor.

In that scenario, I would've benefited from a charging carry case. I've seen a few online. They contain a battery pack and charging puck, and they enclose the AW in a zippered container, kind of like what you'd see for glasses or regular wristwatches.

That'd be a nice solution for charging the watch while in transit on a trip. You won't really need to use it on a plane, so you can stick it in a charging case, put it in your carryon, and then it'll be good to go for the next full day at your destination.

One example among many:
http://www.senacases.com/watch-case

 

[deuxani]

Why don't you just leave the AW charger plugged in by your bed just like the lightning cable? No need to constantly switch them out.

For travel, buy a usb-charger with more than one port.

You can get a charger with more than one USB port

That's a possibility too yeah, but I just want to get rid of that extra Apple Watch-only cable. You can charge your iPhone, iPad, AirPods, Magic Mouse, all with a Lightning cable, why not the Apple Watch? I'm looking for something that I could connect to the Lightning cable.

Basically, all you need is a puck, right?

Maybe they'll introduce one this fall. I can see how it'll be a great little addition to a travel bag. It's not that often where I need to charge both my phone and my AW at the same time. Or, if I'm at my laptop, I could charge them from the laptop itself, and I'd still not miss any notifications because they all come through the laptop anyway.

(one thing I'd like is a puck with a pass-thru, so one USB port can charge both the AW and the phone simultaneously)
[doublepost=1502978044][/doublepost]BTW, I've said that if I get a Link bracelet -- and/or, if I get a job with a lot more traveling required -- I'd spring for Apple's charging pad like the one you pictured in the opening post. Since it lays flat, it'll easily fit anywhere that a power adapter will fit.

Exactly this. Diskus had an even nicer solution:

It has a power bank inside too so you can charge your Apple Watch 1,5 time without it being connected. Sadly it's still not for sale. There are also some Chinese solutions, but they only sell them in bulk.

 

[BarracksSi]

Check my followup, too.

I'm looking for something that I could connect to the Lightning cable.

Apple's UFO-style charging pad connects to any Lightning cable -- but I think you already know that (and I understand what you mean about being bulky and expensive).

 

[Newtons Apple]

That's written in the very first sentence of my post I have Lightning cables sticking out from behind the desk, couch and two on the side of my bed. So I just plug my iPhone in wherever I want, no need to switch cables or search for an adapter. Nothing inconvenient about that. I know it's a very first world problem, but Apple is always about convenience and charging an Apple Watch for me is the opposite.

A very simple example of what happens at one of my business trips (this happens weekly):

• I travel to another country.
• I go to the office and find a place to sit.
• There is a power outlet underneath a desk across from where I am sitting.
• I go to the other persons desk, go underneath it, connect my adapter and then have my 2m Lightning cable go to my desk.
• I can charge my 2 iPhones there, my iPad and AirPods whenever I want.
• Then suddenly my Apple Watch is without power.
• Only way to charge it is to grab my Apple Watch cable, go under that same desk, unplug my Lightning cable and plug in my Apple Watch cable.
• I have a MacBook 12" with the regular AV adapter, but very often I'm already using that 1 USB-A port, so plugging the Apple Watch in a power outlet is the only option.

The same goes for the apartment or hotel I'm staying in. I am charging my iPhone. iPhone is full. Now I want to charge my Apple Watch. If I could just plug in the Apple Watch or the puck to the Lightning port it would save some hassle and room in my bag.

My laptop bag is already filled with cables (USB-C Cable + Charger for MacBook, Powerbank + Charging Cable, smaller Powerbank + Charging Cable, Lightning Cable + Charger for iPhone, iPad and AirPods, a world power adapter for all different sockets, etc), so if I can do away with another cable, that would be great. Because one dedicated 2m cable that can only be used by an Apple Watch just doesn't make any sense to me.

I, for sure, would not be wearing a watch that needed to be charged daily if I had to go through what you do . . .ridiculous! I do not travels and from what I see and hear, flying is like riding a Greyhound bus, so glad I do not travel that much.

 

[pedrowerner]

First world 1% problems...

 

[deuxani]

First world 1% problems...

Definitely. Maybe even less than 1%. But in my world it happens pretty often (I'm an IT consultant and travel to many different places around the world). Two of my colleagues have the exact same need for their Apple Watch. They hate the extra Apple Watch cable and would've preferred to just be able to stick the Lightning cable directly in the watch.

I, for sure, would not be wearing a watch that needed to be charged daily if I had to go through what you do . . .ridiculous! I do not travels and from what I see and hear, flying is like riding a Greyhound bus, so glad I do not travel that much.

It's also one of the reasons I don't take the Apple Watch with me every time, because it's very annoying. However, when I am at the office it is pretty handy sometimes. When I walk away from my desk, I just leave everything there and I will still get my notifications. But I love watches, so leaving the Apple Watch at home and putting a real watch on my wrist is something I gladly do.

By the way, the travelling is really fun! I would never complain about that.

Check my followup, too.

Apple's UFO-style charging pad connects to any Lightning cable -- but I think you already know that (and I understand what you mean about being bulky and expensive).

I see, it looks nice, but pretty big that Sena case. The problem with that travel pouch is that you would still be using the regular cable instead of your Lightning.

I was just trying to see if there is another way to charge your Apple Watch in with the Lightning cable. But it seems that the official large and expensive Apple Charging Dock is the only one that allows for a female Lightning in.

 

[Newtons Apple]

By the way, the travelling is really fun! I would never complain about that.

Flying is not what it used to be, glad I do it seldom.

Glad you find it enjoyable/fun.

 

[BarracksSi]

I see, it looks nice, but pretty big that Sena case. The problem with that travel pouch is that you would still be using the regular cable instead of your Lightning.

I was just trying to see if there is another way to charge your Apple Watch in with the Lightning cable. But it seems that the official large and expensive Apple Charging Dock is the only one that allows for a female Lightning in.

There are smaller cases than that Sena one (I saw a couple that look almost fat-wallet-size), but yeah, they'd still need to be charged with a non-Lightning cable. The benefit of one of these is that it'll do the charging when you don't need the AW on your wrist, so when you finally put it back on, it'll have 100% battery.

I'd still suggest using a multi-USB adapter as the easiest solution. I mentioned earlier that I've got a small Griffin adapter with two USB outputs. That's the one I take when I don't plan on taking my laptop.

I've also got a Belkin portable surge protector that plugs straight into the wall and has three AC sockets and two USB ports. It's really cool when I'm at an airport waiting area and other people have already taken up all the AC outlets. I pick someone who looks friendly, grab their attention, show them the Belkin, and then unplug their charger, plug it into my Belkin, and plug the whole thing into the wall. (I've only had to do this once so far; when I did, the woman whose charger I unplugged and re-plugged almost laughed and said, "Hey, that's pretty cool!")
http://www.belkin.com/us/BST300-Belkin/p/P-BST300/
[edit - looks like it's NOT rated for 220-240V outlets, according to Belkin themselves]

 

[zhenya]

I travel as well and try to absolutely minimize the cable clutter. I agree a puck that connects to a lightning cable would be a nice option. In lieu of that, I bought a second AW charger with a 3' cable rather than the 6' one Apple includes with the Watch. This one lives on my desk at work, and is the one I pack when I need to travel.

 

[44267547]

I travel as well and try to absolutely minimize the cable clutter. I agree a puck that connects to a lightning cable would be a nice option. In lieu of that, I bought a second AW charger with a 3' cable rather than the 6' one Apple includes with the Watch. This one lives on my desk at work, and is the one I pack when I need to travel.

I also have extra inductive charging cables. Most times where I am, there are charging bricks laying around. I just pack the charging cable with me and that's all I need for a quick charge. It just makes it so seamless with the inductive charging process without a charging port.

 

[Gav2k]

Griffin made these. You can pick them up fairly cheap....

 

[boast]

I have a dock at home next to my bed for my iPhone, Watch and AirPods. For travel, I use a portable Apple Watch charger like the Griffin posted above.

 

[tivoboy]

View attachment 713335 Griffin made these. You can pick them up fairly cheap....

that one is pretty cool!

but damb, 70$ is a lot of money for that.. if it were like 30-35$ I think i'd pick one up. Griffin does have sometimes 30% off anything coupons, might have to pick one up then.

 

[Mr Kram]

that griffin is cool. wish i knew about that. i just have 3 apple chargers. one for home, one for travel, one spare just because.

 

[jakerichva]

Why not plug the puck cable into the USB port on the laptop? I know you said you only have one, but a short cord, USB hub solves that problem very well.

My  watch 2 lasts nearly three days, generally. I just recharge it each night. So even if I miss a day, it's good for two, and even three if I'm judicious. Since I sleep pretty much every night, I let it charge while I sleep.

EDIT: Correct typo

 

[boston04and07]

I totally agree with you, @deuxani. The way my house is set up, I too have all my outlets in generally hard to access places, and I'd prefer to not have extension cords or surge strips or whatever anywhere visible. I have long, 10 foot lightning cables plugged in in all sorts of convenient places around the house, so when I got my Apple Watch I really wished I could just use the existing Lightning cables to charge it. It's annoying that Apple won't let manufacturers attach a Lightning input to an Apple Watch charging disc.

So what I did is exactly what you proposed - I affixed a lightning adapter to a micro-USB travel charger. I just plugged it in and used some white electrical tape to make sure it doesn't go anywhere. It's not perfect, and I'd much prefer it to be smaller, but it's better than nothing and means that I can charge my watch wherever I am around the house and don't need to unplug anything.

This is the micro USB adapter I used, and I used the same lightning adapter you posted above. Works okay so far, but I definitely wish apple would release a real one.

 

[DamFu]

I travel often, sometimes internationally. I bought a Smatree travel case. It’s a little bulky but I like it. The battery can charge the watch at least 4 times and it has a micro USB port in the back for charging the case.

 

[Maetzle]

Or maybe something like this? Can charge your watch directly, you can connect a USB-to-Lightning cable to it to charge your phone and can charge it via USB-to-Microusb. And a bit cheaper than the Griffin.

 

[Uricasha]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/555172...=Raw&share_time=1511227478000&utm_term=so.slt