Review: Bluelounge Kosta Charging Coaster for the Apple Watch

by Brent Dirks

August 31, 2015

Company: Bluelounge
Product: Kosta
Price: $14.99
Compatibility: Apple Watch
Website: http://www.bluelounge.com
Date: Aug. 31, 2015

The Product

After a little more than five months on the market, the must-have Apple Watch accessory so far seems to be a charging stand. And the reason is pretty obvious. While the watch’s inductive charging system works great, it doesn’t exactly make sense to place such and small an expensive piece of technology on a hard nightstand or desk where it could get scratched or slide off onto the floor.

We’ve literally seen hundreds of stands for the watch hit the market so far – everything from inexpensive no-name brands to costly versions made with high-quality wood and other metals. But Bluelounge has thrown its hat into the ring with a decidedly different option, the Kosta.

If you haven’t heard of the company, Bluelounge has always done a great job designing simple and enormously handy accessories that won’t break the bank. I recently used a number of their cord management products to finally tame the mess that was once my work desk at home. And the company also offers a number of other chargers, stands, and bags for the iPhone and iPad.

Available in three different colors – dark gray, light gray, and green – the Kosta literally takes seconds to get up and running. Simply insert the charging cord disc through the top and you’re ready to go. It’s made with silicon so it won’t slip or slide around your desk or scratch the watch. As the name suggests, it definitely reminds me of a drink coaster.

A built-in hidden magnet in the Kosta will keep the charging disc in place when wearing your Apple Watch.

Thanks to a built-in magnet in the center of the coaster, the cord will always stay in place even when you’re not charging a watch. When it is charging time, you’ll just need to place the watch in the coaster and flip the disc up. It’s that simple. There’s no charging cord management feature, but it’s not exactly a surprise given the coaster’s small form factor and inexpensive price.

One of the best features of the coaster is that it will support Nightstand Mode in Watch OS 2.0, which should arrive sometime in the fall. In that mode, you can simply touch the screen, Digital Crown, or side button to see a display that shows the time, date, battery indicator, and any alarms that you’ve set.

When an alarm goes off in the morning, you can press the side button to turn it off or the Digital Crown to snooze. It definitely adds a nice new layer of functionality to the watch, and you’ll be ready to go with the Kosta.

The Kosta is practical, inexpensive, and highly recommended.

If you’re looking for a practical, useful, and inexpensive charging option for your Apple Watch, it’s hard to go wrong with the Kosta. It might not be showy or stylish, but it does a great job providing a protective place for your watch at night. And for most Apple Watch users, that makes it highly recommended.