Add convenient wireless charging to iPad Pro with this case and stand [Review] ★★★★☆

By Ed Hardy • 9:30 am, May 14, 2023

With the Pitaka MagEZ Case Pro, you can stop plugging in a charging cable. Put the tablet in this slim, lightweight case then pop on a charging mat when it's time to juice up the tablet.

Combine it with the MagEZ Charging Stand and you have a desktop setup without the hassle of wires for the iPad Pro and an iPhone or AirPods.

I tested both accessories in my home office. There's a lot to like here.

iPhone has wireless charging. So do Apple Watch and AirPods. All it takes to start juicing these up is placing them on a charging mat. It's very convenient.

And you can have the same convenience with the iPad Pro. Just wrap it in the Pitaka MagEZ Case Pro and it supports wireless charging.

The case comes with the mat you need, but you can make a desktop setup for your iPad by adding the MagEZ Charging Stand. Add a keyboard maybe a mouse too and you have an iMac mini ready for light duty.

There's a significant drawback to be aware of, though. It involves the USB-C port — but more on that in a minute.

The iPad Pro case is as slim and lightweight as anyone could ask. It weighs 3 ounces and fits inside the Apple Magic keyboard — I tested it to make sure.

Pitaka MagEZ Case Pro covers the back, three edges and two corners, defending against scratches and bumps. Just be aware that no case this slim offers protection from serious mishaps.

It's made of black plastic, but the back has a diagonal pattern on it that I quite like. This is slightly raised, making the tablet somewhat easier to hold on to.

There are openings on the edges and back for the speakers, cameras, microphones, etc. Pitaka could make the ones on the edges a little smoother. When holding the tablet, these are a bit rougher than is ideal.

The case is designed to not interfere with charging Apple Pencil 2 on the edge of the iPad.

When putting the case on, you’ll need to plug its USB-C connector into the equivalent port on the iPad. This is how power flows to the tablet.

And there's the big flaw of the Pitaka MagEZ Case Pro. It takes up the iPad's USB-C port. So, to plug in another accessory, like an external monitor, you must remove the case.

As I mentioned earlier, the case fits in the Apple Magic keyboard and doesn't interfere with typing. That's important because you can use the USB-C port in the keyboard to charge your tablet when you’re away from the wireless charger.

I keep calling this an iPad Pro case because it's only compatible with the 12.9-inch and 11-inch iPad Pro from 2021 or 2022. It also comes only in black.

Look on the back of the MagEZ Case Pro to see an X-shaped collection of connectors. Place Pitaka's charging mat here to replenish the tablet's battery. The case and charger cling together magnetically, and the connection is tight. They won't slip apart at a slight bump.

The charging mat is only compatible with Pitaka products, not your iPhone. It includes a cable that's almost 4 feet, which is plenty long. You’ll have to supply your own charger for the USB-C port.

Pitaka designed a stand that is a gorgeous combination of high-tech and elegance. It's simple … simply beautiful.

And practical, too. The stand raises the iPad Pro screen closer to eye level. Exactly how far off the tabletop your tablet is depends on your device — my 12.9-inch iPad Pro is elevated about 4.5 inches in landscape mode. But be aware, this stand is not height adjustable.

However, you can angle the tablet so it points toward you. And it flips easily between landscape and portrait modes.

As noted, all that's necessary to get power flowing to the iPad Pro is to connect the X on the back of the MagEZ Case Pro with the top of the stand. They magnetically cling together strongly, with no chance of coming loose if you tap on the screen or even bump it accidentally. When separating them, I need to grab the stand to keep it from coming with the tablet.

Speaking of wireless charging, place your iPhone on the base of the Pitaka MagEZ Charging Stand and it’ll start juicing it up. I love this design. Every stand ought to have a charger built into its base — I’m looking at you, iMac.

The inductive charger provides Apple devices with up to 7.5 watts of wireless power, or some Androids support up to 15W. In my tests with an iPhone 12, the battery level went up 19% in half an hour of charging. That's typical for cable-free chargers.

The MagEZ Charging Stand has a USB-C slot concealed on its bottom edge to power the charging coil. And it comes with the necessary cable, but not a wall power adapter.

Get a powerful adapter to handle both iPad Pro and iPhone. In my tests, the stand was pulling over 20W when charging the iPad, and that jumped to 31W when I put my iPhone 14 Plus on the charging mat.

You need the case for the stand to work, so it's only for iPad Pro models released since 2021.

To me, the wireless charging stand is what makes the case worth it. By itself, putting a charging mat onto an iPad isn't much easier than plugging in a cable. But having the tablet start charging simply by placing it on the stand is brilliant.

Both stand and case are stylish, and very functional, too.

★★★★☆

I want to love these two Pitaka products… but I have to have access to the USB-C port on my tablet. However, if you currently don't use that port for anything but charging, this might be the iPad-centric desktop setup you’ve been looking for.

The Pitaka MagEZ Case Pro is $89.99. That includes the wireless charging mat, too.

Buy it from: Pitaka

Buy it from: Amazon

The MagEZ Charging Stand is $99. When making the purchase, make sure you get the one with wireless charging.

Buy it from: Pitaka

Buy it from: Amazon

Pitaka provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out other in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.