Should You Buy the KiwiHome Charging Stand for the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller & Joy Cons

In this video, we unbox and test out the Kiwihome Charging stand, designed to charge your Nintendo Switch, Switch Lite, Switch Pro Controller, and Joycons.

One of the biggest challenges to adding more and more accessories to my collection is figuring out how to charge them. Yes, I know, plug in the charging cable, I get that, but after awhile that gets to be messy and cluttered. To avoid having charging cables strewn all over the place, there has to be a better option, right? An accessory manufacturer called Kiwihome recently reached out to us to see if we'd be interested in checking out their Charging Dock for the Switch and Switch accessories. I was curious to be sure.

The charging stand is very compact, and space savings is always a benefit. The top of the stand has 2 LEDs to indicate the charge status of the Joycons, and a USB-C Charge Jack for the Pro Controller, Switch or Switch Lite. Unfortunately, there is no LED indicator for the USB-C port, which is a bit of a shortcoming. On the back of the stand there are 2 ports to slide JoyCons into, along with the USB-C input for power. Thankfully, Kiwihome does provide a USB-C cable, but there isn't a power supply included.

I setup the charging stand to receive power directly from my Switch Dock. I started testing with the extra set of Nintendo Joycons and the OEM Pro controller. Everything went in and charged exactly as it should. Now I also have another charging block for Joycons and 1 Pro Controller, but that setup only charges the Nintendo Pro Controller. But I have many 3rd party controllers I need charged as well. I tested it with my KMD Pro Controller, one of my favorite controllers, and it worked beautifully. I also tested out the Old Skool controller, same thing, worked great!

The one issue I did come up with in testing was when I tried to charge my MoKo Joycons. One Joycon repeatedly vibrated when connected to the Kiwihome Joycon ports. This was no bueno. I also had to install the Joycons in the rails with the analog sticks and buttons as the back of the grips obstructed each other.

One thing I noticed immediately was the fact that the bottom of the base is extremely smooth and slippery, meaning it can slip or be knocked down from where you set it up fairly easily. I did end up sticking rubber feet on the bottom of the base to prevent this from being an issue. It is a simple fix and something Kiwihome should really provide from the box.

The final test was with Kiwihome's own grip for the Switch Lite. Their grip has a pass-through for power and it works wonderfully with the stock power cable. I installed the Switch Lite in the Grip and set the whole thing on the charging stand and the LED's powered right up and the Switch Lite charged as-normal.

Why it RoX:
- Under $20
- Charges multiple devices in one
- Small footprint
- Works with 3rd party Pro Controllers
- USB-C cable included
- Compact

What Could Be Improved?
- No charging status LED for the USB-C port
- Lacks anti-slip feet or pad on the bottom
- Not compatible with MoKo Joycons

Should You Buy One?
The KiwiHome Charging Stand has some good features going for it. The compatibility with 3rd Party Switch Pro Controller is awesome, I really like it, and having another charging option for my extra Joycons is super nice. The lack of compatibility with the MoKo Joycons, which I honestly think is an issue with the Joycons and less to do with the base, reduces its value to me. I also think not having rubber feet on the bottom is an oversight on their part. With a few tweaks, it could make this a really good option. For now, it's ok at-best.

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)