Intec Dual Charge Station
Today we’ll be reviewing the Wii Dual Charge Station & Turbo Cooler by Intec. It retails new for about $25.
What’s unique about this unit is that it features a turbo cooling fan which is integrated into a vertical stand. The stand is quite compact and has slots for two (2) Wiimotes. Also included in the package are two (2) rechargeable battery packs (well of course!). The new battery packs have built-in LED turns red while charging and changes to blue once your remotes are fully charged. The stand itself has a glowing blue light along its bottom when turned on.
Overall Intec’s Wii Dual Charge Station & Turbo Cooler (woah, that’s quite the mouthfull!) is designed quite attractively. The vertical stand is a good idea as it replaces the stock Wii stand (so as not to take up much additional space) and even looks better. If you’re into glowing blue lights, well you’re in luck too.
The stand has an ON/OFF switch which some users have commented is a nice addition (saves from having to pull the power cord out of the wall outlet), but unfortunately it only controls the charging function. The turbo cooler fan stays on all the time whenever the unit is plugged in. This may be a frustration to some gamers who would rather have the ON/OFF switch completely shut off the unit.
Some users have also complained that the fan in the stand is too loud, and that it’s a pain to have to remove the sleeve and wrist strap from the Wii controllers to charge them.
Pros:
- Compact design
- Turbo cooler fan helps keep the Wii cool
- Cheapest of the dual Wii charge stations
Cons:
- ON/OFF switch doesn’t fully shut off unit
- Fan is too loud
- Must remove sleeve and wrist strap to charge controllers
Summary:
The Intec Wii Dual Charge Station & Turbo Cooler is a nice addition to the Wii charge station market, and it is priced to be affordable. However, it has received generally poor ratings from customers, so we can’t in good conscience recommend that you purchase it. If you’re looking for a dual Wii charge station, perhaps consider the Nyko.
Wii Charge Station gives it a rating of…
(1 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)You need to be a registered member to rate this post.
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DreamGEAR Wii Dual Charging Station
This review is going to be on the Wii Dual Charging Station by DreamGEAR. It retails new for about $30.
This unit comes with an attractive, glowing charging stand that houses both your Wii console and two (2) Wiimotes. It has an LED charge indicator that makes it quite obvious when the remotes are fully charged.
Also, one unique feature that DreamGEAR’s Wii Dual Charging Station has is that the Wiimotes can be charged even when the Wii console is powered off. That sure is handy because you never have to think about flicking a switch or plugging anything in; the controllers will ALWAYS be charged as long as you place them in the stand.
Some comments from users include:
- “Customer service is excellent. I had one of the batteries become corroded and the pack would not charge. I emailed the company and got a speedy response and they promptly sent a new battery pack free of charge. Thanks DreamGear!”
- “The wii remotes do not fit very well and you really have to play with it to get it to charge. One of the battery packs did not fit so will have to fight to return.”
- “You have to remove the straps and the wii covers and you still fudge around with it to get it to charge. My kids are not able to put on and take off the strap and covers themselves. This is way more work for me. I will return to rechargeable batteries, the are much less work.”
- “This is a good charger but it is hard to get the remotes on the charger with the strap attached. I would recommend the charger with the fan because the chargers fit better.”
Pros:
- Attractive design
- Can charge Wiimotes even when console is off
- LED lights indicate when remotes are fully charged
Cons:
- Must remove the straps and protective sleeves to charge Wiimotes
- Stand is a bit bulky
- Battery packs are difficult to fit into controllers
Summary:
The DreamGEAR Wii Dual Charging Station has some decent features and is attractive enough. Unfortunately, it has received mediocre ratings from customers, largely in part to the controllers being difficult to fit into the stand, and the battery packs being difficult to fit into the controllers (sounds like the design team needs to get back to the drawing board!). If you’re looking for a better dual Wii charge station, perhaps consider the Nyko.
Thus, Wii Charge Station gives it the rating of…
(1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)You need to be a registered member to rate this post.
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