Twelve South is adding a smaller Twelve South Valet Qi2 charging tray that raises the wireless charging output to 25W while shrinking the footprint for tighter desks and nightstands, according to details reported by The Verge. The trade is straightforward: more power from the wireless pad, less room to dump the rest of your pocket.
The new Valet is 4.5 inches deep. The original model, which Twelve South showed at CES earlier this year, is 7.5 inches deep and has enough tray area for a couple of everyday carry items, such as a wallet and keys. The smaller model is aimed at a single extra item, such as glasses, according to the report.
The upgrade that matters is inside the charging surface. Twelve South’s first Valet topped out at 15W for wireless charging. The new version increases that to 25W for phones or wireless earbuds that can use the pad.
What is the Twelve South Valet Qi2 charger?
The Valet is a leather-wrapped tray with a built-in Qi2 wireless charger, designed to hold a device on the charging spot and small items beside it. In the new model, the Qi2 pad is rated for 25W, while a USB-C port can feed a second device at reduced power when wireless charging is active.
That second-device charging is where the smaller hardware gives something back. The larger Valet can provide 15W through its side USB-C port for another device. On the 4.5-inch model, The Verge reports that the USB-C output is limited to 10W while the Qi2 charger is being used.
That is the kind of spec that tends to disappear under lifestyle photos of leather and bedside tables, but it is the important bit if the plan is to charge a phone wirelessly and plug in another device at the same time. The wireless side gets faster than the original. The wired side gets less headroom during simultaneous use.
How much does the smaller Twelve South Valet cost?
Twelve South priced the new 4.5-inch Valet at $129.99. The larger version sells for $179.99, so the smaller model is cheaper, though it still sits above many basic Qi2 chargers because Twelve South is selling this as furniture-adjacent hardware, not a plastic puck with a cable.
The materials list is doing some of that pricing work. The Valet uses a weighted zinc alloy base, and the tray is wrapped in Nappa leather. Twelve South is offering it in black, brown, or taupe.
The upper portion of the tray also has a removable metal frame. Twelve South sells replacement frames in other colors, according to the report, which means buyers can change the accent rather than replacing the charger. Sensible enough, assuming the tray itself survives the daily abuse of keys, phones, earbuds, and whatever else lands on a nightstand at 1 a.m.
The result is a narrower product than the original Valet in both size and purpose. It is less of a general dump zone and more of a charger with a small tray attached, with the main technical improvement concentrated in the 25W Qi2 pad.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
