IKEA’s new $ 40 wireless charging mat mounts under your desk or table

If you’ve ever thought to yourself ‘hey, it would be great if I could charge my phone or tablet just by putting it on a regular desk,’ then IKEA has the gadget for you. It just unveiled the Sjömärke, a $ 40 wireless charger designed to work with almost any desk or table, like The edge reported.

The concept is quite clever. Sjömärke is a Qi wireless charger, but you don’t put it on your desk. On the contrary, it installs under your desk and is held in place by either double-sided tape (included) or 18mm x 6mm screws (not included). Your desk should be made of something like wood or plastic that will not block the magnetic field, and should be a minimum of 8mm (5/16 inch) thick and a maximum of 22.2mm (7/8 inch). inches), according to the manual.

Once you have installed the cushion, plug it in with the six foot power cable and mark the charging point on your table with the included “X” shaped sticker, you are ready to charge your phone or other device. With Qi 1.2.4 charging, it should deliver around 5 watts for a decent but not super fast charge. IKEA notes that it also comes with temperature and power monitoring so it doesn’t overheat, which is important as it will be placed against wooden surfaces.

For $ 40, this could prove to be an attractive option for people who don’t want to spoil their decor with an inappropriate plastic pad. Sjömärke will arrive in stores and the IKEA website in October 2021.