Review: Logitech Powerplay 2 Wireless Mouse Pad and Charger
I’ve never reviewed a perfect product, but Logitech’s Powerplay Wireless Charging System comes close. For over three years and counting, I’ve never even had to think about charging my wireless mouse. It’s so dead simple, it feels like magic, and it’s a shame that most people probably can’t afford it at $120.
The Good News: Powerplay 2
The good news: Logitech is releasing a new $100 version called the Powerplay 2, and it’s just as easy to set up. Plug in the mousepad, snap a magnetic "Charging Coin" into the base of your mouse, then put your mouse on the mousepad to continuously charge.
The Not-So-Good News
The bad news: It’s only $20 cheaper, yet it feels like Logitech made its mousepad more than $20 cheaper to hit that goal.
What’s New
The mousepad does come with improvements. Logitech boasts it has a 15 percent wider charging area and is thinner at just 3.5mm, and that’s what I see with my review unit. Now, as long as the entirety of my G502 Lightspeed mouse is resting within any corner of the mousepad, the charging indicator lights up, which wasn’t quite true of the original.
The Catch
But my calipers also show the charging base is exactly the same 2.7mm thickness as before, and the old mousepad wasn’t all that much thicker: just 4.3mm before vs. 3.5mm now, a difference I do not feel. And do you leave your mouse all the way at the corners of your mousepad? Again, I’ve spent over three years charging this mouse on the old mousepad without even thinking about it. I never bother to reposition my mouse on my old Powerplay to make sure it’s charging; I just drop it when I’m done using it, and I’ve never once run out of charge.
What’s Missing
What do we lose with the Powerplay 2? First, while Logitech has ditched the old micro-USB cable, we’re not getting USB-C. Instead, Logitech’s opted for a fixed cable, so I can’t as easily take the mousepad off my desk on days I need more space on my desk.
The big one: there’s no more wireless mouse receiver built into the Powerplay 2, a feature I found handy with the original. Now, my mouse requires two full-size USB ports instead of one because I still have to leave the mouse’s dongle plugged into my PC, too. I can’t leave the dongle stowed in the mouse for grab-and-go travel, and I can’t leave it in my laptop and switch between laptop and desktop anymore by turning the mouse on and off and yanking the Powerplay’s plug.
Conclusion
The Powerplay 2 seems like a good product that achieves the core goal. Fingers crossed that come Black Friday, we’ll be able to buy a combo pack with it and Logitech’s cheapest compatible mouse — that G309 — for under $100 in total.
FAQs
Q: When will the Powerplay 2 be available?
A: The Powerplay 2 should be available on Amazon and Logitech’s site on March 11th.
Q: Will there be bundles available for the Powerplay 2?
A: Logitech anticipates retailers will be offering bundles shortly after launch.
