Help me find or make a cat-proof dual iPhone/iPad charging dock or stand

November 20, 2012 10:16 PM

I am tired of having wires all over my desk. I want to charge both my iPhone and iPad Mini on my bedside table, standing up in a single dock or stand that my cat can't knock over. Can you recommend such a thing or suggest creative ways to improvise one?

The primary requirement is that the dock or stand should be stable enough that my cat can't knock it over in the night. Leaving the devices lying flat on the table has led to fun kitty games like "let's knock the iPhone into the floor!" and "let's jump on the iPad to turn off the soothing music the Human plays to help her sleep!" Vertical objects like my lamp also receive kitty lurve and sometimes get tipped over, so this thing needs to be rock solid.

A proper speaker dock would be nice, but I would be happy with, say, a stable wood or metal stand which would hold the devices while they are plugged into their usual chargers. Or plans for making such a thing at home. A complicating factor is that the iPhone is a 4S, which has the old connector, but the iPad Mini has the new lightning dock. I'm happy to use a converter if I can be sure that it will fit correctly in the dock. Can you help me find the perfect solution?

posted by embrangled to technology (11 answers total)

http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/iphone-docks-made-from-beautiful-vintage-books.html
posted by photoexplorer at 10:23 PM on November 20, 2012

Could you charge inside a drawer or other container? I just saw something on pinterest where a power cord was installed inside the top drawer of a nightstand, allowing devices to be charged while also stowed away. I've also seen boxes, crates, and all kinds of other takes on this same basic setup (power cord inside storage solution with holes drilled facilitate charging).
posted by Sara C. at 10:46 PM on November 20, 2012 [2 favorites]

You need spare cables and chargers and a good wood worker to make you something with your specs. The cat is the complicating factor. The function of mechanically securing the device can't be delegated to just the connector. It has to be secured some how. The multiple device issue complicates things, too.

Your use scenario isn't unique, but it may not be possible to get a PERFECT match to your specs in an off-the-shelf unit.

I'd recommend having one made by a really good cabinet maker, hobbyist woodworker, loving uncle with a shop, etc. Sounds like an interesting project. Getting something functional won't be hard, but getting something functional and aesthetically pleasing may be iterative.

If you have to pay for a woodworker to do it, you probably are closer to the $500 range than the $100 range. That places a premium on the loving uncle approach if you have one.
posted by FauxScot at 11:44 PM on November 20, 2012

3M makes some serious double-stick tape strips that your cat might or might not be able to topple. The drawer thing sounds like a great idea, too..take out the drawer, drill a hole in the back of your nightstand, reinsert the drawer, loop the cord(s) over the end of the drawer while it's installed in the nightstand...done deal.

Maybe a shelf your can't can't reach would work?
posted by ostranenie at 11:47 PM on November 20, 2012

Why don’t you just leave the devices on the floor? If they’re on the floor, then they can’t fall onto the floor because they’re already on the floor.
posted by oceanjesse at 12:15 AM on November 21, 2012 [2 favorites]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

Why don’t you just leave the devices on the floor?

Because I don't want to tread on them in the dark or listen to the cat bat them around on the clay tiles all night. Also, I'm trying to make my space look less messy and haphazard, not more. The cat makes enough mess for the both of us.
posted by embrangled at 1:51 AM on November 21, 2012

Converge USB Charging Hub

DIY IKEA Charging Box

Benny Etienne Pinterest Organizing - Electronics
posted by plokent at 5:44 AM on November 21, 2012 [1 favorite]

Tupperware.
posted by flabdablet at 6:18 AM on November 21, 2012

Maybe this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/110629438/reclaimed-barn-wood-iphone-dock-icn-432
posted by buttercup at 1:41 PM on November 21, 2012

I'm not sure if this is the answer for an iPad, but it looks as though you can safely leave a phone on top of the cork lid of this and the cats won't knock it off: IKEA Kvissle cable management box
posted by ambrosen at 3:19 PM on November 21, 2012

Buttercup's nice link is what I would build, but the OP can't easily get foreign woods into Australia. Major constraint, but I'll bet there's old wood aplenty to be had Down Under.
posted by FauxScot at 12:54 AM on November 22, 2012