I remember thinking that spending about $100 on a charger seemed a little ridiculous.
I bought the Journey SWIV 3-in-1 Foldable Wireless Charging Station in December 2023 after seeing it promoted on Instagram. At the time, it retailed for $119.99, and I waited until Journey offered 20% off before finally buying it. My total with shipping was $100.98.
Nearly three years later, I’m still using the exact same charger every single day.
It sits on my nightstand at home, has traveled thousands of miles in my backpack and has charged multiple generations of my Apple devices. I haven’t replaced the charger, cable or any other component. Even more surprising, there’s very little visible wear.
What originally felt like an expensive and somewhat influenced purchase has turned into one of the more reliable tech accessories I’ve owned.
Why I Bought the Journey SWIV
I wish I could say this purchase came from some exhaustive comparison of wireless chargers. It didn’t.
I saw Journey advertising the SWIV on Instagram and liked how sleek it looked. My wife had recently purchased an inexpensive multi-device charger from Amazon that hadn’t worked particularly well, and I liked the idea of something that could charge my iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods while using a single cord and outlet.
The MagSafe compatibility appealed to me, too.
Still, $119.99 felt like a lot of money for a charger. I waited for a 20% sale during the 2023 holidays, which brought the charger itself down to $95.99. With $4.99 shipping, I paid $100.98.
At the time, even that felt expensive.
After nearly three years of use, I feel very differently about the value.
Nearly Three Years of Daily Use
My SWIV has a pretty simple job at home.
It sits on my nightstand, where I use it every day to charge my iPhone and Apple Watch. When I’m traveling, I’ll also use the third charging spot for my AirPods.
This is still the original SWIV I purchased in December 2023. I’ve never replaced the charger, USB-C cable or any other component.
I’ve also upgraded both my iPhone and Apple Watch during that time and the SWIV has continued working without any noticeable compatibility or charging issues with the newer devices.
That’s probably the best compliment I can give it: I rarely think about it. I put my devices on it. They charge. I take them off. I’ve repeated that process thousands of times.
How My Journey SWIV Has Held Up
This is the part that has surprised me most.
The SWIV folds in half, and that flexibility was one of the things that initially made me wonder about long-term durability. Moving and folding pieces create obvious opportunities for something to eventually loosen or fail.
The flexible folding section still works well. Nothing has loosened, cracked or stopped functioning. The charging surfaces remain in good condition, and there is surprisingly little scratching or discoloration.
That’s particularly impressive because I don’t baby it when I travel.
I fold it up, put it in my Portland Gear Cascade Backpack and go. It has been packed, unpacked and knocked around through thousands of miles of travel, along with the normal bumps and falls that come with carrying something in a backpack.
After all of that, it still looks and works remarkably close to the way it did when I took it out of the box.
It’s Become One of My Favorite Travel Accessories
When I originally bought the SWIV, I appreciated that it could travel. I don’t think I fully appreciated just how useful that would become.
My charger has now made roughly half a dozen trips to Hawaii, plus trips to France, the Dominican Republic, Vancouver, B.C., ski trips and plenty of other travel.
The biggest benefit is simplicity.
I can bring the SWIV, one USB-C cable and one plug. Once I’m at a hotel or rental, one outlet gives me a place to charge all three devices. The SWIV also folds in half, is lightweight and fits easily into a small pocket in my backpack.
If I want to use my phone while charging instead of leaving it on the SWIV, I can simply unplug the USB-C cable from the charger and use the cable with my phone.
For international travel, you’ll still need the appropriate outlet adapter for your destination. But that’s true of virtually any charger you’d bring.
The convenience of the SWIV isn’t that it does something revolutionary. It’s that I can throw one small charging setup into my backpack and know that it will handle most of my everyday Apple devices when I arrive.
Has It Been Reliable?
Very.
In nearly three years of daily use, I haven’t experienced a meaningful problem with the SWIV.
At one point I thought I was having an issue charging my Apple Watch, but the problem turned out to be the watch rather than the charger.
Otherwise, I haven’t dealt with devices repeatedly disconnecting, needing to constantly reposition them or the charger simply refusing to work.
I’ve upgraded both my iPhone and Apple Watch since buying it, and the SWIV has handled the newer devices without any noticeable problems.
Technology accessories don’t always age gracefully. So far, this one has.
What I Don’t Like About the Journey SWIV
This is usually where a long-term review gets easier because three years gives you plenty of time to discover the annoying parts of a product.
I don’t have much of a list here.
Price remains the obvious drawback. I thought $119.99 was expensive when I originally bought mine, which is why I waited for a sale.
And technology has continued to evolve since 2023. Journey itself now sells newer charging options, including a SWIV Ultra with faster charging capabilities. So if I were buying today, I wouldn’t automatically assume the exact version I own is still the best option for everyone.
But in terms of something I dislike about actually using my SWIV?
There really isn’t much. It has done the job I bought it to do consistently for nearly three years.
Current product note: Journey still sells the SWIV line as of September 2026. The company now offers a SWIV Ultra with faster iPhone and Apple Watch charging than the original version I purchased in 2023. My long-term experience in this review is with my original 2023 SWIV.
Was Spending $100 on a Charger Worth It?
In my case, yes – with time.
That’s a different answer than I probably would have given when I ordered it.
As I mentioned, I paid $100.98 including shipping, and at the time I wasn’t convinced a charger should cost that much. I liked the design, had been influenced by seeing it online and decided to take a chance once it went on sale.
Nearly three years later, I still use it every day.
That works out to roughly 10 cents per day so far, and that number will continue falling for as long as the charger keeps working.
More importantly, I’ve never had to replace it.
I’ve gotten daily use at home, simplified what I pack when traveling and watched it survive thousands of miles of being carried around in a backpack.
Spending more doesn’t always mean getting better value. In this case, though, paying more for something I’ve used this frequently and that has held up this well turned out to be money well spent.
Would I Buy the Journey SWIV Again?
I’d strongly consider it.
I wouldn’t immediately order another one without looking around first. Charging technology and product design have changed since 2023, and I’d want to see what else was available before spending the money.
Journey would have a significant advantage in that comparison, though, because I now have nearly three years of experience with one of its chargers and it’s held up very well.
If I couldn’t find something I liked better, I’d be very comfortable buying another Journey charger.
What I wouldn’t do is automatically replace it with a cheap generic multi-device charger simply to save money. Fortunately, mine shows no signs of needing to be replaced anytime soon.
Who I Think the Journey SWIV Is Best For
I think the SWIV makes the most sense for someone who owns multiple Apple devices and travels regularly.
If you’re routinely charging an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods, being able to handle all three with one compact device, cable and outlet is genuinely useful. The folding design makes even more sense if you’re frequently throwing it into a backpack or suitcase.
If you’re simply looking for an attractive charger that will permanently sit on a desk, I’m less convinced you need to spend this much. There are plenty of stationary charging options, and some of the SWIV’s value comes specifically from its portability.
For me, that’s what ultimately justified the purchase. I don’t just use it on my nightstand. I use it at home, fold it up when I leave and use the same charger wherever I go.
My Verdict After Nearly Three Years
The most surprising thing about my Journey SWIV isn’t the charging speed, MagSafe compatibility or the fact that it can charge three devices at once.
It’s how well it has held up.
After nearly three years of daily use, thousands of miles of travel and plenty of time bouncing around inside a backpack, mine looks and works remarkably close to the way it did when it was new.
I originally thought $100 was a lot of money for a charger.
Today, considering how often I’ve used it and how reliably it has performed, I think it was well worth the purchase.
Would I buy it again? Very likely, although I’d compare today’s options first.
Best for: Apple users who charge multiple devices and travel regularly.
Skip it if: You only need a basic stationary charger and won’t benefit from the foldable travel design.
This is not a sponsored post. I purchased the Journey SWIV with my own money.
