Daiso's budget Apple Watch charger challenges perceptions of essential travel accessories

Daiso’s inexpensive magnetic charger for Apple Watch demonstrates that affordability doesn’t mean sacrificing functionality, offering a practical emergency solution for travellers despite some limitations in speed and design.

Daiso’s Apple Watch charger is a reminder that the cheapest accessory is not always the least useful one. The Japanese retailer’s magnetic Type-A and Type-C model costs ¥550, or about £3, and is aimed squarely at travellers who need a spare rather than a full-featured everyday charger. In a test reported by Touch Lab, the charger proved capable of powering an Apple Watch Ultra 3, despite its modest price and plain construction.

The appeal is obvious: it is small, supports both USB-A and USB-C, and includes soft protective caps on the connectors for transport. That makes it easier to throw into a bag with minimal fuss. But the product also makes clear where the savings come from. It is not Apple-certified, and the packaging warns that software updates to Apple Watch could affect charging stability.

In practice, the charger behaved as expected for a basic emergency accessory. Touch Lab found that it charged an Ultra 3 without issue, and also worked with an AirPods Pro 3 case. The main compromise was speed. It delivers standard charging rather than fast charging, so it is noticeably slower than the higher-wattage accessories many Apple Watch owners use at home.

There are also practical limits. Fitted to a MacBook Air’s USB-C port, the connector housing can press against the chassis and block the adjacent port. That makes it less elegant than more expensive travel chargers from brands such as Satechi and Belkin, which combine Apple Watch, iPhone and AirPods charging in more polished foldable designs. Even so, for a forgotten cable on the road, Daiso’s charger appears to do the one job it is meant to do.