Ikea has recently announced a new wireless charging pad known as the Sjömärke, which can be conveniently mounted underneath your table or shelf so you can charge your phone effortlessly, without taking up extra space. While Ikea has released appliances with built-in wireless charging such as the Hektar and Nymåne lamps, the Sjömärke is certainly different.
The Sjömärke is made of aluminium and plastic, measuring about 7 x 3 inches. It comes bundled with sticky tape, tabletop stickers to mark the position of the wireless charging area and a 6-foot long power cord. The instruction manual says the pad uses Qi wireless charging standard as well as the Qi 1.2.4 baseline power profile which is said to be pushing a rather low output of just 5W.
The charging pad is able to function through plastic or wood, but not metal. To mount it under a table you could either use double-sided tape or screws to secure it in place. In case you’re wondering, it can’t charge devices with direct contact. It works with a minimum distance of 8mm and a maximum of 22mm. If the distance is too near or far, the charger will not work.
The table or shelf that the pad will be mounted to should not exceed a height of 1.5 metres, and is best used on a surface with a thickness between 3/8 (9.5mm) and 7/8 (22.2mm) of an inch. Since wireless charging only works when your phone is aligned directly onto the coil, Ikea has provided stickers to make it easier for you to locate the charging sweet spot.
The Sjömärke also comes with a temperature and power monitor for safety purposes. It retails for USD 39.99 (about RM167) and is said to be available in the US as well as other countries in October.
