Rating

B+

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Charges quickly
  • LED light indicates charging status
  • Has an on/off switch
  • Average play time is 13 - 15 hours after charge
  • Can be charged with or without MotionPlus Adaptor
  • Charging via USB or AC
Cons
  • Playtime with MotionPlus Adapter reduced to 8 hrs.
  • Battery packs are also the back cover for remote
  • Jacket must be removed to charge

Charger -- Insten Dual Charging Station (Nintendo Wii)

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Summary

A must-have companion for the Wii console.

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Description

A charging station is a must have for Wii owner, especially if you play a lot! This is a simple product that requires little to no explanation. Once out of the package simply remove the back cover from your Wiimote and snap these into place. The batteries and the back cover are all once piece. I'm not really fond of this particular feature, and I worry that the original cover will end up lost or broken. If your children are older it may not be much of a concern, but with younger ones in the house you will want to find a safe place to store the original back cover. I haven't timed the charging process, but I have put them in the charger at bed time and in the morning they are ready to go. There is an LED light to indicate the charging status; Red is charging, and blue means the charge is complete. The product description at Amazon.com boasts a play time of 13 - 20 hours. I found the play time to be closer to 15 hours. If you are playing with the MotionPlus Adapter, playtime is reduced to around 8 hours. This is plenty if you limit your children's play time; however, once the kids are in bed I like to play, and the 8 hour limit is a bit annoying. I would prefer at least 10 hours. I really appreciate the on/off switch. I am a cheapskate when it comes to our electric usage so I like that I can cut the power on this when we are not using it.

The Wiimotes fit perfectly in the unit. Some have complained that if you do not set them in the base unit just right they will not charge. I tested this for the purpose of this review, and had no trouble at all with this issue. I set the Wiimotes in and bumped and rattled it a bit, and the Wiimotes did not move enough to disrupt the charging process. The biggest issue I have with this product may not be the fault of this product but with the Wiimote itself. I absolutely hate that I have to remove the jacket before charging. Removing the jacket is difficult. When the MotionPlus Adapter is installed the issue is intensified. I thought I would just stop using the jacket all together, thus avoiding the issue, but found, even though I have small hands, I prefer to use the Wiimote with the jacket on. It feels more comfortable and it feels less fragile to me (I have small hands, but they are strong) I have cracked other controllers when game play has been intense; I needn't worry about that with the jacket in place. Hopefully, Nintendo will come up with a better design in regards to the jacket. Until then, this is a minor annoyance that we will just have to endure. The $19.35 price tag on this unit makes that much easier. I looked at a lot of different units, and for the price, this is a pretty darn good charger.

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