As product names go, Twelve South's PlugBug with Find My is about as inelegant a product name as you're ever likely to encounter but that's one of few imperfections in an otherwise near perfect product.
Introduction
I travel a lot and much of it international across Europe although a percentage is in Africa and the Middle East. I have been on an eternal quest to rationalise the chargers that I need to carry and the USB-C PD protocol should have a shrine made in its honour for how it has simplified my packing.
The UK three pin format has typically been annoying to travel with due to the form factor of the plug until MU introduced a folding plug (I was an early adopter) and within months, Apple introduced their version which felt more durable but carried a weight penalty for it. Many more brands offer collapsible pins as part of their charger design nowadays but this is an innovation of the last ten years. When you consider how long the UK Type G standard has existed, I'm surprised a manufacturer hadn't developed something sooner.
Features
The product is offered in multiple guises but choice essentially comes down to 50w and 120w versions or 2 versus 4 ports. The other differences are attributable to regional plug adaptors and the weight penalty associated with an extra two ports. The 50W/2 port version is 110g compared to 250g for the 120W/4 port version. For the £40 price differential in the UK, four ports feels like it'll offer greater utility and better value.
- 2 or 4-Port 120W USB-C ports
- Built-in Apple Find My technology to locate the charger (if misplaced)
- GaN-powered, ultra slim design for travel
- Smart power delivery fast charges multiple devices at once and will dynamically deliver the required wattage per connected device, the illustration below shows how this is managed.
- PlugBug Travel includes adapters for US, CN, AU, EU, UK and KR while a slightly cheaper version offers only UK/EU adaptors.
Positives
The slim profile and downward facing port design is thoughtful and considered design. It solves the problem of cable bend radius and reduces the risk of twisting stress and damage to the cable by allowing it to fall naturally. Most cables do tend to offer some degree of support - usually visible as a thicker collar before the USB-C plug but you're still putting the termination at the connector under a degree of loading. I suspect if you were to trip over a connected cable, you'd severely damage the cable - most equivalent products would see the cable pull out of the socket laterally due to the placement of the sockets.
The built in AirTag enabling 'Find My' functionality is invaluable and is a feature that resonates. Having recently run a number of workshops where someone accidentally picked up my power supply for my MacBook, I would have been spared the rigmarole of locating it with the aid of an AirTag. Having it integrated into the form of the charger is not only elegant and discreet but unique - I don't know of another product that offers this feature and Twelve South claim to be the first.
Attaching an AirTag to a charger cable is not an elegant solution although I do have one in my tech dopp kit bag as cabling, presentation remote, Apple Pencil, charger and case add up to a substantial figure. Having the AirTag in the charger gives a backup option and more discreet approach to tracking the whereabouts of your kit pouch.
The slim profile means the charger fits neatly into a tech kit pouch and being able to take the adaptors off or pack only what you need reduces bulk, weight and the profile of a tech kit organiser.
Negatives
I must confess to disliking 12 South's choice of red - it's a bit strange from a branding perspective. It feels like the colour formulation didn't work out in manufacture - it's not a rich, primary red, more red orange. It doesn't feel premium for it. Subjective opinion, I know.
I'd be quite happy with the charger entirely in white and perhaps 12 South could take a leaf out of Belkin's book with their BoostCharge series which features both gloss and matt surfacing. The legibility of the text which sits on the underside of the device would have better contrast if screened in black. It's etched for durability but it makes it an off pink on red. Perfectly legible under direct light but challenging to read otherwise due to the lower contrast.
I've only used the PlugBug on a few trips and the port face is already looking pretty scratched up. Possibly a consequence of shared use in a workshop situation where people didn't take much care. I know I can polish most of the scuffs and scratches out and it's the nature of a gloss plastic but I expect they'd return over time. It's no different to Apple's OE and Belkin products, just more noticeable with the colour finish.
Probably more of an environmental problem than a product issue is socket orientation in certain contexts. I've encountered several meeting room tables with integrated EU power strips that have 45 degree pin positions to aid cable organisation. This charger falls down in those environments due to the greater width and I've had to unplug the EU plugs either side to allow it to fit thus making its footprint three sockets. Any power sockets that are countersunk will also likely present a problem.
Using this in South Africa and Namibia is going to be frustrating - only type G and M or three round pin variants are supported and the only global travel adaptors offered with the product are US, CN, AU, EU, UK and KR. Using an SK Ross ZA adaptor will work but it adds bulk and a slightly precarious fitment.
Conclusion
It's a really great product and has performed flawlessly in the time that I've had it but there are some things that I'd like to see improved in a v2 iteration.
Move away from the 'Red Cross' aesthetic and follow what Belkin have done with a gloss / matt finish. The matt finish improves grip and is more forgiving of wear and tear.
Add wider adaptor support - notably type G and M three round pin. An adaptor is more compact than a plug like an SK Ross adaptor.
I expect that by the time a revision is due in a year or so, Air Tag 2 will also be available with the promise of better range, a bolstered onboard wireless chip and improved privacy features. With improved location accuracy, it'll help find the device but arguably, if you're in range, the audible beacon will be sufficient to hone in where it is.
The product pricing is irritating, the US version of the PlugBug 120 Travel is £102 at the current exchange rate and in the UK, it's £129.99.
The four port version I'd argue offers greater utility and better value but if you want to travel light and have AirTag functionality, you shed 140g which may be important to you.
Twelve South