BOBOVR D3 Charging Dock
The Dock
The BOBOVR D3 Charging Dock is a nice solid charging plate with moulded places where you can charge your headset, the controllers, and batteries also. It’s a simple and straightforward layout that ensures that all can be charged without getting in the way of each other. There are even a pair of rubberised sticky mats that you can attach to the underside of the charging dock to help it stay in place on a desk if needed. It’s not something that I ever felt the need to use though.
Placing the Quest 3 headset onto the D3 Charging Dock is relatively easy thanks to the adjustable docking bar. That makes it easier to get a good connection between headset and charging dock regardless of the head strap or facial interface that is installed on it.
Power
The BOBOVR D3 Charging Dock does comes with a USB-C charging cable, however I did find it quite short. So don’t be surprised if you need to get a longer cable. I used a 2 meter cable which I found to be the perfect length that let me put the charging dock on my desk and still easily plug into a nearby power outlet.
There unfortunately isn’t a USB-C wall charger in the box. So you’ll need to buy a charger capable of at least 45w charging if you don’t already have one. Fortunately these can be brought relatively cheaply from brands such as Anker and uGreen.
Rechargeable Controllers
The D3 Charging Dock also comes with a pair of rechargeable batteries and replacement battery door covers. When installed on the controllers this lets them be wirelessly charged simply by placing them onto the charging dock. It’s a nice addition as it removes the need to replace the batteries in your controllers. They magnetically attach to the charging dock to, which makes ensuring that they are correctly placed for charging a breeze. They’re even designed so that the controllers will still charge wirelessly even if you have the BOBOVR G4 Pro Grips installed.
Battery Charging
The BOBOVR D3 Charging Dock also supports charging one of their B100 batteries simply by dropping it in the charging slot where the battery magnetically attaches and starts charging. That’s super convenient if you happen to have either their S3 Pro or M3 Max head strap.
The charging dock will not charge a B100 battery if it’s still on the head strap itself though. Nor will it charge batteries in head straps by other companies.
Compatibility
One of the common problems with various charging docks is it’s compatibility with 3rd party head straps and facial interfaces. There are many facial interfaces for instance that cause compatibility issues with the official Meta Charging Dock as the nose guard gets in the way.
So I testing this Charging Dock with both halo and elite-style head straps. I also tested it with the default facial interface, one from AMVR, and even a custom-made one from Oblik. The result of all that testing? They all worked! You do need to get used to the angle that you have the head strap at in order to get the angle of the head set to the charging dock in the best position. But once you have that locked in then placing and removing the headset from the docking station is effortless.
The Issues
There are three issues you should be aware of before buying this:
Headset Charging
The charging pins on the docking station don’t magnetically attach to the headset. So whilst the charging bar automatically adjusts to the headset as you place it down, you do still need to ensure you headset is lined up properly to get a solid connection so that the headset charges. So I did find myself putting the headset on the charging bar and waiting for the headset light to turn red to know that it’s charging before walking away.
Controller Charging
The controllers, when placed on the Charging Dock for charging make a slight audible ticking sound. At first I thought this was a fault but BOBOVR informed me that is it by design and just what they do when charging. I’d still it rather didn’t do it as I find it annoying, but at least it’s not a fault, but by design. It’s worth saying that it’s not loud though. I only noticed it because my head was practically next to it when I was testing. If you have the dock in your bedroom though it might be an issue depending on how sensitive to sound you are when you’re trying to sleep.
Where do I put it?
Whilst having everything charging from one docking station is super convenient, that also means it isn’t small. The BOBOVR D3 Charging Dock takes up quite a lot of space on your desk. You also have to leave enough room behind it for the back of the headstrap to rest too. So just bear that in mind if you’re thinking about getting it.
Verdict
The BOBOVR D3 Charging Dock is a great all-in-one charging dock that costs only $70. Although that doesn’t include a wall charger. If you do need to get one, I personally bought a uGreen 65w charger that cost me around $30. Even at $100 it is still $30 cheaper than the official Meta Charging Dock.
So if you’re already invested in the BOBOVR ecosystem, as you can charge their batteries, and use their controller grips, with this docking station, it’s a good buy.
If you’re using different controller grips, or don’t use their batteries, then it is an expensive way to charge your headset, and there are cheaper options out there.
