Ikea’s $40 Sjömärke pad puts a wireless charger under your desk

Ikea got in relatively early on selling furniture embedded with wireless charging coils, but what if you don’t have one of its powered-up desks or shelving units? If you want seamless Wireless Qi charging without redecorating, then next month, there will be a solution. Meet the Sjömärke, a $39.99 wireless charging pad made to work with furniture you already own.

This device isn’t like most Qi charging pads, where you’d put your phone or earbuds directly on the mat. Instead, the seven-inch by three-inch aluminum and plastic charger works through plastic or wood, so you can use its double-sided tape (or screws, not included) to put it on the underside of a table or shelf.

Image: Ikea

Image: Ikea

As long as you’re mounting the device on something wood or plastic, it should safely send an electric charge through to your gadgets on the other side. It needs a minimum distance from the phone of about 8mm, and Ikea recommends using it with a surface between three-eighths and seven-eighths of an inch thick.

According to Ikea’s manual (pdf), it’s “Perfect to mount on a desk, side table or bedside table when you want chargers and cables to blend into the decor to keep the room neat and tidy.” Other than the sticky tape, it comes with a six-foot power cable and stickers to mark the location of your new charging spot.

Image: Ikea

The LED indicates charging status, and it has temperature and power monitoring for safety. It’s compatible with the latest Qi 1.2.4 baseline power profile, so you can expect it to perform within the range of standard 5W charging — no Samsung, Google, or Apple-specific improvements here. Still, it’s impressive enough if you’d like to charge a phone by simply putting it on the desk where it already sits and not have to move anything else around. An Ikea spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that the Sjömärke will be available in-stores and online in the US and other countries in October.