The Magnetic Puck: Making an Add-On for NODO Lite

Someone left a comment on one of our Instagram posts about NODO Lite a while back. Something along the lines of:

It's a pity you need a MagSafe charger just to use it as a phone stand.

I read it, thought they're right, and kept scrolling.

But I couldn't stop thinking about it.

NODO Lite was designed as a MagSafe holder — a more accessible version than our original NODO.

The idea is that you insert a MagSafe charger in it, mount it on a shelf, drop your phone, and it charges without occupying your space, on a dedicated spot that's accessible. 

Simple. But that logic only holds if you already have a MagSafe charger. 

And that felt like an unnecessary limitation, especially for the more accessible "Lite" version.

The Fix

It seemed obvious: a magnetic puck that slots into NODO Lite and holds the phone in place, replacing the charger.

MagSafe-compatible phones snap to magnets regardless — so as long as the alignment is right, it should work exactly the same way, just without the cable underneath.

Simple idea. Less simple to actually make.

I went down a rabbit hole to meet a series of self-imposed constraints:

• The modified NODO Lite design needed to be compatible with both the original Apple charger and this Add-on, so that they could be used interchangeably.
• It had to be easy to insert and remove, while still being tight enough to not come off or loosen unwantedly
• It had to be as easy to manufacture as possible
• The magnetic hold of the Puck needed to be strong enough to provide a good user experience

It took a series of iterations, but I could finally get a satisfactory result.

 

Where it is now

The magnetic puck is available as an add-on for NODO Lite.

It locks into place, holds your phone, and if you ever decide you want the charger back, you can remove it.

It started as a comment. Now it's part of our NODO ecosystem.