The Ember also came with a proprietary charging dock that worked only with its cups, while the Ohom has a wireless charging pad. The Ui3 mug has metal infused into the base that is heated by Ohom’s dual wireless charger. It works as an induction hob to heat your mug at 22 watts, but can also charge phones, AirPods, and other small devices that support Qi wireless charging up to 15 watts. This dual use helps reduce clutter on my desk and I often use the pad to carry something else once I’ve finished my drink.
As the temperature outside has started to drop, having a constantly hot cup of coffee on hand has been lovely. Crucially, unlike the Ember, the Ohom Ui3 is virtually indistinguishable from regular mugs. It’s the kind of Goldilocks cup you’d pick out of a cupboard because it looks nice and sturdy, holds just the right amount, and is pleasant to drink from.
The Ohom Ui3 comes with a USB-C cable that is just 5 feet long and a power adapter. The LED on the front flashes purple when it’s heating your drink and blue when it’s charging a device. Although the charging pad can act as a normal Qi wireless charging pad, you can’t use other Qi pads with the cup. The pad gets a little hot to the touch when in use, but not dangerously so, and cools down quickly.
off boil
As much as I like the Ohom Ui3, there is room for improvement. The charging pad is ugly, with a safety warning at the top telling you not to place any other metal objects on it and, oddly, not to try to wirelessly charge your phone face down. While the first is an understandable security concern, I can’t help but wonder who needs the second warning. It’s a shame, with such a beautiful and discreet cup, that the pad can’t emulate a normal roller coaster (many wireless charging pads do).
Photography: Simon Hill