Funlab Lumingrip Charging Grip

Hardware Type: Grip

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Review:

(Note: This product was received at no cost for review via the Amazon Vine program.)

Not long ago, I reviewed the Funlab Lumindock, which I found to be a pretty stylish and classy way to dock your Nintendo Switch. Now, I’m having a look at the Funlab Lumingrip, which seeks to do something similar when it comes to Joy-Con grips. Like the Lumindock, this grip has a glowing design clearly inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, though other versions exist with designs inspired by the Mario franchise, and another inspired by Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet.

However, rather than just being about style, these grips also boast another feature – they can charge your Joy-Cons while connected to it, acting as a USB-C-powered power bank.

Perhaps because of the white casing, this Joy-Con grip isn’t nearly as striking as the Lumindock, though this effect really depends on your selected color and lighting setting, as well as your surrounding lighting. I found red to look pretty weak, but the cyan color seems brighter.

I will also say that this grip does indeed charge Joy-Cons, and the Nintendo Switch even displays the charging icon while this is happening. I cannot say how well it charges or how long it takes, but it seemed useful all the same.

Unfortunately, while the Lumingrip more or less delivers on its advertised features, it falls flat when it comes to being a… well, grip. Despite that its size is slightly larger than Nintendo’s own Joy-Con grip, your hands feel far more cramped when using it because it doesn’t have any sort of ergonomic grips to either side like Nintendo’s grip does. It would seem that this is because this grip was meant to be used with Funlab’s own Funlab Luminous Joy-Con replacements, which are wider and more ergonomic and wouldn’t fit in Nintendo’s grip as a result. However, unless you’re getting those controllers also, this grip is highly uncomfortable. What’s more, the Lumingrip also hides the player number indicator LED, meaning that you won’t even know if your Joy-Cons are on without testing them in-game.

Overall, I can see a use for the Funlab Lumingrip, but that use is extremely niche and comes with drawbacks. If you absolutely need to get some extra charge for your Joy-Cons, and either don’t care that they feel cramped in your hands or you have the Funlab Luminous controllers to go with it, then the Lumingrip may be a good choice for you. Otherwise, you’re better off going with another company’s Joy-Con grips, or just holding one in each hand.

tl;dr – The Funlab Lumingrip is a Grip-style accessory for holding a pair of Joy-Con controllers that will charge them and even show an appealing Zelda-inspired design when lit up. Unfortunately, this feels extremely cramped when holding it in your hands, and it hides the player number indicator, and I just don’t think the utility you gain from this Grip makes up for what you lose by using it.

Grade: C-

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