Wallbox Pulsar Max vs Simpson & Partners Home 7: Compact Icon vs British Underdog

The Global Favourite vs the British Challenger

Choosing between these two chargers is a genuinely interesting decision. On one side, you have the Wallbox Pulsar Max — a globally recognised, ultra-compact unit from a Barcelona-based brand that has sold over 400,000 of its predecessor, the Pulsar Plus, worldwide wepoweryourcar.com. On the other, the Simpson & Partners Home 7 — a UK-manufactured charger built from anodised aluminium with a 10-year enclosure warranty that puts most of the industry to shame.

Both offer three-phase capability (22kW), both sit in a similar price bracket, and both are OZEV-approved. But they take very different approaches to what a home charger should be. If you are weighing up build longevity against brand recognition, or smart tariff support against voice control, this comparison will help you decide.

In a nutshell:

• Wallbox Pulsar Max (£699): The most compact charger on the market with voice control, dynamic load balancing, and a proven global track record.
• Simpson & Partners Home 7 (£649): A premium British-made unit with the longest enclosure warranty available (10 years) and built-in smart tariff support at a lower price.

Spec Comparison

Smart Tariff Integration

This is where the Simpson & Partners Home 7 has a clear and meaningful advantage. It offers built-in smart tariff support for Octopus Go, OVO Anytime, and EDF GoElectric. That means you can schedule your charging to take advantage of off-peak rates — on Octopus Go, for instance, you would pay around 7.5p/kWh between 00:30 and 04:30, compared to a standard rate that could be three or four times higher. For a typical Tesla Model 3 owner covering 7,400 miles a year, that difference could save you well over £200 annually.

The Wallbox Pulsar Max, by contrast, has no built-in smart tariff integration. You can schedule charging via the myWallbox app — setting it to start at midnight, for example — but it will not dynamically respond to variable-rate tariffs like Octopus Agile the way a charger with native integration can. As warmzilla.co.uk noted in their 2025 roundup, the Pulsar Max is best described as "compact design" focused, while smart tariff integration remains the domain of chargers like the Ohme Home Pro — or, in this case, the Simpson & Partners Home 7.

If you are already on a time-of-use tariff or plan to switch to one, the Home 7 is the smarter financial choice here.

Build Quality and Design

Both chargers are well built, but they take very different design philosophies. The Wallbox Pulsar Max is remarkably small — at just 198mm × 201mm × 99mm, it is genuinely one of the most compact home chargers you can buy. As electriccarguide.co.uk highlighted in their review of the Pulsar range, the design is "minimal" and "fits easily into residential or commercial spaces." It is available in six colours, and its RGB LED halo gives a clear visual indication of charging status. Crucially, it also carries an IK10 impact resistance rating — meaning it can handle accidental knocks from car doors, footballs, or wayward wheelie bins without damage.

The Simpson & Partners Home 7 is larger (350mm × 200mm × 110mm) and heavier at 5.5 kg, but it compensates with premium materials. The anodised aluminium construction is a step above the plastic housings found on most competitors, and the option of Accoya wood and distinctive colour finishes gives it a genuinely upmarket feel. It is IP54 rated — the same weatherproofing as the Pulsar Max — but lacks the IK10 impact protection.

The real headline here is the warranty. Simpson & Partners offers a 10-year enclosure warranty — comfortably the longest in the market. It is worth noting that this covers the enclosure specifically, not all internal electronics, but it still demonstrates enormous confidence in the build quality. The Wallbox Pulsar Max counters with a 5-year warranty, which wallbox.com emphasises as providing "long-term peace of mind." Five years is above average for the category, but it is half what Simpson & Partners offers.

App and Connectivity

The myWallbox app is well-established and polished. It supports scheduled charging, energy monitoring, remote start/stop, and Power Boost — Wallbox's dynamic load balancing feature that automatically adjusts the charge rate to prevent your main fuse from tripping. You also get voice control through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, which is a nice convenience if your home is already in that ecosystem. Connectivity is via both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, giving you a local backup if your broadband drops out.

The Simpson & Partners S&P app covers the essentials — scheduling, energy monitoring, and smart tariff support — but it is not as refined or feature-rich as the myWallbox app. It connects via Wi-Fi only, with no Bluetooth fallback. There is no voice control, and the smaller user base means fewer community tips and troubleshooting resources online. It is functional, but if you are someone who enjoys tinkering with detailed energy data or integrating your charger into a broader smart home setup, the Wallbox app is the more capable platform.

Solar Compatibility

Both chargers support solar integration, but the implementation differs. The Wallbox Pulsar Max uses its Eco-Smart feature to divert surplus solar energy to your car — however, this requires purchasing a separate Wallbox Power Meter, which adds to the overall cost. The Simpson & Partners Home 7 lists solar compatibility as a built-in feature without mention of additional hardware, which could make it the simpler and more affordable option for homes with existing solar panels.

Neither charger is a dedicated solar diversion specialist like the MyEnergi Zappi, but if you have panels and want to make use of excess generation, both will do the job.

Price and Value

The Simpson & Partners Home 7 is £50 cheaper at the unit level, and that gap carries through to the total installed cost. For what you get — smart tariff support, a 10-year enclosure warranty, premium aluminium construction, and three-phase capability — the value proposition is genuinely impressive. As bestchargers.co.uk notes, the Pulsar Max installed comes in around £1,089, which aligns with our estimates.

The Wallbox Pulsar Max justifies its premium through its ultra-compact footprint, IK10 impact resistance, voice control, Bluetooth connectivity, and a more polished app experience. Whether those extras are worth £50 more depends on your priorities.

Who Should Buy Which?

Buy the Wallbox Pulsar Max if:

• Wall space is limited and you need the smallest possible charger
• You want voice control through Alexa or Google Assistant
• You value a polished, feature-rich app with dynamic load balancing (Power Boost)
• You prefer a well-known brand with a large installer network and extensive online community
• You want IK10 impact resistance for an exposed mounting location

Buy the Simpson & Partners Home 7 if:

• You want built-in smart tariff support to maximise savings on Octopus Go, OVO Anytime, or EDF GoElectric
• A long warranty matters to you — 10 years on the enclosure is unmatched
• You prefer UK-manufactured products with premium aluminium construction
• You want the flexibility of choosing tethered or untethered versions
• You are looking for the best overall value with three-phase capability at under £650

Our recommendation: For most UK homeowners, the Simpson & Partners Home 7 offers better value. The built-in smart tariff support alone could save you hundreds of pounds over the charger's lifetime, the 10-year enclosure warranty is extraordinary, and the premium build quality punches well above its £649 price tag. The trade-off is a less established brand with a smaller installer network and a less polished app — but those are compromises many buyers will happily make. Choose the Wallbox Pulsar Max if compact size is your top priority, you want the reassurance of a globally proven brand, or you need features like voice control and Bluetooth connectivity.

Read our full Wallbox Pulsar Max review or Simpson & Partners Home 7 review.

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