Review: Nomad charging gadgets

I’ve been a fan of the innovative little charging devices from Nomad ever since I first heard about them. I was a huge fan of the first-generation ChargeKey and I really loved my Nomad ChargeCard. With this latest generation the devices have been rebranded with “Nomad” replacing “Charge” and there is sadly no NomadCard option, but the NomadKey, NomadClip, and NomadPlus are all exceptional little gadgets.

Let’s take a brief look at each of these little devices:

NomadKey

The NomadKey is about the size of a standard key and designed to attach to a keyring. The beauty of that is that most people generally have their keys on them, which means you’re never without a charging / syncing cable.

One end of the NomadKey is USB and the other is either micro USB or Lightning depending on the model of NomadKey you have. What sets the NomadKey apart from the original ChargeKey is that the ChargeKey was more rigid, but the NomadKey is exceptionally flexible and resilient. You can twist it and bend it any which way without damaging it. It’s also useful to be able to bend it as needed to connect to a power source when you need to charge.

The NomadKey is available directly from the Nomad website or from Amazon. The Lightning cable version is $24.95 and the micro USB model is $19.95.

Update: After this review posted Nomad started offering another version of the NomadKey specifically for the original Pebble smartwatch. It is available from Nomad for $19.95.

NomadClip

This is an interesting package for a charging / syncing cable. The NomadClip is a carabiner clip that hides a charging / syncing cable. The top and bottom back corners of the NomadClip pull out—one end has USB and the other either Lightning or micro USB depending on which one you have.

When the cable ends are detached the NomadClip is about twice as long as the NomadKey and offers as much or more flexibility in terms of twisting and turning to be able to plug it in to a power source. Although the NomadClip is a carabiner in form, it is very clearly marked that it is not suitable for climbing. It can be attached to a backpack or a beltloop, though, so you have it with you when you need it. In fact, where the NomadKey goes on your keychain, your keys can go on your NomadClip.

The NomadClip is also available from Nomad or Amazon. Both the Lightning and micro USB models are $39.95.

NomadPlus

Then we have the NomadPlus. This little device makes a perfect complement for the NomadKey or NomadClip because it gives you a small portable charging device. It is designed specifically to fit over the standard Apple charger so it charges while you’re charging your iOS devices in the first place. When you leave you can just take the NomadPlus along with you and its 1800mAh battery will be ready to recharge your mobile device when you need it.

Although the NomadPlus is engineered with the Apple charger in mind the port used to charge devices from it is simple USB. That means you can use the portable NomadPlus to recharge any devices that can charge from a USB source whether they’re Apple devices or not.

The NomadPlus is available for $39.95 from the Nomad website or from Amazon.

Nomad is a great company that makes great products.The Apple Watch won’t hit the street for another month, but Nomad has already developed a stylish charging stand for in your home and a portable Pod for Apple Watch charger that you can take to recharge the watch on the go. Look for reviews of those Nomad gadgets in the near future.