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Summary
The newNomad Basewireless Qi pad is one of the fanciest beds you can get for your iPhone to rest and recharge. Made from metal and glass, the Base weighs more than a pound. It’s designed for people who are looking for an aesthetically complimentary piece of electronics, no matter the cost.
Nomad Base
The Nomad Base is a stylish and high-quality Qi wireless charger. It won’t fast charge your iPhone, so it makes for a great bedside charger.
What Does MagSafe Compatible Mean?
There are two Nomad products that look identical, theBase Oneand the new Base. The Base One was the first to debut, retails for $100, and supportsApple’s MFi MagSafefast charging up to 15W for iPhones. This new Base costs $70 and is MagSafe compatible, which will support iPhone charging speeds up to 7.5W—15W for other Qi devices.
The main difference between the two similar-looking Base models is the speed at which they’ll charge an iPhone. The secondary difference is that Base One has a white magnetic charging surface, and the Base has a black one (on the black version).
Both of these products have the same materials, use the same cable length, and both need at least a20W wall adapter. Because speed is the primary differentiator, the Base One should be considered for use in areas where you need to recharge your phone quicker. The Base makes more sense for slower-speed needs like charging an iPhone overnight.
Being MagSafe compatible simply means that it has a magnet to align and strongly hold iPhones with MagSafe—iPhones 12 and later.
My favorite thing about the Nomad Base was its weight. The combination of metal and glass created an unparalleled charging pad. The heft felt luxurious but also practical for keeping the Base from lifting up when an iPhone is removed from it.
I had no problem magnetically attaching myiPhone 14 Pro. The charging pad didn’t rock or move at all. It always remained in place.
Beyond the weight, the Base features a built-in 2-meter-long USB-C cable. Having the cable integrated directly into the Base made for a better-looking Qi charger. There could be downsides to a permanently attached cable, but overall the length was plenty long and didn’t create a tangled mess.
Related:Nomad Base One Max Review: The MagSafe Charger Apple Should Have Made
Nomad’s biggerBase One Maxdoesn’t have an integrated cable, and I hope its next revision gets one. It makes the Base that much more sleek without needing to connect it to the plastic end of a USB-C cable.
I tried the Base in various places of the house, and it worked great for a nightstand or on an end table. Again, if you have an iPhone and want to use the Base in a public space for quick top-offs of phone power, I would recommend considering the Base One instead. Otherwise, Android owners can enjoy the full 15W of power wherever they place the Base.
In conjunction with this Nomad flat-laying Base charger, the companyalso released the Stand, which positions a phone upright. The only difference between the two is a phone’s orientation and $10. I liked both form factors, but prefer the Base for living room furniture and the Stand for a nightstand.
It’s easy to spend other people’s money, and without a budget, theNomad Baseis absolutely worth buying. Of course, no matter how you slice it, $70 is pricey, even if the quality is top-notch.
In the end, if you can stop thinking about how the glossy black or white Base charger would look on your nightstand and see its worth, then go for it. Otherwise, don’t feel bad about seeking out a lower-cost charging option. If you already haveApple’s MagSafe Charger, you may be able tospruce it up a bit too.
