NOMAD started out as the ChargeCard, but the company has expanded to a variety of more accessories for Apple products, making a name for themselves with their innovative products and quality of their goods.
The company recently sent us a bunch to go hands-on with, specifically: Strap for Apple Watch; Pod Pro; Road Trip and their Ballistic cables. We unboxed these items, examined their build quality and quickly tried them out.
These straps are made with “veggie-tanned leather from the esteemed Horween Leather Co., of Chicago”, while fitted to the company’s custom designed stainless steel buckle and lugs. The result? It’s actually a nice leather strap, and the first picture shown is after I had tried the bands on my Apple Watch Nike+ and tried to loosen the band, which is quite stiff at first, but should soften over time (as leather does).
The black lugs do a pretty decent job of sitting flush with Apple Watch and pairs well with Space Grey:
This definitely makes the Apple Watch look classier for formal occasions, when a Sport strap doesn’t fit the bill:
These are currently on sale for Black Friday for 20% off at $47.95 USD, and is probably the best time for Canadians to buy them, given our current exchange rate. I’m really impressed with the quality of these leather bands.
This USB car charger includes a 3000mAh battery, so you can unplug it from your vehicle’s 12V port and take it with you on the go. There is a traditional USB-A plus a newer USB-C port, providing 1.5A per port output. I would have liked to see at least 2.0A output for higher demand devices like the an iPad or iPhone 6/6s/7 Plus.
Road Trip is quite long, so for those with 12V outlets in your car’s arm rest console, it may be too long which means you can’t close the arm rest (in our case). But otherwise this is a clever idea to include a 3000mAh battery to make the device a backup battery on the road.
Road Trip is currently 40% off at $29.95 USD—click here to check it out.
The Pod Pro is similar to Road Trip in that there’s a built in battery, but this time it’s 1800mAh and the device is a compact charger for Apple Watch users on the go. It cleverly integrates your own Apple Watch USB charging cable, so your smartwatch just rests on top like normal to charge. But when you need to go, take it with you and you can extend the life of your Apple Watch easily, saving you the hassle of taking another USB AC charger.
The design of the Pod Pro is nice, as it looks like a hockey puck and has smooth lines throughout its anodized aluminum housing, available in Space Grey or Silver.
Pod Pro is on sale for 50% off for Black Friday at $29.99 USD—click here to check it out.
Ultra Rugged Charging Cables
The Universal Cable shown below is 1.5 metres in length and weighs 60 grams, covered in tough nylon with a kevlar core and PVR jacket, which means it’s really, really strong. These are probably the toughest and most durable cables I’ve seen.
This cable has USB-A to microUSB, but two attached tips are for MFi-certified Lightning and a USB-C tip, allowing you to charge pretty much any device. Included is a silicone rubber cable tie to keep it all tied together—and it works well as advertised.
This Universal Cable is 30% off until Cyber Monday for $23.95 USD—check it out here.
The Battery Cable seen below is made from the same materials as the universal cable, but this time NOMAD once again adds a battery (2350mAh), allowing you to get extra juice on the go for your Lightning iOS device. It knows to charge your phone first before the battery pack and comes with LED status lights to show remaining power.
This cable and the battery did feel a bit bulky, but if you are the type that needs a quick charge, it’s worth it. Plus the included “Vulcanized LSR Cable Tie” does actually work to keep your cable from getting into a jumbled mess.
The Battery Cable is 30% off until Cyber Monday at $27.95 USD and comes with a two-year warranty. Click here to check it out.
NOMAD has figured out battery life is essential for iPhone users, so these accessories with extra batteries address that. Their leather straps for Apple Watch are actually really nice. They do ship to Canada and given our unfavourable exchange rate, buying their products during Black Friday/Cyber Monday is probably your best bet during the year.
The company puts care into their products as from my quick hands-on, build quality is excellent and the unboxing experience is nice too, with attention to detail in the packaging itself, which is always nice to see.
Click here to visit NOMAD’s website—and check out their Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, as more are to come at up to 60% off.
