Keeping our smartphones charged has always been a challenge and Nomad has come up with a new product that combines a wallet with a built in battery to power up your iPhone on the go.
Apart from our smartphones, our wallet is one of the only other things we have with us at all time – at least it is for men.
Women can carry handbag which gives them enough room for a battery or even their iPhone’s charger.
But what can a man do? The Nomad Wallet for iPhone is the answer.
It takes a wallet which, at first glance, doesn’t look much different to a typical wallet most men would carry around with them.
It is 12.5cm wide, 9.5cm long and has a maximum thickness of 2.5cm. It weighs just 162g – and that’s including the weight of the battery.
But the difference here is the 2400mAh battery that is inside the wallet’s spine. That has enough power to completely recharge the iPhone 6 or 6S.
This thin battery has a microUSB port – so you can charge the battery before you go out – and four indicator lights to show you much charge is on board.
Inside the wallet along the inside of the spine is a small cable with a Lightning connector that tucks inside a small pocket so it blends in with the rest of the product.
When your iPhone needs a charge, you simply connect the short Lightning cable and you will see the battery recharging.
Even with the iPhone attached I could fit the phone and wallet back in my pocket.
But it is easier to have the wallet on a flat surface with the iPhone on top of it so you can still keep using it.
The wallet itself has a section to keep your cash and six other card compartments.
For our review we used it as our everyday wallet on our travels in the UK and the US.
The Nomad Walle, made out of black Safiano leather, fit comfortably in our front pocket and in our back pocket. We put all of our cards inside as well as all of our cash.
It easily fit in our Australian and US notes along the larger pound notes in the UK.
At the end of a long day it felt reassuring to know here was a complete recharge for the iPhone 6 or 6S and about three quarters of the iPhone 6 Plus or 6S Plus in our pocket.
One issue for us was there was no button to indicate how much charge was left in the battery.
The indicator lights would only work when the wallet’s Lightning connector was plugged into the iPhone and when you were charging the battery itself with a microUSB cable.
And, of course, you have to remember to charge the wallet. Its yet another item we have to remember to charge along with our phone and our smartwatch.
The Nomad Wallet for iPhone is priced at $US99 plus shipping from the hellonomad.com and, if you happen to be traveling in the US – at all Best Buy stores.
VERDICT
The Nomad Wallet has cleverly combined two items we need to carry with us every day – our wallet and a battery to charge our iPhone on the move.
If you never want to run out of charge – don’t leave home without it.
