Since the iPhone is new to the wireless charging world, accessory makers that have traditionally been building for Apple now have a new category to attack. Nomad has entered the wireless charging fray with something more than just a charging pad ... much more. The $79.99 Wireless Charging Hub charges your iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X without the need for any cables. But there are also four additional ports for wired charging of all your devices.
Great news! UK and EU shoppers can now get the Nomad Wireless Charging Hub, too!
More than just a wireless charging pad
I'm totally enamored with wireless charging. For as long as I've known of its existence, I've wished that Apple would jump on board. I have a wireless charging pad in every room so that I never have to plug my iPhone X into anything if I don't want to.
In my office, where I charge up most of my other gadgets throughout the day, I'm always looking for a spare wall outlet to plug in my chargers. Oftentimes, I'll have to charge my gadgets at different times because I don't have enough outlets for everything.
With Nomad's Wireless Charging Hub, I'm able to toss my iPhone X down on the charging pad, plus, plug in my iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and Nintendo Switch so they all can charge up at the same time.
That's because there are four more ports hidden discreetly underneath the 7.5-watt charging pad. There is one fast-charge supported USB-C 3.0A port, one 2.1A iPad-friendly USB-A port, and two standard 1A USB-A ports.
Power for all
The entire hub is capable of 30 watts of output, which means it can, indeed, charge five devices at the same time. It may not charge your iPad Pro using the USB-A port as fast as it charges the Nintendo Switch using the USB-C port, but the juice flows to everything at once.
I love that the ports are hidden underneath the hub. It keeps the cables organized and out of the way so you can leave them plugged in and just use whichever one you need. The hub itself plugs into your wall outlet via a USB-C cable.
Those lights though
I've come to realize that I'm not a big fan of LED indicator lights on charging pads. My iPhone makes a chime when it's properly resting on the charging pad and there's an icon at the top of the screen to tell me when it's fully charged, so I don't really feel like I need the extra visual aid.
LED indicator lights are ... fine ... but when you're trying to fall asleep at night and a bright blue light is shining in your eyes, you really start to hate them.
Nomad added a little bonus feature to the Wireless Charging Hub that I'm very grateful for. The LED indicator lights actually dim when the room goes dark. The charging indicators are still there but they don't shine at all. No bright lights in your eyes before bedtime.
There is one indicator light for each port. When your device is charging, the LED glows orange. When the charge is complete, it switches to white, so you'll know from across the room whether your iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and any other device is fully charged or not.
A word on Qi
Nomad's Wireless Charging Hub is compatible with Qi charging devices, but has not gone through the certification process. Normally, I'd advise to steer clear of chargers that aren't Qi certified, simply to avoid ending up with a shoddy product.
Nomad is a quality company that does not cut corners. I've been using the Wireless Charging Hub for about a month now and have never experienced even a minor issue with charging. I can't even say that for my Samsung Wireless Charging Convertible pad.
I can say with confidence that, although it does not have Qi certification at this time, it is a solid and well-made charger.
Is it worth the price?
Nomad's Wireless charging hub is reasonably priced at just $79.99. Considering the top-of-the-line wireless chargers range from about $50 to $90 and don't come with extra wired charging ports, I'd say Nomad's hub is a great price.
If you're in the market for a wireless charger, and you don't mind having something with a bit of girth (the hub is about two inches tall, and the circumference is slightly larger than the average charging pad), then I highly recommend it. I'm very happy with the charging performance and love just about everything about it. Even if it didn't have the wireless charging pad on top, it'd be a great charging hub for any gadget lover.
Updated May 2018: Added infromation about UK and EU availability.
