Launching with a retail price of nearly $150, the Base One Max is decidedly a premium charging dock. It feels substantial. It also looks like a high-end product. And, in my hands-on time with it, it works flawlessly.
You need to be all-in on finding the perfect resting area for your phone and watch throughout the night, but the Nomad Base One Max is an elegant solution. Even better, it features the wireless phone charger on the right, for those of us who sleep on the left side of the bed.
TL;DR
Pros:
Full 15-watt MagSafe charging speed for compatible iPhonesPremium 2-pound weight keeps the dock from lifting up
Cons:
Need to use a 30-watt or higher wall chargerOnly charges two devices at once
Buy at Nomad.
Nightstand Phone Charger
Nomad has created a wonderful nightstand charging dock with the Base One Max. Sure, it can be used at a desk or somewhere else around the house, but this product feels like an iPhone (and Apple Watch) owner’s charging needs are distilled perfectly to the just the essentials for bedside.
The most notable feature is that this charger supports the full 15-watt wireless charging speed that MagSafe offers. If you look carefully at all the similar products on the market, you’ll find that only a few have this officially supported MagSafe feature. The speed matters less for charging throughout the night, but it’s really handy to get a boost of power during the day.
Unfortunately, the Base One Max does not support the Apple Watch Series 7’s faster-charging speed. It would have been nice to have from a $150 charger, but I also don’t feel like I’m missing out without it.
One subtle thing about the design of this device I do appreciate is that the iPhone charger is on the right and the watch charger is on the left. I sleep on the left side of the bed, so this layout means the phone is closer to me—and more convenient. Of course, you might feel the opposite if you sleep on the right side of your bed. Belkin seems to always place the phone on the left side of its charging docks, so I do appreciate this design choice from Nomad.
What about laying devices flat versus propped up to charge them? There’s no technical difference, and so that aesthetic decision is all about your use or personal preference. I’ve preferred one or the other at different times. Right now, I like how Nomad does it: with the phone lying flat and the Apple Watch propped up. Or maybe I simply appreciate that I can lift my phone off the magnetic charger without the Base One Max lifting up, as well.
It’s worth noting that you will require a 30-watt or higher capacity wall charger with the Base One Max. It comes with a 6-foot detachable USB-C cable, but you’ll need to provide your own wall wart. I wish Nomad’s small 30 watt GaN charger came in the box.
A Three-Device Dock?
A lot of bedside charging docks don’t stop at accommodating an iPhone and Apple Watch; they include a third spot for wirelessly charging AirPods. It makes sense to account for all the pocketable electronic devices that you may want to charge at the end of the day. In practice, I don’t charge the AirPods I use every day on my nightstand. I also don’t need to.
On the previous nightstand dock I was using, I did use that third charging spot from time to time. Since I can also pop AirPods onto the iPhone spot to charge on the Base One Max, I find I don’t miss that third spot. You may need to charge three devices at once, every night. In that case, this probably isn’t the charger for you. But you should probably also consider whether you really need the third spot or just like the idea of having it available.
Even though the Base One Max can’t charge three devices at once, there is enough room to set an AirPods case behind the Apple Watch charger. I’m not sure if that’s on purpose or not, but it helps keep a nightstand organized.
Should You Buy the Nomad Base One Max?
The Nomad Base One Max, priced at $149.95, is not cheap, but it’s mostly in line with the cost of other name-brand multidevice nightstand chargers. In other words, this product is not the best overall value, but it does offer the premium look you might seek for a bedroom location. There is a satisfying feeling to laying down and picking up an iPhone from the charger that other products don’t have.
I appreciate the minimal design the Base One Max offers. If you sleep on the left side of the bed, you might also appreciate that the phone charger is on the right side of the dock. The full 15-watt charging speed of MagSafe is also a compelling feature. This won’t be the last charging dock I really like, but at the moment, the Base One Max is my favorite way to charge my iPhone and Apple Watch together.
Buy at Nomad for $149.95.
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