Williams Pelegrin
2018’s Nomad Wireless Stand has an eye-catching design and good charging speeds, but its use of a proprietary charger and single charging coil might make it a non-starter for some. Fast-forward to 2020, and Nomad’s new Base Station Stand looks to fix the issues of its predecessor while keeping its sharp looks.
Starting with design, the Base Station Stand takes inspiration from the larger Base Station. That means a padded leather charging surface and an aluminum body. The material choice makes the Base Station Stand fit perfectly on an executive desk, but it’s also right at home on any countertop or nightstand.
Continuing on the outside, there’s an LED charging indicator below the charging area, complete with an ambient light sensor that prevents the charging indicator from destroying your retinas at night. Around back is a USB-C port, a nice shift away from the proprietary barrel plug of the older Wireless Stand. Included with the Base Station Stand are an 18 W power adapter and USB-C cable. You can use any power adapter with the charging stand, but stick to at least 18 W if you want the fastest charging speeds from the Base Station Stand.
Speaking of charging speeds, the Base Station Stand tops out at 10 W of output. For comparison, the older Wireless Stand features 7.5 W of output. Also, an upgrade is the number of charging coils: two in the Base Station Stand versus just one in the Wireless Stand. That means you can orient your phone vertically or horizontally on the Base Station Stand. It also means you can charge your AirPods or AirPods Pro, though you can’t charge your Apple Watch.
The Base Station Stand is now available for $99.95. It’s a steep price to pay for a wireless charging stand, but at least it isn’t the $139.95 you have to pay for the larger Base Station.
