Nomad MagSafe Mount Stand Review: My Favorite Chunk of Metal

I bought a MagSafe Charger from Apple when it was first announced and was quickly disappointed because it wasn’t all that effective as a standalone product. Pair it with Nomad’s MagSafe Mount Stand, though, and suddenly it becomes an extremely useful accessory.

A (Needed) Accessory for Your Accessory

On its own, the Apple MagSafe Charger is a wireless charging puck attached to a relatively short 1m-long USB-C cable. If you place it on your desk or nightstand, there’s nothing keeping the charger in place, and if you pick up your phone, the puck is coming with it, thanks to MagSafe technology.

Nomad rectifies these annoyances by adding a chunk of metal to the equation. Crafted from a single block of zinc alloy, the MagSafe Mount Stand comes in at over 1.3lbs and is finished with a premium-feeling matte black (or silver) paint job.

The stand won’t add extra length to the charger’s cable, but you don’t have to worry about the puck slipping around your table. Basically, Nomad’s mount is an elegant solution to a product that feels unfinished.

Note: Nomad recommends you use a case on your iPhone to prevent scratches. Both the MagSafe charger and the MagSafe Mount Stand are made out of metal, so it’s possible that either could damage your iPhone’s glass back.

Nomad uses microsuction tape to affix the MagSafe Charger to the stand. The company states this allows you to remove the puck from the stand with ease, but after several months of having the two accessories attached, I had to apply an uncomfortable amount of pressure to separate them.

So while you technically can remove the MagSafe Charger and take it with you on the go, I’d recommend you plan to keep the wireless charger and stand together permanently.

Flip the mount over, and you’ll find a rubber pad that keeps the stand from slipping around your desk or table. There’s not much to say about this except that it just works. As mentioned, the stand weighs over 1.3lbs, so you don’t have to worry about the MagSafe Mount Stand moving anywhere when attaching or removing your iPhone.

Limited Viewing Angles

The MagSafe Mount Stand’s greatest “weakness” is that it doesn’t allow for multiple viewing angles. You can rotate your phone to view photos and videos in portrait or landscape, but this stand is carved out of a metal block and doesn’t bend.

Now, I don’t have a protractor handy to give you the exact angle your iPhone will sit at when attached to the stand, but I think it’s good enough. I kept the mount about a foot to a foot and a half away from where I sit, and I had no issues seeing content on the screen.

But if you are in the market for something with adjustable viewing angles, you’re in luck because there are a ton of MagSafe accessories available for purchase.

Possibly the Best MagSafe Stand Available

The Nomad MagSafe Stand Mount gets an instant recommendation from me if you already own an Apple MagSafe Charger. If you don’t, having to buy both accessories can be expensive. At a combined price of just under $100, you will be paying more than some all-in-one solutions.

The most significant benefit of sticking with the Nomad stand and MagSafe Charger combination is that you get “fast” wireless charging. Apple’s MagSafe Charger can juice up your iPhone at 15W, while third-party options are limited to 7.5W. Having twice the power and half of the charging time is reason enough for me to spend a bit more.

The MagSafe Mount Stand is available for purchase from Nomad’s website for $59.99 in Carbine (pictured above) and Silver.