I travel a lot. Not necessarily on vacations mind you. I just mean, I’m out and about on a daily basis, gone for side family visits on the weekend, and fly on a somewhat regular basis. Consequently, my daypack is always stuffed with cables for my gadgets, iPhone, iPad, backup battery charger, Bluetooth headphones and the like.
Naturally, there is some overlap there with the Lightning cable, but sometimes you need to charge the iPhone and iPad simultaneously. More importantly, my daypack is made for lightweight daily stuff and every time I cram one more even small item, it gets filled. Thankfully, I’ve added Nomad’s NomadClip to the mix and I can store my charging cable on my belt clip, outside of the bag, and many other non-backpack locations.
NomadClip review
I appreciate the design, form and function of the NomadClip. I already carried a carabiner on my daypack, mostly for attaching a water bottle. Having another 
carabiner onboard was no different. The actual lightning cable is built into the clip’s spine. As you can see in the image to the left, the top section holds the USB, an attachment cable runs the back, and the bottom contains the Lightning tip. Both the USB and Lightning clip very tightly into place and you must be deliberate about loosing the two ends. There is no worry about the cable ends coming out during normal wear and tear. It is important the tips are both adhered to the clip in the middle. The top splash image shows the NomadClip attached to both the MacBook and iPhone. The USB and Lightning tips, as shown, are connected to the carabiner and cannot be removed, which is preferred, granting this product could get beat up depending on the storage location.
The NomadClip is a very strong device, and despite being made of engineering-grade polycarbonate with high grade steel, it is still not suitable for climbing. Scratch resistant metals are included to prevent the device from looking patinated over time.
The actual clipping mechanism is very strong and spring loaded, like standard carabiners. However, when comparing to some of the other climbing grade biners, the spring load on the NomadClip is even stronger. If you are trying to clip your key ring, certainly one can opt for the clipping system, or, a small hole exists for your keyring just below the opening. Therefore, the clipping part can be dedicated to something else.
Conclusion
Nomad makes a solid and usable carabiner-based charger in the NomadClip. It is highly portable, small ( 8 x 4.2 x 1.3cm) and lightweight (53g). Perfect to clip onto or throw into a go-bag. I plan on keeping the Clip with me at all times in some fashion, whether that is tacked to my belt clip or pack. So many times either I need a quick charge or someone around me is asking to borrow a charging cable.
My one frustration, definitely the top, less the bottom, is too thick to clip in a water bottle cap. Of course, this is highly dependent on the water bottle top you are hoping to attach and whether you are going to hang the Clip right side up, or upside down. Lots of variables exist. As shown in the image above, even the skinnier part of the clip is barely small enough to fit a standard size keyring. If your goal is to stick a water bottle on the end, check your bottle cap opening against a keyring.
Otherwise, amazing quality and a solid product by Nomad. As the device is certified by Apple MFi, the cost is going to reflect the craftsmanship and certification cost. The NomadClip for Apple is $39.95, which is as cheaply as you are going to find something of this caliber with an MFi certification. You do not want to buy any Lightning cable that is not MFi certified as they can cause charging issues, over heating problems, and even software complications in iOS 7+. Nomad has taken care of the details; you should enjoy them. We are thankful for Nomad giving us the chance to take a closer look.
Apple Watch charger
In related news, Nomad is developing and now producing two incredible Apple Watch charging options. A portable power bank, hockey puck like inductive charging device will give on-the-go folks a charge wherever it is needed. Additionally, there is an Apple Watch stand, milled from a single curving piece of CNC machined aluminum.
Both of these products are highly attractive and useful. We took a quick look at these two devices a couple weeks ago, but are hoping to have them for review very shortly! Stay tuned!