When you decide to pick up another Lightning cable for your iPhone or iPad, you could choose to go chintzy with another OEM cable that’ll just wear out again in no time at all, or you can go with a beefier option that will have a much longer operating life.
Nomad offers an awesome lineup of MFi-certified heavy duty ballistic 1,000D nylon braided lightning cables that are reinforced with K-29 Kevlar. But what makes these different from the competition?
Three different variations of the cables are available, including a basic Lightning cable, a Lightning cable with an integrated 2,350 mAh battery in line, and an all-in-one cable that offers interchangeable Lightning, Micro-USB, and USB-C tips.
Right off the bat, you can tell just how much thicker these cables are than your run of the mill OEM or aftermarket Lightning cables. At the core, they have beefy 20 AWG wiring, which carries a stronger current to charge your devices as quickly as possible.
Built with ruggedness in mind, Nomad says these cables pass a 10,000-time bend test, a durability achievement that illustrates their long-term resilience. This can be attributed to the Kevlar reinforcement, as well as the nylon braided exterior and internal shielding.
The cables also feature a black vulcanized liquid silicone rubber cable tie, which also feels rugged. This lets you keep your cable from getting tangled during storage and keeps you organized.
In the cable with the in-line battery, which is personally my favorite, you’ll notice the battery isn’t overly bulky. I’m a fan of this design because it’s to easy to stow away in a pocket, bag, or anywhere else you would normally put a spare cable.
When you plug this cable into a power source, it trickle charges the battery along with your iPhone. After the battery has power stored inside of it, you will be able to plug the Lightning end of the cable into your iPhone without plugging the other end into a power source, and the battery itself will power your iPhone.
The battery is good for 1 full charge of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7. On the other hand, larger devices like the iPhone 7 Plus or iPad have larger batteries and results may vary.
If you’re ever curious as to how much juice the cable’s in-line battery has left, you can press the button on its side and it’ll indicate how much power it has left with the built-in LED indicator light.
The basic Lightning cable from Nomad is just as beefy, sans battery:
Each of Nomad’s cables measure at 1.5 meters long, and they’re built to serve a different purpose. Whether you need extra power, a Swiss army knife of cables for all your devices, or a simple rugged Lightning cable for your iPhone or iPad, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for here.
A short list of pros and cons can be found below:
Pros:
- Rugged and durable for long service life
- Premium materials used for construction
- 5-year warranty against defects
- Many different cable options to choose from
- Cable ties help keep you organized
- MFi-certified
Cons:
- Pricier than your average Lightning cable
- The larger Lightning end may not fit some cases
Overall, I can’t really say anything bad about these cables. Some might say the price is high for a Lightning cable, but I’ve tried other braided cables with Kevlar reinforcement before and none were as thick as Nomad’s, nor did they come with interchangeable tips or in-line batteries. These are simply top of the line, and you can’t go wrong here.
If you’re interested in trying one for yourself, you can head over to Nomad’s website to pick one up. The pricing schedule is as follows:
- Lightning cable – $29.95
- Universal cable – $34.95
- Battery cable – $39.99
What are your thoughts on the different Nomad Lightning cables? Share in the comments!