In recent years I have tended to prefer a minimalist wallet over the more traditional ones I carried for years. The Nomad Leather Battery Wallet may have me rethinking things. Here is a gorgeous leather wallet that looks good out of the box and improves with age. Add in the built-in 2400mAh Battery and RFID blocking it will surely impress.
Let’s start this review with a look at the material used to create the Nomad Battery Wallet.
I was sent the traditional bi-fold wallet but the company also offers a slim model that houses the same 2400 mAh Battery. Both wallets are made from gorgeous Horween leather. The choice was no accident. As they explain:
Expertly crafted from Horween leather: We set ourselves apart in the smartphone accessories space by meticulously selecting the best materials possible. Wallet is made from 100% American leather supplied by the renowned Horween Leather Company of Chicago, Illinois, an historic and family owned and operated tannery with over 100 years of continued leather tanning tradition. This leather offers an unparalleled level of quality and class, and naturally complements your own style.
The leather quality is, quite simply, the finest we’ve ever come across. Just smell it and hold it, and you’ll understand in an instant. It’s vegetable-tanned and aniline-dyed, so it’s not overly treated like other leathers that are saturated with caustic chemicals and coated with unnatural films. Additionally, each hide is imbued with the waxes and oils of age-old recipes, giving wallet its raw yet refined look, and a finish that wears in with time, developing a patina that is uniquely yours.
The leather has a gorgeous. It has a rich, refined look but is also but tough as nails. As someone who loves quality leather products, I could not help but be impressed by the first impression the wallet made when I took it from the box. But the news only gets better which, in this case, translates to a wallet that will be unlike any other wallet… even those coming from Nomad. Leather like this is rarely blemished free. That means the wallet you pull from the box won’t look exactly like any other wallet in the same line. Instead, it will have its own unique quality with a rough spot there and a crease there. That’s by design. Over time, however, the story will only improve. As the leather wears it will become softer, develop a patina and get wear marks that make it unique. Here’s a picture from Nomad showing the difference between a new and a “loved” wallet.
A leather wallet is not, however, just the leather. It is also the thread and stitching that holds the various pieces of leather together. Here too Nomad did their research and made a decision based on their desire to create a quality daily driver. Here’s what Nomad has to say:
Each Wallet is held together by a durable yet elegant stitching pattern, relying on renowned thread maker Fil Au Chinois of France. This pre-stretched, beeswaxed linen thread is used across traditional leatherworking and saddleries, and is trusted by recognized brands such as Hermés. The careful stitching helps maintain lasting integrity and prevents the leather from stretching and morphing through extended use.
The result of these decisions is a wallet that is nothing short of gorgeous. If this were the extent of what Nomad was offering it would be worthy of note. Of course, this isn’t the “extent of what Nomad” has done here. No, Nomad didn’t just release a Nomad Wallet but, instead, released a Nomad Battery Wallet.
So let’s look at the battery side of the Nomad Battery Wallet.
Inside the spine of the wallet is a 2400 mAh li-ion battery. But there’s more.
Rather than having a microUSB port for charging and a full-size USB port for charging with an external cable, Nomad built the charging cable right into the wallet.
As they put it, the cable is…. “a stealthily integrated Apple Lightning cable.” That means both the Slim and traditional Bi-Fold wallets are designed specifically for Apple users. It also means you won’t find yourself with a battery wallet ready to charge your iPhone but no cable to actually make use of it. It’s a rather smart approach but one that limits the product to one group of users — albeit a large and growing group.
Now it’s not all good news. The wallet is gorgeous. The battery and its integrated cable are incredibly smart. But by choosing to use a battery with a cylindrical design rather than a flat one with a design similar to a credit card, Nomad opted for a battery that gives the wallet a strikingly thick spine. Some people won’t mind the thickness and bulk of it, but others will. Because of the extra thickness, I usually keep this wallet in my front pocket, although I’ve seen some people place the wallet with the battery spine facing up in their back pocket; I found that uncomfortable, but your mileage may vary. How you wear the wallet will be up to you and what you’re most comfortable with, but I think if they had opted to create a credit card-style battery they could have evened out the mass of the battery. They didn’t go this route. Still, that’s certainly not a bad thing since the result is an impressive accessory.
Our mission to create minimalist, innovative products flows through each detail of our wallets. We prototyped through many designs, materials and fabrication techniques until we reached two final units that truly embodied everything one would want in a leather wallet, while also stealthily integrating a complete charging system for your smart phone.
It is worth noting that Nomad created two different battery wallets. The classic bi-fold option is for people who want to carry more cash and credit cards. The slim version is exactly what it sounds like. It is light and minimalistic but, of course, holds less. Both have the same high-capacity 2400mAh li-ion battery, integrated charging cable, and both are lined with an RFID-blocking layer for added protection. This last point is worth noting! Crooks now have powerful scanners that can capture the date on your credit cards. With the Nomad Battery Wallet, you won’t have to worry because built into the wallet itself is shielding against such dastardliness.
If you don’t mind the bulk of the battery and you use an iPhone, the Nomad Battery Wallet is worth serious consideration. It is made from gorgeous leather that will only improve with age as it darkens and is worn, it has a battery that will recharge your iPhone, and it even has a cable built into it for convenience; there is even an RFID blocking built into the wallet for extra security. Whether you prefer the traditional bi-fold wallet or the more minimalistic version, the Nomad Battery Wallet is worth checking out.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Gorgeous leather; Battery is built into the wallet and has its own charging cable; RFID blocking to prevent theft; Available in two form factors
What Needs Improvement: The battery makes it a bit bulky
