New Nomad Base Station Mini Review: It’s a More Portable Solution to Wirelessly Charging Your Devices

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The Lowdown

The Nomad Base Station Mini will be perfect for use on your desktop or bedside table, but it would also be a great accessory to bring on trips.

Overall
4

Pros

  • Small footprint
  • Leather-topped aluminum body gives it a solid and luxurious look
  • Great for use when traveling or as a stationary charger for your bedside or desk

Cons

  • Does not include a wall charger
  • It is not compatible with the Nomad Apple Watch Mount

Announced today, one of our favorite accessory makers is adding to its fleet of wireless charging accessories with its most minimalistic charger yet, the Nomad Base Station Mini.

Nomad Base Station Mini

Designed to be a compact surface for charging your smartphone or wireless-charging enabled earbuds, the Nomad Base Station Mini is a 15W charger that’s great for a desk, nightstand, or even your everyday carry. It even has an ambient light sensor that will dim its LEDs at night, which is great if you use it on your bedstand. The Base Station Mini measures 3.54″ wide by 3.54″ deep by 0.44″ thick, and it weighs 7.87 ounces.

Nomad Base Station Mini

The Base Station Mini comes with a 2-meter long USB-C cable but no power adapter, unfortunately.

Resembling the larger Nomad Base Station Pro in its solid and luxurious design complete with a leather-padded top and aluminum frame, the new Base Station Mini has a single 15W Qi coil. Be aware that while the Base Station Mini is capable of charging devices at up to 15W, Apple places charging rate limitations on third-party accessories of 7.5W, so the Base Station Mini is only able to charge Apple devices at this maximum limit.

The Nomad Base Station Mini will be perfect for use on your desktop or bedside table, but it would also be a great accessory to bring on trips. The only real missing feature is the Apple Watch Mount that works with the Base Station Pro. Since I have a Base Station Pro and the Apple Watch Mount, I attempted to attach the Apple Watch Mount to the Base Station Mini. Unfortunately, since the Base Station Mini’s USB-C port sits in the middle of the charger, it isn’t possible to attach the mount.

One thing that’s understated about Nomad’s Base Stations, both on the original and the Mini, is the inclusion of the braided black Nylon cables. I feel like they hold up better and longer than most cables on the market, although Nomad’s Kevlar cables (sold separately) are even better.

Nomad may be thought of by many as a more Apple-focused brand, but the Base Station Mini works perfectly well as a Qi wireless charger for Android smartphones. The Base Station Mini charged up my Pixel 4XL just fine at 15W, while the iPhone was stuck at the Apple-imposed 7.5W speeds. I’ve also been able to wirelessly charge my Master & Dynamic headphones and my AirPods Pro just fine by placing them on there.

Overall the Nomad Base Station Mini is a great substitute for the larger Base Station Pro, especially if you aren’t someone who has many wirelessly charging devices or want something smaller to fit in a tighter space.

Nomad 20W USB-C Power Adapter

The Nomad Base Station Mini not working with the Apple Watch Mount or coming with a wall charger is a bit of a bummer, but there is a solution for the wall charger issue, at least. If you don’t have a 15W or higher wall charger already, Nomad has also just launched a compact and travel-friendly $18.95 20W USB-C Power Adapter that handily solves that issue; Nomad knocks $5 off its price if you buy this wall charger bundled with the Base Station Mini.

The Nomad Base Station Mini sells for $59.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer supplied Review Unit

What I Like: Small footprint; Leather-topped aluminum body gives it a solid and luxurious look; Great for use when traveling or as a stationary charger for your bedside or desk

What Needs Improvement: Does not include a wall charger; It is not compatible with the Nomad Apple Watch Mount

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About the Author

Greg Alston
Diehard Apple fanboy, and lover of all things tech. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Greg enjoys spending time with his wife, family, and friends, live sporting events, good bourbon, Tetris, and pizza. In that order.