Nomad Stand One Max Review: An Elegant 3-in-1 Charger for All Your Apple Devices

If you were to walk around my house, you’d see a Nomad wireless charger in almost every room. Each item is elegant, made with premium materials, and safely and efficiently charges my mobile devices. I was recently sent the new Nomad Stand One Max to test; by the end of this review, you’ll understand why it is my favorite Nomad wireless charger so far.

I’ve long been a fan of the Nomad Stand One. Thanks to its upright design and built-in MagSafe charging system, it holds your iPhone securely and delivers quick power while keeping it in view. But what if you have more than one device that needs to be charged?

The Nomad Stand One Max’s Design

The new Nomad Stand One Max takes this key design advantage of the Stand and combines it with the multi-device charging design of the multi-device-charging Nomad Base One Max.

The Nomad Base One Max has a spot for phone charging, a second spot for wirelessly charging an Apple Watch, and a third charging spot for keeping Airpods topped off.

Where a phone charged on the Base One Max sits flat on the charger, the Nomad Stand One Max holds it in a viewable position. That way, you can charge your phone and still see incoming calls and messages.

Nomad Stand One Max

The result is a clean, elegant Qi2 wireless charging station that powers your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously; it also allows you to charge and view your iPhone in StandBy mode while your other devices are charging.

The original Nomad Stand One Max also charged three devices simultaneously. However, its design attached the Apple Watch Charger to the iPhone MagSafe charger, which meant you couldn’t charge and view your iPhone in StandBy mode while charging your Apple Watch.

The original Nomad Stand One Max

Don’t get me wrong; the original Nomad Stand One Max works beautifully in the vertical position—Judie and I both use one on our respective desks.

Even so, we agree that the original Stand One Max’s design is not quite as functional as the newer Stand One Max’s when we want to use our iPhones in StandBy mode.

The new version of the Stand One Max leans even more heavily on the Base One Max’s design, and the results speak for themselves.

Like the Base One Max, the Nomad Stand One Max is made from premium materials. The solid metal and glass design looks elegant in either Carbide or Silver, and the device is weighty enough to stay in place when pulling your iPhone from the charger; you don’t need to place one hand on the stand to prevent the powerful magnets from lifting it as you remove your iPhone with the other.

The Nomad Stand One Max 3-in-1 charging hub has a 2m USB-C to USB-C cable inside the box.

The package doesn’t include the required 30W wall adapter, but if you don’t already own one, Nomad offers an excellent 30W slim adapter for just $30; I’ll tell you more about it shortly.

Nomad Stand One

The phone charger portion of the Nomad Stand One Max looks like the Nomad Stand One I reviewed some time ago. Unlike the original Stand One, the Stand One Max has a larger base with spots for charging an Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously — even when your iPhone is in StandBy mode.

The Nomad Stand One Max’s phone charger delivers up to 15W of Qi2 charging power. The Apple Watch charger is designed to provide fast charging to Apple Watches that support it, such as Apple Watch Series 7, 8, 9, Ultra, and Ultra 2.

Older watches will still charge, albeit at slightly slower speeds. The AirPod charger is a slightly recessed area on the base that perfectly fits AirPods cases.

The Nomad Stand One Max’s design includes:

• High-quality metal chassis
• Premium glass panel
• Custom silicone Qi2 charger to protect your phone from scratches
• Dust and scratch-resistant TPU charging pad
• Anti-slip rubber base so the weighted base stays put

Features of the Stand One Max include:

• 2x Faster Charging: Stand One Max’s integrated magnet array aligns perfectly with the MagSafe magnets in your iPhone and offers 15W charging for any Qi2 device. Charge up to 2x faster than standard wireless chargers.
• For Your Apple Essentials: Charge your Apple Watch and AirPods hassle-free with Stand One Max’s integrated Apple Watch Fast Charger and dedicated AirPods charging dish. Flip your iPhone horizontally to enjoy StandBy mode, even while charging your Apple Watch.
• Weighted Design: Machined from high-quality metal and glass and weighing almost 2 pounds, Stand One Max stays anchored to its surface when you’re ready to grab your device and go. An elevated Qi2 charging puck lets you wrap your fingers around your device for easy pickup.
• Match Your Space: Stand One Max currently comes in black or white, seamlessly fitting into any space and looking great.

I love the look and functionality of the Base One Max, which requires you to lay your phone down, but I prefer the upright design of the Stand One Max when using it at my desk or next to my bed.

Like the Base One Max, the Nomad Stand One Max lets me simultaneously charge my Airpods and Apple Watch with my iPhone. However, the upright design of the Stand One Base allows me to see my iPhone when working at my desk, and it also means I can easily see my phone at night from a bedside table.

Better still, because the iPhone can be placed on the Nomad Stand One Max in either a verticle or horizontal orientation, I can take advantage of Apple’s StandBy Mode, which means my iPhone now doubles as a bedside clock.

Moreover, thanks to the Nomad Stand One Max’s integrated design and small footprint, it doesn’t take up much room and doesn’t require multiple cables for multiple devices. The result is a clean, efficient charging station at my desk or bedside.

A few additional notes worthy of mention:

• Due to its upright orientation and the need for the MagSafe magnetic system to hold the phone in place, the Stand One Max can only charge MagSafe and Qi2 devices.
• The Stand will charge phones when protected in a Nomad case that’s compatible with wireless charging.
• StandBy works even when the Stand One Max is charging the iPhone, AirPods, and an Apple Watch simultaneously.

Nomad 35W USB-C Slim GaN Power Adapter

The Stand One Max requires a minimum of 30W of power. While Nomad doesn’t include a wall charger in the box, they sell a 35W USB-C Slim GaN Power Adapter for $30.

The new Nomad 35W USB-C Slim GaN Power Adapter provides 10W more power than their 20W USB-C Power Adapter without increasing the charger’s size. It also has foldable prongs to prevent damage. That makes it small enough to make it part of your Everyday Carry kit. You can pick one up here.

Should You Buy the Nomad Stand One Max?

I love Nomad’s wireless power offerings, and as an iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch user, I find the Nomad Stand One Max to be the best for my needs. I love the charger’s look, efficiency, and clean lines. I only wish it included a USB-C port on the back for charging an iPad. Now, that would truly be an all-in-one charging system!

If you regularly need to charge an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and a pair of AirPods, I suspect you will become a fan of the Nomad Stand One Max; I certainly am!

The Nomad Stand One Max retails for $150; it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review samples

What I Like: Elegant, weighty design; Premium materials; Fast charges compatible iPhones and Apple Watches, and AirPods simultaneously; Supports iPhone StandBy Mode; Available in Carbon (black) or Silver (white)

What Needs Improvement: Be aware that if you don’t already have a wall charger that delivers at least 30W of power, you’ll need to purchase one