Summary
TheNomad Stand One Maxis a perfect example of a beautiful, well-built 3-in-1 charging dock that seemingly got too close to the sun and let its functionality melt away. It might be a bad product in the end—I’ll let you decide—but mostly, it’s a disappointing one because it could have been great.
Nomad Stand One Max
Stand One Max harnesses the power of MagSafe and wireless charging to simultaneously power your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all in a single, timeless design. Machined from high-quality metal and glass and weighing in at almost 2 pounds, Stand One Max combines luxury and efficiency.
Stand One Max Overview
First, the basics. The Stand One Max is an upright version of theBase One Maxthat Nomad released in early September 2023. Both have the same 3-in-1 capabilities to wirelessly charge an iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods all at the same time.
The Base One Max is a really great charging option, but it can’t doStandBy modefor capable iPhones with iOS 17. Shockingly, this new Stand One Max can’t do StandBy either when an Apple Watch is on its charger. It blocks an iPhone from rotating horizontally.
Even after using the device for several days, I can hardly believe this is the case. It doesn’t compute for me. Why have a vertical stand that won’t let a phone rotate horizontally?
The Problems With This Design
The design missteps seemingly stem from that first critical one of not supporting charging a horizontal iPhone and Apple Watch simultaneously.
There are other design problems, however, that lead me to believe the watch charger should have been on the unit’s base, in the spot where the AirPods charger is. As it is, my watch constantly rotated either left or right and always looked messy on its suspended spot.
The AirPods charger could have shifted back to another spot.
I do like how compact the base of the unit is. It doesn’t take up much space on a nightstand. But I would have been willing to give up a few more millimeters of room to shift charging spots around to support better functionality.
You can charge an iPhone horizontally and get StandBy mode when no Apple Watch is charging. But then why not just buy aStand or Stand Onecharger?
So, my watch was always twisting and never displayed straight. The dangling band sometimes bumped the AirPods case underneath it. My phone couldn’t rotate at night while the other products were getting power. You get all these minor annoyances for a whopping retail price of $180. There is a two-meter braided USB-C to USB-C cable in the box but you’ll need to supply your ownpower adapter. It’s all very disappointing.
Wrestling With What Could Have Been
For the money, you do get a solid build quality, though. Just like a lot of other Nomad docks and stands, this one is made from metal and glass, which gives it a luxurious heft. It stays planted when lifting the phone off. It also looks elegant, reflecting light from its glossy exterior.
The thing I don’t understand is that the ideal Stand One Max was sitting there in the Base One Max design. All that needed to happen with that one was to tilt the MagSafe charger up into a stand. Then, there would have been an option for people who want a completely flat design and one to accommodate StandBy in a vertical design.
To be clear about the distinction here, theNomad Stand One Maxpowers three devices at a time wonderfully. It looks gorgeous as a decorative item. But I think its design utterly fails the user. And with a $180 price tag attached to less-than-ideal usability, its value is in the dumps.
Unfortunately, there’s not a Nomad charger that supports powering both an Apple Watch and a horizontal iPhone at the same time. If that’s what you want or need, I would recommend checking out theBelkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1.
The Stand One Max is peculiar. It could certainly be a case study for product reviewers. But I’ll let you decide. Is this a good product with flaws or a bad product that works well?
