Nomad today launched its most powerful charger yet, a 130W USB-C power adapter equipped with three USB-C PD ports. The 130W adapter joins Nomad’s existing 65W, 30W, and 20W adapters.
Priced at $110, the 130W power adapter has the same design features as Nomad’s previous adapters, so if you have one of the smaller varieties, you can have a matching set. It’s got a sleek black “carbide” enclosure and uses GaN (gallium nitride) technology to ensure a compact size.
I always find myself making Nomad accessories in white or another color, but black is the Nomad aesthetic and it works. I can say without hesitation that this is the snazziest charging brick I’ve ever used, although I have to admit that I often don’t think too much about the build quality of the power adapter I’m using because it’s out of sight and under the desk if you have it on a desk or such. Wherever there’s a charging setup that seems important, you won’t be disappointed with the design of Nomad’s Power Adapter.
Although the power adapter has three ports, it is smaller in size than Apple’s 140W charger designed for the 16-inch MacBook Pro model and is close in size to the Apple 96W power adapter. There are flip out prongs so when the charger is not in use, it folds up into a small cube that can be tucked away in a bag or a suitcase. I’d like to point out that it has some height – it’s not a lightweight charger.
Each port is capable of 100W charging, but that’s the maximum. You won’t get the 140W charging you can achieve on the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s MagSafe power adapter, but 100W is more than enough to keep the power level up while using the MacBook Pro. I rarely use the MagSafe port on my MacBook Pro for charging, and it’s always on full battery when I’m at my desk, regardless of what I’m doing. 100W is enough power to power all of Apple’s other notebooks and plenty of iPhones, iPads, and other USB-C accessories.
When charging multiple devices, Nomad’s power adapter is able to intelligently split power. With two devices, it sends 100W to the top port and 30W to the other port, so you can charge a MacBook at full speed while leaving 30W available for an iPhone or iPad. With three ports in use, the top port charges 70W, while the two bottom ports get 30W each.
If you use the bottom two ports instead of the top port, you can get 65W with each port for evenly split power, and it’s nice to have multiple charging options with one charger depending on which ports you choose. All three ports can quickly charge an iPhone, regardless of the minimum 30W charging per port.
last row
Nomad’s 130W Power Adapter is a convenient all-in-one power adapter thanks to its three ports and smart charging mode. It is useful for charging several devices at home and equally helpful while traveling as you only need to pack one power adapter.
At $110, the only downside is the price. That’s a lot for a charger, but it’s only $10 more than Apple’s 140W charger, and it’s not far off the price of similar chargers from companies like Anker and Satechi.
how to buy
The Nomad 130W Power Adapter can be purchased from the Nomad website for $110.
Note: Nomad provided MacRumors with a 130W power adapter for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
