If you’re like me, I am constantly using my devices when I am traveling, and if I am away from home, the office or my hotel room, batteries can drain quickly. Also, if you’re flying on a regional jet, many of these planes do not have power outlets at their seats, which means you need to juice up at the airport if there is time. I have tested out a variety of power packs and external batteries over the years, and Nomad has always been one to offer reliable design and functionality in their products. That’s why I was eager to try out the company’s Nomad Advanced Trackable PowerPack.
Compatibility and design
Nomad is known for its third-party compatibility with Apple products, which means they are designed to function without worry for damaging your mobile devices. This is one of their newest products and is built for durability thanks to sturdy polycarbonate material and frequent travel. The exterior material is easy to grip, which means it won’t slide off a table or out of your pocket or briefcase unsuspectingly.
Just in case, however, I especially liked that it can be synced via Bluetooth to Tile so that if it gets left behind somewhere or you leave it lying around the office, it is easily traceable. Tile can be attached to your key chain.
Its black color and numerous ridges mean that it can get dirty quickly gathering dust and crumbs from the bottom of my bag over time. Still, that doesn’t affect its charging power, and I quickly realized that I could zip it into a small pouch for added protection.
A real power booster
The main reason people love this device is that it has three power ports. Two of them are designed for USB-C ports and one is a USB-A port. The latter works easily with mobile device charging cords although if you are using a certain type of case or device cover that has its own output, you might need an adapter. One of the USB-C ports can be used to simultaneously power up the PowerPack while you are charging to assure no end to battery life. When not near an outlet, you can make use of all three power ports at the same time if you travel with multiple devices.
Lights on the side of the package indicate how much remaining power is in the device although you might have to pull out one of the charging cords to push the button that illuminates the battery level lights. A cool feature is that the intensity of the lights adjusts to the ambient light so that it isn’t too bright in the dark, but is also visible in bright light.
You’ll find that there are multiple full power charges available from the device without the need to recharge it. I was able to power up my iPhone, iPad, and a colleague’s iPhone in one day without the PowerPack going below halfway on its own charge when not plugged into an outlet.
That’s pretty impressive, and more than enough to get me through a work day when I might be away from another power source. I appreciated how fast the charge was on my phone (why is it that we are always in a hurry when we need to power up our devices?). I found that this device was great for charging up all versions of the iPhone, the Android phone, and most tablets.
Some people might complain about the higher price tag than similar power packs, but the ability to trace tie PowerPack when lost is worth the uptick for frequent travelers. The Nomad Advanced Trackable 9,000 mAh PowerPack retails for just under $100 online.