https://youtu.be/Vda2FZjoWSo
First things first, when I began reviewing different phones and phone accessory items, never did I think that one of the things I would be reviewing would be a leather wallet with an iPhone charger built in… but here I am. Say hello to the Nomad Bi-Fold Charging Wallet. Not only is the leather the same fantastic quality as their phone cases, but they found a way to incorporate a built-in power bank for your iPhone 8 as well! It will work for other iPhone devices, but the powerbank only has enough juice to guarantee a full charge on the iPhone 8 or previous iterations of non-plus models. Interested yet?
Practicality: I’m a big fan of finding products that find ways to take the ordinary, and make them exemplary; this product does just that. There are many times when I find myself out away from home or a place to keep my phone topped off, and the security of knowing I have a way to recharge my phone right in my pocket is not only comforting, but a necessity some days. I love the iPhone 8. I even had the iPhone X for quite a while and I ditched it to go back to the iPhone 8. However, I have always had one drawback with the smaller series iPhones; the batteries are so small! Not that it won’t truck along for most of the day, but when I really need to squeeze some additional usage out of my phone, I definitely worry about whether it’s going to last until I get home. Well, thanks to Nomad’s new Bi-Fold wallet, I never have to worry about that again. In addition to recharging your iPhone 8, the powerbank still has a little bit of juice leftover in case of emergencies. The iPhone 8 has an 1821mAh battery, and the Nomad wallet has a 2400mAh powerbank. The battery also charges just as fast as the normal charger, offering 5V/1.5A of recharging power!
The Look: The wallet looks and feels fantastic. Just like Nomad’s other fancy leather products, the wallet is made from vegetable tanned Horween Leather (they’ve been in the business since 1905!). And if you’ve checked out any of my previous Nomad reviews, then you guessed it… the leather on the wallet also develops a unique, rugged patina as you continue to use it – fully developed at about 60 days. As a refresher, the “patina” that I am referring to is the maturation of the leather as it breaks in from use. Over time, the color will change slightly, developing its own unique marks and look as you carry it around and the leather encounters the elements and the oils and minerals that it picks up from being handled. Normally I have to throw out a cautionary note when recommending the Nomad leather products because they typically go on your phone, which is much more susceptible to nicks and wear-marks, but not this day. Pretty much everyone is accustomed to carrying a leather wallet; it’s just par for the course, and typically, it stays well protected in your pocket most of the time. Wallets aren’t quite as worrisome when it comes to protecting them from the environment as phone cases are, so really I don’t see a downside to recommending this product for just about anyone that would normally be inclined to carry a wallet.
The Bells and Whistles: The Nomad Bi-Fold wallet is rocking six (6) individual card slots, which can be double-stacked if you really need to – just be careful not to stretch them out too much. The wallet has two additional slots inside the wallet where you can stow an extra card or two if you need to as well. I have mine fully loaded out and it doesn’t make the wallet too bulky or cumbersome, which was a concern of mine. Typically I’ve carried tri-fold wallets in the past, so adding too much of anything to the wallet would compromise the profile and make them exceptionally bulky, but that doesn’t really happen with this wallet. As you can see from the pictures, in the middle of the wallet is the fancy lighting charging cable, which docks safely in its dedicated shroud. Again, even though the guarantee is that it will fully charge an iPhone 8 or previous non-plus model phone, it will still go the distance and give you a solid charge on even the iPhone Plus or X series. It won’t get you to 100%, but it will get you more than 50%, which is a nicety. The powerbank is tucked away into the spine of the wallet, which doesn’t compromise the form factor or utility of the wallet. In all seriousness, the built in powerbank actually helps you get to the main wallet slot. It was nearly impossible to get dollar bills into my previous wallet – Ok, I don’t have many dollar bills, but when I had one or two I couldn’t slide them into the wallet. Lol. It is ridiculously easy to get your dollar bills (or euros, or other paper-based currency) into this wallet. The product is actually advertised as being able to hold the 500 euro bill, which is reportedly the largest bill size in the world – unfortunately I couldn’t convince Nomad to send me one to test it out… *sigh*.
Conclusion: This wallet is a refreshing, and fantastic accessory to your day-to-day life. The wallet is made from top-notch material and is as efficient as it is good looking. It’s made from quality materials, and goes a step further in bringing wallets into the 21st century by incorporating the charging capability. It’s a simple concept but Nomad pulled it off well, and with style. I used the charging feature several times over the past week while I was sitting at work. Yes, I have a charger at work, but it’s so much more convenient to plug my phone into my wallet as it sits on my desk, than it is to run a 6ft charging cable from the wall – true story. All in all, I love the wallet and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is in the market for a new wallet.
Pros:
- It’s made from quality Horween leather and looks amazing
- It has a built in powerbank to keep your phone topped up and ready for life’s adventures
- The materials and craftsmanship are top-notch
- Has ample storage space for plenty of cards, ID’s, and cash.
Cons:
- It’s expensive…
- It’s leather, which means it’s not waterproof and is susceptible to blemishes
- It doesn’t support Android phones
- It’s a fairly large wallet, but it still fit into all of my various pant/shorts pockets.
Conclusion: If you’re interested in picking up one of these sweet wallets, check them out on Nomad’s website: https://forums.imore.com/e?link=htt...eather-charging-wallet-bi-fold&token=qiX5phCV - where you can grab one for $99.99 (make sure you click the pop-up option to save an extra 10% off. it's also available in a slim design. Both wallets only come in the Rustic Brown color. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section.
First things first, when I began reviewing different phones and phone accessory items, never did I think that one of the things I would be reviewing would be a leather wallet with an iPhone charger built in… but here I am. Say hello to the Nomad Bi-Fold Charging Wallet. Not only is the leather the same fantastic quality as their phone cases, but they found a way to incorporate a built-in power bank for your iPhone 8 as well! It will work for other iPhone devices, but the powerbank only has enough juice to guarantee a full charge on the iPhone 8 or previous iterations of non-plus models. Interested yet?
Practicality: I’m a big fan of finding products that find ways to take the ordinary, and make them exemplary; this product does just that. There are many times when I find myself out away from home or a place to keep my phone topped off, and the security of knowing I have a way to recharge my phone right in my pocket is not only comforting, but a necessity some days. I love the iPhone 8. I even had the iPhone X for quite a while and I ditched it to go back to the iPhone 8. However, I have always had one drawback with the smaller series iPhones; the batteries are so small! Not that it won’t truck along for most of the day, but when I really need to squeeze some additional usage out of my phone, I definitely worry about whether it’s going to last until I get home. Well, thanks to Nomad’s new Bi-Fold wallet, I never have to worry about that again. In addition to recharging your iPhone 8, the powerbank still has a little bit of juice leftover in case of emergencies. The iPhone 8 has an 1821mAh battery, and the Nomad wallet has a 2400mAh powerbank. The battery also charges just as fast as the normal charger, offering 5V/1.5A of recharging power!
The Look: The wallet looks and feels fantastic. Just like Nomad’s other fancy leather products, the wallet is made from vegetable tanned Horween Leather (they’ve been in the business since 1905!). And if you’ve checked out any of my previous Nomad reviews, then you guessed it… the leather on the wallet also develops a unique, rugged patina as you continue to use it – fully developed at about 60 days. As a refresher, the “patina” that I am referring to is the maturation of the leather as it breaks in from use. Over time, the color will change slightly, developing its own unique marks and look as you carry it around and the leather encounters the elements and the oils and minerals that it picks up from being handled. Normally I have to throw out a cautionary note when recommending the Nomad leather products because they typically go on your phone, which is much more susceptible to nicks and wear-marks, but not this day. Pretty much everyone is accustomed to carrying a leather wallet; it’s just par for the course, and typically, it stays well protected in your pocket most of the time. Wallets aren’t quite as worrisome when it comes to protecting them from the environment as phone cases are, so really I don’t see a downside to recommending this product for just about anyone that would normally be inclined to carry a wallet.
The Bells and Whistles: The Nomad Bi-Fold wallet is rocking six (6) individual card slots, which can be double-stacked if you really need to – just be careful not to stretch them out too much. The wallet has two additional slots inside the wallet where you can stow an extra card or two if you need to as well. I have mine fully loaded out and it doesn’t make the wallet too bulky or cumbersome, which was a concern of mine. Typically I’ve carried tri-fold wallets in the past, so adding too much of anything to the wallet would compromise the profile and make them exceptionally bulky, but that doesn’t really happen with this wallet. As you can see from the pictures, in the middle of the wallet is the fancy lighting charging cable, which docks safely in its dedicated shroud. Again, even though the guarantee is that it will fully charge an iPhone 8 or previous non-plus model phone, it will still go the distance and give you a solid charge on even the iPhone Plus or X series. It won’t get you to 100%, but it will get you more than 50%, which is a nicety. The powerbank is tucked away into the spine of the wallet, which doesn’t compromise the form factor or utility of the wallet. In all seriousness, the built in powerbank actually helps you get to the main wallet slot. It was nearly impossible to get dollar bills into my previous wallet – Ok, I don’t have many dollar bills, but when I had one or two I couldn’t slide them into the wallet. Lol. It is ridiculously easy to get your dollar bills (or euros, or other paper-based currency) into this wallet. The product is actually advertised as being able to hold the 500 euro bill, which is reportedly the largest bill size in the world – unfortunately I couldn’t convince Nomad to send me one to test it out… *sigh*.
Conclusion: This wallet is a refreshing, and fantastic accessory to your day-to-day life. The wallet is made from top-notch material and is as efficient as it is good looking. It’s made from quality materials, and goes a step further in bringing wallets into the 21st century by incorporating the charging capability. It’s a simple concept but Nomad pulled it off well, and with style. I used the charging feature several times over the past week while I was sitting at work. Yes, I have a charger at work, but it’s so much more convenient to plug my phone into my wallet as it sits on my desk, than it is to run a 6ft charging cable from the wall – true story. All in all, I love the wallet and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is in the market for a new wallet.
Pros:
- It’s made from quality Horween leather and looks amazing
- It has a built in powerbank to keep your phone topped up and ready for life’s adventures
- The materials and craftsmanship are top-notch
- Has ample storage space for plenty of cards, ID’s, and cash.
Cons:
- It’s expensive…
- It’s leather, which means it’s not waterproof and is susceptible to blemishes
- It doesn’t support Android phones
- It’s a fairly large wallet, but it still fit into all of my various pant/shorts pockets.
Conclusion: If you’re interested in picking up one of these sweet wallets, check them out on Nomad’s website: https://forums.imore.com/e?link=htt...eather-charging-wallet-bi-fold&token=qiX5phCV - where you can grab one for $99.99 (make sure you click the pop-up option to save an extra 10% off. it's also available in a slim design. Both wallets only come in the Rustic Brown color. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section.
Last edited:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram