Nomad Pod per Apple Watch

The Pod's setup instructions are overly simple, but setting up the Pod isn't difficult

You can start by placing the Apple Watch charger in the cutout in the Pod, or by plugging the USB end into the Pod's USB port. I recommend starting from the back, plugging the USB side in first. It's a little tricky to get it lined up right, but it didn't take me more than a few seconds to get it plugged in.

Once the USB side of the Apple Watch charging cable is in place, the next step is to wrap the cord around the outside of the Pod until there's little enough cord left that the Apple Watch charger can be put in place through one of nine grooves. 

The circular Pod

The Nomad Pod, with its built-in battery, is one of a small selection of Apple Watch stands able to offer functionality beyond simply holding the Apple Watch charger in a more accessible position.The circular Pod is made up of two pieces: a plastic and aluminum base that holds the Apple Watch charger and cord in place, and an aluminum faceplate that snaps on over the base to hide the cord from view. The Pod is made from brushed aluminum in Silver or Space Gray that matches Apple's MacBook, iPhone, and iPad lineups, and its minimal design will let it fit into almost any decor.

Hockey puck size

Size wise, the Pod fits into the palm of a hand and is quite similar to a hockey puck both in diameter and thickness. It can potentially fit in a generously sized pants pocket or a jacket pocket, but its thickness and round shape makes that less than comfortable. At one side, there's a micro-USB port to charge the Pod itself, a button that activates the Pod's charging function, and a 4-LED indicator for displaying battery life. It also ships with a Nomad-branded micro-USB cable.

The Pod has  battery

The Pod ships with a foam insert, which needs to be used with the stainless steel Apple Watch charger because it's slightly thinner than the plastic charger the Apple Watch Sport ships with. That will make sure the Apple Watch charger sits flush with the Pod when the aluminum cover is in place.

The Pod has an 1,800 mAh battery built in, which Nomad advertises as long enough to "get through a long weekend." That seemed about right in my testing. With the 38mm Apple Watch with a 205mAh battery, I got just over three full charges both times that I tested the Pod with a fully-charged Pod and an Apple Watch that had its battery drained.