Nomad Goods Universal Cable for Apple Watch Review: The Holy Grail of Apple Device Charging

Nomad Goods Universal Cable for Apple Watch Review: This is the cable Apple wishes it had designed.. and they would have charged twice the price!

{Tech} for Travel

In recent months, covering Nomad Goods involved controlling my spending urge, as each new limited edition dropped for Apple Watch and/or iPhone.

They have been on fire with new colourways. They are taking a break from their Horween Leather accessories and focusing on the popular FKM rubber Sports Straps and Cases.

The Blruple Edition Sports Strap was a personal favourite of mine, whilst Limited Edition runs of Summer Sports and the ever-popular Glow Series have kept Nomad at the top of the Apple accessories list.

Nomad has long been in the power business, too, with a solid lineup of adapters, cables and wireless charging stations, some of which I’ve reviewed before. However, the new Universal Cable for Apple Watch might be the game-changer that cements Nomad as the ultimate accessory brand for Apple fans.

The Nomad Universal Cable for Apple Watch isn’t just another charging wire; it’s a charging cable built for Apple Users. It is Apple MFi Certified, features braided Kevlar weave insulation and boasts an Apple Watch charging Puck on the cable.

This leaves each end free for a USB-C connector, and for good reason. The Nomad Universal Cable for Apple Watch can handle up to 100W PD charging from a power socket and supports device-to-device charging. So, if your Watch or AirPods are running low on power, plug the Cable into an iPhone or any device with a USB-C port to juice up your devices without a wall socket.

How you use the cable is really up to you or your situation. Making it genuinely universal!

The high-quality Watch Charging Puck is finished in Nomad’s signature Carbide colourway, which appears just a shade lighter this time out and has a subtle shine.

At launch, the Nomad Universal Cable for Apple Watch is available in only one size: 1.5m. It comes with an integrated silicone cable tie.

I was fortunate to receive a Nomad Goods Universal Cable for Apple Watch review unit in January, so I used it for a few weeks before its release on February 4th.

Nomad needed to get the toughness of the cable right. At $100/£85, it’s a sizeable investment for many, and the great news is Nomad has nailed it. I used the cable coiled up with the silicone strap, keeping it in a neat reel for most of the review period, and it’s still almost perfectly round.

That strong, double-braided Kevlar® outer weave will not wear or fray anytime soon, even though I was throwing it into my backpack with no other protection. Yet, I undo the strap, and it lays flat without effort.

Another design feature Nomad has right is the USB-C connectors on either end of the cable. These connectors allow additional clearance to connect to a port firmly when a phone has a case on. I test many different cables and often have to remove my phone case to get a secure connection.

Nomad has likely designed the Universal Cable for Apple Watch with its cases in mind, such as the Sports or Rugged Case range, as they both have a deeper base.

Power Delivery

At 100W PD, this cable can charge most devices, including entry-level laptops that charge via USB-C.

I achieved full fast charging on a flat iPhone 15 Pro from a 146W power adapter, matching Nomad’s claim that the cable will deliver full power on a single device charge.

I added my Apple Watch, immediately diverted the power to the Puck, and started the charging cycle. By design, Nomad has built the Universal Cable to prioritise charging the Puck first. This is true no matter where the power is sourced from, whether it’s a wall socket or a USB-C port on a MacBook Pro.

It’s worth noting that despite being a cable-mounted puck, its magnetic pull is impressive. It kept my Apple Watch in place and charging when I grabbed my laptop to move around the office.

Is This the Best Travel Charging Cable? For frequent travellers with two or more Apple devices, the Nomad Goods Universal Cable is a no-brainer and possibly the best investment you could make for your iDevices this year.

It is one of the toughest cables I’ve tested, certainly in the last year or so. Even after a month of travel and daily use, the Nomad Goods Universal Cable for Apple Watch still looks box-fresh!

For everyone else, it comes down to the need for the Puck. Apple Watch only works with an iPhone, but AirPods and AirPods Pro are more widely used. This could make the Nomad Universal Cable for Apple Watch a cable they might consider to travel with. And remember, it will charge any USB-C device.

Features	Nomad Goods Universal Cable for Apple Watch
Dimensions	1.5m length
Weight	Approx. 100g
Colour Options	Carbide
Charging Connector	USB-C to USB-C Integrated Apple Watch Charging Puck
Cable Material	Double-braided Kevlar® outer weave
Compatibility	Apple iPhone 15 & above Apple Watch Series 1-10, Ultra, SE Fast charging only for Apple Watch Series 7-10, Ultra 1+2 AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods 4 Any USB-C powered devices
In the Box	Cable
Website	Nomad Goods

The Nomad Goods Universal Cable for Apple Watch, released on February 4th, is available now for $100/£85 only at nomadgoods.com.