Nomad, known for its lineup of premium accessories for Apple's devices, today announced the launch of the MagSafe Mount, which is designed to house the MagSafe Charger and keep it secured on a desk.
The MagSafe Mount is made from a solid block of stainless steel with a painted satin finish. There's a cutout at the top that fits a MagSafe Charger, with the charger held in place with microsuction tape. A soft rubber on the bottom keeps your desk protected, but this is a mount only -- you need to supply your own MagSafe Charger.
Nomad sent me a MagSafe Mount ahead of launch, and this thing is heavy, so I was surprised when I was able to pick up my iPhone with the MagSafe Mount still attached some of the time. The Magsafe Mount weighs a mount and a half and I thought that kind of weight would keep it on the desk, but if you grab your iPhone in a certain way, the mount can come up with the iPhone.
You need to make sure to pick up your iPhone from one side first, with the edge that's hanging off the charger, or with a bit of a twist, which many people probably do anyway. You can also use a finger underneath to do a pry up kind of gesture when you pull it up, which is more natural than it sounds. I do typically pick up my iPhone with a side pull, but I wasn't expecting that MagSafe strength.
In just casual use without thinking about it, I only had the MagSafe Mount lift off my desk a couple of times over the weekend, so it wasn't an ongoing issue as long as I was mindful of how I was picking it up. Since the MagSafe Mount is so heavy, though, I'm worried that I might pick it up wrong one day and send it crashing into my desk.
I've only had the MagSafe Mount on hand for a couple of days, so I haven't had the time to determine whether it's something that's going to bother me over time during day to day usage. I suspect most people will get used to picking an iPhone up off of the MagSafe Mount from the top or the bottom or with a finger at the side and it won't be an issue.
I do wish Nomad had used the same microsuction material used on the inside on the outside to give the MagSafe Mount a stronger attachment to a desk or a table so the slight lifting in some circumstances wouldn't have been an issue at all.
The design of the MagSafe Mount made it difficult to get the MagSafe Charger secured in place, and it's really in there. It's an incredibly tight fit, so this is not an accessory that you're going to want to be taking on and off a MagSafe Charger. The microsuction adhesive on the inside makes it even harder to get off, and I have a bruise on the side of my thumb from trying to get it out.
Because the MagSafe Charger fits so tightly inside the MagSafe Mount, it does look great. It resembles a single piece of hardware rather than an attachment, and it's difficult to tell that there are two pieces. It's machined well and it fits precisely. The design has the USB-C cable routing through the middle and into a channel on the bottom, which contributes to the streamlined design.
The way the cord of the MagSafe Charger goes into the MagSafe Mount has me a little concerned for its impact on the life of the cord. The way the MagSafe Mount is designed produces a slight bend in the cord because of the angle that it inserts into the device, and this particular spot is sometimes a point of failure for Apple's cables. I'm not sure if I have a faulty MagSafe Mount or if I did something unusual putting it in or pulling it out, but it's something to be aware of.
Bottom Line
At $50, the Magsafe Mount is an expensive addition to a MagSafe Charger, which is $40 on its own for a total of $90, but it has a decidedly Apple-esque design that melds well with the design of the MagSafe Charger.
Those looking for a permanent desk mounting option may want to consider the MagSafe Mount, but it won't be a good fit for those looking for a solution that makes it easier to move the MagSafe Charger from place to place.
How to Buy
The MagSafe Mount can be purchased from the Nomad website for $50, but our readers can save 20 percent by entering the code MACRUMORS at checkout. This makes the MagSafe Mount $39.96.
Note: Nomad provided MacRumors with a MagSafe Mount for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Article Link: Review: Nomad Launches New $50 Mount for Housing Your MagSafe Charger
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