Nomad Modern Strap and AirPods Case Bundle
I picked up the Nomad Modern bundle at Best Buy a few days earlier: the sale sign caught my eye, and for $70 I figured I’d check it out. It’s a matching set of leather accessories in a rustic brown: an Apple Watch band and a two-piece AirPods case.
Looks
The rustic brown leather looks really nice and clean against a black buckle and the watch lugs. Inside the band there are stamps for Nomad and Horween Leather Company. The buckle and lugs are matte stainless steel with modern squared-off edges, and the dual loops blend nicely. The AirPods case matches, with the same brown leather sandwiching black plastic (“like a little mini cigar case”).
The watch strap
It attaches like any Apple Watch band by aligning the lugs and sliding them in, but I found the lugs a bit tight: I needed quite a bit of pressure, and sometimes it felt like they were jamming into the watch, so I removed them and reinserted them paying attention to the angle. I like the feel and look of it on my wrist; it feels like a quality strap.
The AirPods case
The AirPods slide right in, you squeeze it together, and the top cover pushes on the same way. Alignment matters: the cutout on the back of the case must be on the back side of the AirPods, or they won’t open correctly. The case gives my normally naked AirPods an upgraded look and hides the scratches on the charging case.
After a few days I noticed a bit of wear on the strap and case. That’s normal for genuine leather, and Nomad even says on the box that a patina will occur; I think it adds character.
Wireless charging
With AirPods (2nd gen) with the wireless charging case, they charge with the case on, just as expected, as soon as you lay them on a wireless pad. The downside: you can’t see the charging indicator light because the Nomad case has no cutout for it, so you rely on your phone for status or a light on your pad.
The big problem: getting the AirPods out
I had a very difficult time removing the AirPods from the case, and resorted to a myriad of tools. I started with what I had in my studio (a drum key and a quarter-inch audio cable) trying to push up from the bottom through the Lightning cutout, then a USB-C cable, then googled. Nomad’s website recommends inserting a Lightning cable into the bottom and pushing up; my fingers kept slipping off the cable, and even gripping it with pliers and pushing up didn’t work. Finally I used a very small screwdriver to pry into the edges at the bottom of the case, working my way around, which created gouges on the bottom of the AirPods and may defeat the purpose of using a case. I’m not too concerned since I normally leave my AirPods naked, but it’s something to consider if you need your devices pristine.
Verdict
A nice-looking set of accessories: the band is clean and elegant, and the case will protect your AirPods as long as you don’t plan on removing them from the case regularly. It’s a nice way to match your watch and AirPods, but if you usually keep your AirPods naked like me, you can probably just get the Nomad Modern strap, which I recommend, instead of the bundle. Do you have recommendations for other Apple Watch straps or AirPods cases?
Links
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