A Quick Look: The micro-USB NomadKey is an evolution of an incredibly convenient design

Today we’re going to take a quick look at the NomadKey from Nomad. If the name Nomad seems familiar, it’s because we’ve taken a look at their ChargeKey and NomadClip products before. The NomadKey is essentially an evolution of the ChargeKey after what seems like a bit of rebranding by Nomad, so let’s jump in and check out what’s changed.

The NomadKey is Nomad’s newest conveniently sized charging cable. Available in both micro-USB and Lightning cable, the NomadKey is designed to be put on your keychain and used in cause of emergency when charging or data transfer is needed. At first glance, the NomadKey looks incredibly similar to the ChargeKey, but there are some very key (excuse the pun) differences. For one, the USB end of the NomadKey is now a fully-formed USB, not the half USB of the ChargeKey. Presumably this reduces the chance of things chipping off while in your pocket next to nasty things like your keys.

NomadKey – left; ChargeKey – right

The other thing you will notice is that the NomadKey is somewhat thicker around the rubber area. This gives it a much more sturdy feeling while still giving it the freedom to bend in whatever position you deem necessary.

Probably one of the most prominent changes is the loophole where the NomadKey can be mounted onto keychains. It’s become a lot thicker, reducing the opportunities for it to break off and helps to make the NomadKey look a lot more like, well, a key.

Overall, it looks like the NomadKey has evolved in all the right places and given us a much improved device that should be able to survive anything our pocket (and keys) throw at them. The NomadKey can be pre-ordered now from hellonomad.com – itÂ will cost you $29 USD a pop and they’ll start shipping out on October 15th. If you buy 2 or more, shipping is free – shipping for one is a $5 flat rate. You can also pre-order Nomad’s other gadgets, the NomadClip and NomadPlus, both of which cost $39 USD.