This review is about the Nomad Tracking Card and the Horween leather Card Wallet. You probably know Nomad from their great accessories for the Apple Watch, your phone or their charging solutions. But they also make other great and very stylish (tech-) gadgets. In this review I’ll tell you about the new Tracking Card I’ve been using with the little Card Wallet for a few weeks now.
Nomad Tracking Card
The Nomad Tracking Card is a gadget you didn’t know you needed (until now!). On of my nightmares is loosing my wallet with my bank cards, drivers licence and ID-card. Losing those is a financial risk, but also a real headache to replace them. So having a gadget to help you find it again when you’ve lost it seems like a great idea. In the past I’ve used my AirTag for that goal, but while the AirTag is small it is quite thick to keep in a wallet. Especially since I havent been using wallets with a pouch for coins, but just the small ones for cards. Nomad have solved that problem with the Tracking Card.
What it is? It is an Apple ‘Find My’ compatible device that is the size of two creditcards stacked together. It boggles my mind how they have been able to fit all that tech inside this small card. The Nomad Tracking Card has all the electronics and antennas to communicate with your (and other) iPhones around you to inform you about its whereabouts. And just as with a normal AirTag it shows its last location. You can also send a signal from your phone to make it play a sound. And you can use the locater function on your phone to find it when you’ve misplaced it somewhere close. In that case it will show the direction and how far away it is.
Using the Tracking Card
Connecting it to your phone is just as easy as an AirTag. Just open the app on your phone, push the button and your iPhone will find it and link it to your account. After that you are done. No hassle and no problems.
The thing that impresses me the most is the power supply of the Nomad Tracking Card. AirTags use CR2032 batteries, that last about a year. But while a CR2032 is small, it still is even thicker than the whole Nomad Tracking Card. That is why Nomad has integrated a battery in the card that you can recharge. And because the card is so thin you couldn’t do that with a normal USB-plug or something like that, but it charges wirelessly using MagSafe! How cool is that! Just pop it on any MagSafe or Qi compatible charger and a small light will inform you that it is charging. It takes just a short time to fill it back up and it lasts a few months on one charge > my mind is blown!
And I love the design with the pcb tracks and small indications in the subtle grey tint on the black background.
Horween Card Wallet
I’ve been using the Nomad Tracking Card in combination with the Nomad Card Wallet. Nomad has a full range of wallets, big and small. And the Card Wallet is the smallest and most basic one. It has room for 3 cards on the outside that you can quickly grab. And in the wallet there is room for up to about 5 regular cards. I’ve put the Nomad Tracking Card in the wallet and have enough room to take some extra cards with me.
As usual the Nomad design is sleek and subtle. The Nomad Card Wallet only features a small logo on the front and is very low key. I’m too old for products that flash their brand name in everyone’s face. I’ll take cool, sleek and understated design over those all the time!
The inside of the Nomad Card Wallet is lined with soft microfiber materials and the leather is reinforces to keep it from stretching and to keep your cards in shape.
Horween leather
The Nomad Wallets are available in different kinds of leather. My Nomad Card Wallet is made from high quality Horween leathers. While the Horween leather is about 20 euro’s more expensive than the normal leather it is worth the extra money if you ask me. The leather feels fantastic. When I got it the wallet was a little stiff but after just a few days I could feel it getting more supple and comfortable to use and hold.
As stated on the Nomad website:
Our Horween leather is minimally treated with natural oils and waxes and is therefore prone to scuffing and marking in the first few months of use. With time, scuffs and marks will buff out into a rich and lustrous patina. If you’re looking for a perfect finish, this is not the wallet for you. If you’re after an authentic leather patina, this is absolutely the wallet for you.
I love this! After just a few days of use you start to see the leather get a little patina and small marks. This adds to the character of the wallet in my opinion. If I want it to look new all the time and without character I would have chosen some kind of synthetic material.
Combining the Card Wallet and Tracking Card
As you might expect, this is a great and stylish combination. The Nomad Tracking Card fits in the wallet like a glove and leaves enough room to add more cards when needed. And the Nomad Tracking Card works like a charm. If I’ve lost my wallet I can easily find it and I can’t get over how cool it is you can just charge it wirelessly. I also love that it just works and works just as good as a AirTag with Apples ‘Find My’ service.
The Nomad Card Wallet is also great, because of the small size it fits in my pocket perfectly and protects my cards from wear. And I can keep it with me all of the time. And the Tracking Card gives some extra security and convenience when you’ve misplaced it. Well recommended.