At a glance
Expert's Rating
Pros
- 6-in-1 charging
- 245W max power
- 140W PD 3.1
- Qi2 15W wireless
- Small footprint
Cons
- No U.K. version
Our Verdict
As any good charging station should, this compact 245W model reduces the number of chargers hanging off power sockets and, with two integrated retractable cables, it further reduces desk clutter.
Price When Reviewed
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Best Pricing Today
Best Prices Today: Baseus Nomos 6-in-1 245W Charging Station (NH21)
Charging devices is a daily chore/routine for just about everyone outside of the Amish community and that means plugs in sockets and cables dangling all over the place… when you have the correct cable to hand, of course.
Us Apple users may need to charge their MacBook, iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch—probably not all at the same time but certainly concurrently at different times of the day. Maybe you even own a VisionPro.
There are plenty of multi-device wireless chargers available—we’ve reviewed the best wireless chargers elsewhere on Macworld. We have also tested and reviewed the best USB-C chargers for iPhone and the best Mac chargers. Devices like the Baseus Nomos, reviewed here, blur the line between the two, as does Ugreen’s 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station, which features three USB charging ports and an adjustable magnetic wireless charging pad. That’s the charger in front of me at my desk most days. It allows me to charge my MacBook and at least one iPhone at the same time—all I have to do is locate the USB-C charging cable for the Mac.
Baseus’s Nomos Charging Stations goes a step or two further, and the latest 6-in-1 model (NH21 to its friends) has a maximum power output of 245W with Qi2 15W magnetic wireless charger and two retractable 100W cables.
Simon Jary
Charging strength
A charging station should first be inspected for its power out ports.
- 2x Retractable USB-C cables (100W)
- 2x USB-C ports (140W)
- USB-A port (18W)
- Qi2 wireless: 15W
- Max output: 245W
That’s a decent set of ports at a fast-charging pace.
The two PD 3.1 (140W) USB-C ports can each fast-charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro, although not two at the same time as the maximum power output for the charging station is 245W. That is just enough to simultaneously fast-charge a 16-inch and a 14-inch Pro: 140W and 100W.
A more likely scenario is to fast-charge any MacBook plus your iPhone wirelessly at the same time. That still leaves you with about 65W to spare for your iPad and various other devices.
Place the charger on an office desk and you could use it to charge four medium-sized MacBooks at the same time: three at 65W and one at 45W.
Unless you really need two laptops fast-charging at the same time as your iPhone, 245W should be plenty. For a higher output, look at a multi-port charger such as Ugreen’s desktop Nexode chargers. The $199 300W Nexode Desktop Charger has four USB-C and one USB-A, the $249 500W Nexode Desktop Charger has four USB-C and one USB-A. Neither has a wireless charging pad like the Baseus Nomus, however, let alone the retractable cables.
There are at least 36 output variations depending on your needs for each port. Using five ports at the same time might involve three USB-C at 65W each, 15W wireless and 18W USB-A, or you could go for one 140W USB-C, three at 20W, 15W wireless and 18W USB-A.
Whichever way, max output is limited to 245W.
Baseus
Note that the 18W indicated in the user manual for the USB-A port represents the universal fast-charging output that applies across all devices and charging protocols. For devices that support specific fast-charging protocols, such as SCP or FCP, the USB-A port can reach a peak of up to 22.5W. As the iPhone doesn’t support these charging protocols, we have listed it as 18W.
The wireless charging pad utilizes Qi2 technology for a 15W maximum power. Later Qi2 25W tech would have faster charged your iPhone wirelessly, but you could connect a cable if you need the speediest iPhone charging. Also, 25W is available for only the iPhone 16 and later: see which wireless tech is best for your iPhone.
Baseus has two existing charging station models that offer 15W wireless plus a variety of ports.
The $129.99 Baseus Nomos 5-in-1 Charging Station has three USB ports plus one retractable cable, with a max power output of 160W. The $69.99 Baseus Nomos 8-in-1 Charging Station has a maximum USB output of just 67W but three useful AC power sockets. Both, like the 245W model have 15W Qi2 magnetic wireless charging stands.
The 245W Nomos Charging station therefore offers a significant boost in overall power, plus two handy cables, although no AC power sockets.
Simon Jary
Design
Each of the Baseus charging stations mentioned above have a similar look and are differentiated by the number and variety of ports.
The 15W wireless charging pad is adjustable, able to tilt back to a flat 180 degrees and further. This means you can fold the wireless pad flat into the body of the charger, further reducing the overall volume of the charger, and also allowing you to place a wirelessly charging AirPods case on top.
The 245W NH21 has a small footprint for a 6-in-1 charger: 4.7 x 3.6 x 1.4 inches (12 x 9.8 x 3.5cm). The power supply is pretty chunky so it’s not an easy travel accessory.
You can position your iPhone in either portrait or landscape orientation. In landscape the iPhone is raised about 3 inches (7.5cm) from the desk.
Simon Jary
The retractable cables each measure 2.6 feet (80cm) and are situated on either side of the charging station. The USB-A port is also set to one side, leaving the two USB-C ports are the front.
Press the 3-inch LCD screen button in the center to toggle between real-time data displays of overall power, individual port power and overall performance.
Price
The Baseus Nomos Charging Station 245W (NH21) is priced at $199.99 or €179,99. It is not available in the U.K.
That compares to the aforementioned $149.99 Ugreen 100W GaN Mini MagSafe Power Station, which has a similar 15W wireless charger but two 100W USB-C ports and one 22.5W USB-A port. For the extra $50 with the Baseus you get 140W USB-C instead of 100W (handy for fast-charging the 16-inch MacBook Pro), plus the two retractable 100W cables.
Should you buy the Baseus Nomos Charging Station 245W?
Although you can’t use all the ports at maximum output at the same time—very few multi-port chargers can do so—each is well-powered, with two 140W and two 100W. The 245W max simultaneous power should be plenty for most users, with enough on offer to charge four medium-sized MacBooks at the same time.
As any good charging station should, it reduces the number of chargers hanging off power sockets and with two integrated retractable cables it further reduces desk clutter. And for that we should be thankful.
