AFERIY Nomad 1800 Pro with Expansion Battery review | Tech Radar

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AFERIY Nomad 1800 Pro with Expansion Battery review

A capable portable power station that delivers excellent value, even if it lacks the polish of the market leaders

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The AFERIY Nomad 1800 Pro is proof that you don't need to spend flagship money to get a highly capable portable power station. It combines a 1,800W pure sine wave inverter with Li Fe PO₄ battery technology, expandable capacity and sensible charging options, making it a strong choice for home backup, camping or workshop use. While the hardware performs well, the overall experience is held back by average material quality, an underwhelming companion app and the inevitable uncertainty that comes with buying into a relatively young brand.

-Material quality feels a step behind premium rivals

Material quality feels a step behind premium rivals

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The Nomad 1800 Pro makes a positive first impression as a portable power station. It's compact, easy to carry and has a clean industrial design that looks at home in a garage, campervan or utility room.

Look a little closer, however, and some cost-saving measures become apparent.

The plastics are perfectly functional but don't quite offer the reassuring solidity you'd expect from a premium product. Nothing feels fragile, yet the overall finish lacks the refinement found on more established alternatives.

The weakest point is the power button. It has a soft, almost hollow action that doesn't inspire confidence, particularly as it's the one control you'll use every time you switch the unit on.

Fortunately, AFERIY makes some smart decisions elsewhere. Using a standard IEC C13 "kettle lead" for AC charging is a welcome choice, eliminating the need for proprietary charging cables. Likewise, the XT60 solar input means compatible solar panels are easy to source without hunting for obscure adapters.

Expansion is one of the Nomad's strongest selling points.

The additional battery connects using an impressively substantial cable, and the connector itself is particularly well designed. A push-to-release mechanism combined with a sliding lock prevents accidental disconnection while remaining easy to remove when required.

The expansion system is also future-proofed, allowing multiple batteries to be daisy chained together for significantly increased capacity.

The expansion battery serves only as additional storage and doesn't provide any extra output ports of its own. More noticeable is the length of the connection cable, which protrudes around 30cm from the rear of both units. Anyone planning to install the batteries beneath a workbench or inside cabinetry will need to account for the extra depth.

Port selection is generally sensible but not perfect.

USB-C connectivity feels limited, with just one 20W port alongside a single 140W Power Delivery output. Given the growing number of USB-C powered devices, another high-power port would have been far more useful.

The inclusion of several 12V barrel outputs is also difficult to justify. While some specialist equipment still relies on barrel connectors, most modern devices either use USB-C or their supplied AC adapters, making these ports feel like a missed opportunity for additional USB connectivity.

Where it matters most, the Nomad performs extremely well.

The inverter comfortably powers demanding appliances, charging is quick, and overall operation is quiet and dependable. Day-to-day use inspires confidence, with no unexpected behavior during testing.

The integrated LED light is useful enough for finding tools or navigating around a campsite after dark, but it's very much a basic utility feature rather than a dedicated work light. It does the job, but little more.

The companion app is easily the weakest part of the ownership experience.

Once connected, the app is functional but lacks polish. Navigation feels clunky, some menu layouts appear unfinished and there are the occasional interface glitches that suggest the software still needs refinement.

Everything required to monitor and control the power station is present, but the overall experience feels more utilitarian than premium.

For a company still building its ecosystem, improving the software should be a clear priority.

Its hardware specifications compare remarkably well with considerably more expensive products, and if purchased during one of the frequent online promotions, it becomes exceptionally competitive.

While there are areas where refinement is lacking, it's difficult to argue with the amount of capability on offer for the asking price.

The AFERIY Nomad 1800 Pro is an impressive portable power station that gets the fundamentals right. Electrical performance is excellent, the expansion system is thoughtfully engineered and practical touches such as the IEC C13 charging lead and XT60 solar input make day-to-day ownership refreshingly straightforward.

At the same time, it's clear that AFERIY is still a relatively young company. The hardware lacks some of the refinement expected at the premium end of the market, the power button feels oddly inexpensive, and the companion app is in need of further development.

None of these shortcomings undermine what is otherwise a capable and well-priced product. In fact, they're largely overshadowed by the Nomad's excellent value, dependable performance and flexible expansion options.

For buyers willing to accept a few rough edges in exchange for impressive capability at a competitive price, the AFERIY Nomad 1800 Pro earns an easy recommendation—and suggests AFERIY is a brand well worth watching over the coming years.

You want excellent performance without paying premium prices.
You appreciate standard connectors like IEC C13 and XT60.
You need reliable portable power for home, workshop or camping.
A polished mobile app is high on your priority list.
You rely heavily on multiple USB-C powered devices.
You prefer the reassurance of a long-established brand.

My interest has been piqued by everything electronic since a young age, with a penchant for the dark art of tearing things apart. My daily duty is to marry software and hardware modules and I have to admit that this is much harder than cooking. When I’m not busy at work, I’m on the lookout for the latest and greatest hack! I am passionate about portable power generators (or power stations) as well as maker products such as the Raspberry Pi and any similar SBC (single board computers)

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AFERIY Nomad 1800 Pro with Expansion Battery review
A capable portable power station that delivers excellent value, even if it lacks the polish of the market leaders