Overall, this panel fell short in our performance comparisons. What Goal Zero lacks in saving weight and generating ample power, the brand makes up for in their clever design and extra features. If gadgets and versatility is important to you, then the Nomad 7 might be the ticket.
Charge Interruption Recovery
The Nomad 7W performed comparably to the Renogy 5W as it struggled to reengage a charge after being shaded for a few minutes. Both devices didn't manage to charge beyond 2% during the testing period, while the Outad 7W was able to charge to 3% even after being covered for a portion of the time. When we measured the output of the Outad vs. the Nomad during this test, the Outad read 5.05W in full sun while the Nomad only got to 3.6W, which helped the Outad recover a charge more effectively. The Anker PowerPort 21W, Anker Powerport Lite, Instapark Mercury 10, X-Dragon 20, and Nomad earned 8 out of 10s for this metric.
Charging Speed
The Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus surprised us in testing as it charged an iPhone to 33% in 30 minutes. This is impressive, since the Anker 21W also charged the same phone 33% in 30 minutes, showing us the Nomad is a charging machine for its size. For the external battery, the Nomad 7 took four hours to charge it 10%. This number is a little more dismal, but relative to the other mid-capacity panels, its not surprising at all. The Renogy took the same amount of time to charge the battery only 9% and the Outadcharged the external battery to 11% in 4 hours. Needless to say, these small watt panels have trouble charging power hungry devices, so keep that in mind when choosing the best panel for you.
