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Anker includes a versatile little cable tie right in the box. This is your standard velcro tie, but it has a small tab cut out that affixes it to the cable when it’s unwrapped, letting you easily take it with you. Price: Affordable, but not budget There’s just one downside: Native Union only seems to offer these cables in 10-foot lengths, which charged our test devices five to 10 minutes slower than more typical 4- to 6-foot cables. If speed isn’t of the essence, though, the practical design here may be well worth that small sacrifice. There is a USB-C version for faster charging as well, though we didn’t test that model ourselves. Strength In Numbers: Extreme reinforcement ensures internal wiring is protected to keep phones charging—able to support over 175 lb (80kg).
Anker PowerLine II Lightning Cable Review: A Colorful Anker PowerLine II Lightning Cable Review: A Colorful
It has reinforced the wires inside to give an added layer of protection beyond the outer rubber. In fact, Anker claims you can support up to 175 pounds of pulling force. Charge Fast: MFi certification and strict quality testing ensure your Apple devices are charged safely, at their fastest possible speed. We did find Belkin’s cables to be a bit more flexible than Anker’s slightly stiffer offering — but with only a two-year warranty, we thought the Ankers were a better buy for just about everyone. Belkin offers these cables in both USB-C and USB-A variants. Over the course of a month, we tested each of these cables with our iPhone 7, iPhone 8 Plus and 9.7-inch iPad Pro using a number of different metrics. Most important to a charging cable is, of course, its ability to charge and transfer data at a reasonable rate. So we used each cable in conjunction with a 65-watt power adapter to charge our devices from dead to 50%, timing the result. We also used them to transfer a 1.5GB video file from our computer to the device using iTunes, timing the process as well. It also comes with a leather snapping strap for coiling the cable, though our model was already flaking when we took it out of its brand-new box, which didn’t inspire a ton of confidence. Belkin also offers a USB-A version of this cable in a few lengths and colors, though we didn’t test that version ourselves.
Belkin’s standard BoostCharge cables are similar to Anker’s Powerline II — no frills, just good cables at a good price. They use the same standard rubber sheath you’d find on other cables in this price range, and the same standard joints.
Anker 321 USB-A to Lightning Cable (3ft 3-in-1) - Anker US Anker 321 USB-A to Lightning Cable (3ft 3-in-1) - Anker US
Mophie’s USB-C and USB-A cables offer a braided design in three different lengths, but otherwise didn’t stand out much from the competition — they’re thinner than Anker’s cables without being more flexible, and the warranty lasts only two years. But they performed well in our tests, so if you like the design, they’ll do the job. Satechi’s cable is clearly designed to be a durable monster, similar to Nomad’s Kevlar cables. However, while the Satechi performed just as well as its competition in charging and data transfer, we found it much stiffer than every other cable we tested, without the extra-strong joints of the Nomad cables. It’s a good option — we just prefer the more flexible nature of the other cables we tested. Anker’s latest cable is called the Powerline III Flow, no doubt because of the cable’s unparalleled flexibility. Unlike the typical hard rubber you tend to find in charging cables, the Powerline III flow uses an incredibly soft silica gel, and flexes freely in a way no other cable we tested could match. Thankfully, all of our MFi Certified cables performed comparably in both scenarios — on fast charging devices, all the USB-C cables we tested charged to 50% in around a half hour as promised by Apple, with all the USB-A cables taking longer but performing within a few minutes of each other. Data transfers were also similar, with every cable taking roughly the same amount of time to transfer data to both our iPhone and our iPad. As such, we were able to mostly eliminate charge and data transfer speeds from our evaluation, with the exception of the differences between USB-C and USB-A (USB-C was a bit faster, even on our non-fast-charging iPad Pro, than USB-A cables). The Native Union cable was the only cable to exhibit noticeably slower charging speeds, most likely due to its length, which was significantly longer than the other cables we tested.Apple official:The official Lightning cable from Apple is a good deal more expensive for lower durability, but official compatibility is a selling point. Everyone knows the frustration of unplugging a cable from your phone only to have the cable fall off the end of the table into the abyss behind your desk. Native Union’s cables attempt to solve this problem with a weighted knot that you can slide along the cable to keep it in its place. It’s incredibly practical, and very stylish, thanks to the braided shield that comes in multiple colors and patterns. Ultimate Durability: Lasts 12x longer than other Lightning cables and proven to withstand over 12,000 bends in strict laboratory tests. Apple’s own Lightning cables are thinner and more flexible than the competition, with extremely small connectors on the end. These may seem like boons, but Apple’s own cables have also earned a reputation for being easier to break and fray — so while both the USB-C and USB-A cables performed well in our tests, we think most people would be better off with a more durable option from a third party.
Anker USB C to Lightning Cable, Powerline II [3ft+6ft+10ft, 3
After publication, Belkin sent us another cable, which exhibited no fraying out of the box. They tell us this isn’t a common issue, and they’re looking into it.A Cable for Life: We’re so confident about Powerline II’s long-lasting performance that we gave it a hassle-free, lifetime warranty. To show our belief in PowerLine II Lightning Cable, we are offering a hassle-free replacement for all quality issues. Not for half a year, not for 18 months, but for an entire lifetime. It may be the last cable you’ll ever need to buy. MFi certification means total peace of mind because PowerLine II is completely Apple authorized. Designed to work flawlessly with iPhone, iPad, iPod or any device with a Lightning port.
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