Very affordable
Great color options
Solid durability
Overly simplistic package
Unexciting design
Cheap material
Design
Durability and Build Quality
Charging Speed
Features and Accessories
Price
Competition
Final Verdict
Specs
Design: No frills, with a few color options
This version is about the most basic you can get, with a smooth rubber covering most of its length, with a hard rounded plastic leading up to each connector. It’s actually not that different from the official Apple cable in most of its design accents. The USB logo on the USB-A end is just a little bit bigger and more noticeable. You can buy this particular Lightning cable in white, which we tested (it’s slightly less pristine than the official Apple white), black, royal blue, red, and a nice medium gray. This variation in color gives you a nice way to customize your cable to your style—something you can’t normally with Lightning cables.
The cable did feel solid, and we saw little-to-no differences from when we unboxed it and after a week of use.
Durability and Build Quality: Decently solid, but nothing particularly groundbreaking
Because this cable is designed and built out of the standard layer of rubber, you won’t get any levels of unusually high strength, like you’d get from the other third-party cables that promise “unbreakable” status. The texture of the rubber is a little smoother and not quite as grippy as you’ll find on some cables. In our opinion, this makes it a better cable, as it doesn’t get as easily tangled. It’s a little bit more rigid, which means you can’t coil it up as nicely as a softer cable, but it should withstand more abuse.
Charging Speed: Pretty standard, nothing special
In our opinion, this makes it a better cable, as it doesn’t get as easily tangled. It’s a little bit more rigid, which means you can’t coil it up as nicely as a softer cable, but it should withstand a bit more abuse.
Features and Accessories: Not much to speak of, and that’s okay
Price: Amazingly affordable for the build quality
Competition: Not too many options for this price point
Apple (official): As mentioned, this is double the price, shorter, and has a softer, more premium-feeling rubber. We wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re keen on getting the peace of mind of an official Apple product.
Anker PowerLine+: For right around the same price as an official Apple cable, you can get Anker’s top-of-the-line cable, that comes with a carrying pouch and impressive durability.
Similar Products We’ve Reviewed:
- Anker PowerLine II
- Kinps 10-foot Lightning Cable
- Syncwire Lightning Cable
Affordable and capable alternative to costly cables.
