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Review: Moshi’s uber-strong USB Cable with Lightning connector

Every Lightning cable starts with the same three parts: a Lightning plug, a USB plug, and a wire to connect them together. The thickness and materials differ, and there may be questions about the reliability of the parts, but the general rule is: if you’ve seen one Lightning cable, you’ve seen them all. Yet Moshi’s USB Cable with Lightning Connector ($25 retail, $22 Amazon Black and White) doesn’t look like any other cable you’ve seen. Although it’s functionally nearly identical to Apple’s standard Lightning to USB Cable, it’s also unique in three ways…

Unlike Apple’s all-plastic version, the USB and Apple-licensed Lightning plug housings are made from really solid-feeling, attractive metal, tapered to nearly the same ultra-case-compatible thinness as Apple’s.

Second, you can choose from handsome gold metal with white cabling, silver metal with white cabling, or a black-cabled gray metal that’s somewhere between Apple’s slate and original space gray in color. 

And finally, a Velcro tab is permanently attached between the connectors, wrapping around itself to manage the resilient-feeling cable’s length. This feature is quite rare for a Lightning cable, and preferable to the coiled cables we’ve tested.

From our standpoint, the choice between a Moshi or Apple Lightning cable is a no-brainer: they work exactly the same way, but Moshi’s cable looks and feels considerably better for a small premium; Amazon’s price is nearly the same as buying an Apple cable. Are there cheaper options? Yes, but you’re getting what you pay for. Moshi’s USB Cable with Lightning Connector is a very good choice.

MSRP: $25 (via Moshi)
Street Price: $22 (via Amazon)
Compatibility: All Lightning iPads, iPhones + iPods

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Comments

  1. vertig0gitrev - 10 years ago

    Yes, so long as they work with your case. The Moshi Lightning connector is slightly larger than Apple’s and thus won’t work with all cases… Like my Otterbox Preserver. It works fine with my wife’s Otterbox Defender however. :-P

  2. trey992 - 10 years ago

    Coming from personal experience, I have never had one of my Apple lightning cables fray at the end. I’ve never had to get one replaced for any reason.

    However, I’ve had the Moshi cable for a while now (got it when it was released), and while I can attest to the design, feel, good looks, etc., I can say that I ezperienced cable fraying with my Moshi cable to the point where the cable no longer worked.

    While I certainly still enjoy the black cable and Velcro strap that is offered, I dont believe there’s any advantage here in terms of longevity or true quality.

  3. tohaklim - 10 years ago

    Lol, uber strong. Not even a special material for housing, will most definitely break near the connector. Looks like a paid posting.
    For strong cable, look at mos spring

  4. Martin Bernardo - 10 years ago

    I brought this Moshi Lightning cable at Powermac. I used it for just a month. After I charged my iPad. The tip of the lightning cable stacked in the charging port of the device. I return it to the store, but they didn’t give me my 6 month warranty. Do not buy Moshi lightning cable. I wasted my 900 pesos on this cable.

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