You can never have enough charging cables, especially if you have an iPhone. If you’ve been a longtime iPhone user, you can relate to the frustration of its terrible battery life. I have an iPhone 6S and my phone will die everyday at around 5 PM like clockwork. My solution is to have an iPhone charging cable at every location I spend a majority of my time. I have one at work, my room, my lab bench, my car, and one I carry for my portable battery. This might seem like overkill, but it works for me. Due to the abundance of Lightning cables, I have some experience into what to look for. My first recommendation would be to never buy a replacement Lightning cable from Apple. The price is 2-3 times more expensive than other third-party cables that are of similar quality. On that note, let’s take a look at a third-party cable from iXCC.
A worthy third-party replacement?
iXCC is one of the largest sellers on Amazon. If you’re like many Amazon customers who buy products based on the number of reviews and star rating, you’re in luck. The Element Series Lightning cable is an extremely popular charging cable with a staggering 29,969 customer reviews and a 4.4 star rating. Is this Lightning cable really as good as 30,000 people say it is?
The Element Series Lightning cable comes in simple packaging with just the Lightning cable. There are four different lengths to choose from: 1 feet, 3 feet, 6 feet, and 10 feet. I have the 6 feet model, which is the perfect size for my room. I like to look at my phone while laying in bed and I don’t like to be restricted by the shorter cables. iXCC offers a 2-year warranty to replace cables that experience wear and tear. For more information about the 2-year warranty, click here.
The design of iXCC’s Lightning cable looks exactly like the official Apple Lightning cable with the exception of the iXCC logo on the ends. The iXCC Lightning cable is Apple MFi certified, which means it was approved by Apple’s independent testing facility to charge Apple products. This is important because third party cables who do not have this certification could cause irreversible damage to your phone. The Lightning cable supplies up to 2.4A and is compatible with all iPhone, iPod, and iPad models who have the Lighting port. It will work with the official Apple power adapter that comes with a new iPhone. It also works great with iXCC’s 24W wall charger that has two ports and is half the price of Apple’s power adapter at $9.99 on Amazon.
Impressions
This is one of the better third-party Lighting cable replacements. The reinforcement on the cable ends that provide strain relief look slightly thicker than the standard iPhone Lightning cable. If you want better durability, I would opt out for a braided cable option. However, if you take care of your cable and prevent bending it at extreme angles, this cable should last you a while. The neck of the Lightning connector is relatively thin and I would feel confident that it would fit in most cases.
The price is what really makes this cable great. It is only $8.49 for the 6 feet model and $5.99 for the 3 feet model. In comparison, the Lightning cable that comes with your iPhone is 1 meter (~3 feet) and costs $19.00. You can grab three of iXCC’s 3 feet cables for the same price as one of Apple’s Lightning cables. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have three cables to use in different location or backups in case the cable breaks.
Overall
iXCC’s Element Series Lightning cable is worth every penny. I have to agree with the 21,000 five star reviews that love this cable. It is reliable, cheap, and Apple MFi certified. The common lengths of 3 feet and 6 feet are only $5.99 and $8.49 on Amazon. With all Amazon products, it is eligible for free two day shipping with Amazon Prime. Don’t take my word for it, grab one today. For more information on iXCC, click here.
-
Price
-
Durability
-
Reliability
-
Design