Customer Reviews

iPod / iPhone USB Data Sync & Charger Retractable Cable

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

This cable works both for syncing (USB 1.1 and 2.0) and for charging your iPod. It can be used to connect the iPod directly to a computer or to any iPod peripherals (such as iPod power adapters/chargers) that use a USB connector. I have only used mine with a 5G (video) iPod, but I imagine it would work just as well with any iPod with a dock connector. Basically, this will work anywhere Apple's own $20.00 non-retractable dock connector cable would.

The cable extends to a full length of approx. 3 feet. It "locks" at its full extension to prevent the retraction mechanism from constantly tugging on your iPod, putting strain on the connectors, pulling it off the table, etc. It has 4 additional "lock" points at shorter lengths (genius idea!) so you can take advantage of that lock mechanism without having the full 3 feet of cord drooping from the iPod.

The build quality is pretty solid. The central housing and retraction mechanism are robust, the cords are flexible but hold their shape over time, and (importantly) the connectors are nicely built -- they fit well and connect smoothly, no forcing or wiggling required to insert them. I've had no problems with data integrity or transfer speeds using this cable, and I've had no trouble using it to charge the iPod either from a PC or from an iPod power adapter (I've read reviews of similar products where people have had trouble either syncing or charging -- not with this product).

I have used mine daily for the last 6 months (extending/retracting it several times a day) and it's seen a fair amount of travel -- and it's still like new. The housing is sound; the cords are completely intact (no cracking or twisting of the plastic covering, no weakness where they join the connectors); the spring hasn't lost any tension (the cords still retract fully); the connectors still connect smoothly.

This cable performs just as well as Apple's own dock connector cable (usually about $20.00) and just as well as any other retractable cables on the market (usually $25.00+ in stores). I'm not one to skimp on quality -- I wouldn't buy an ultra-cheap iPod charger for fear that cheap components might overload and fry the iPod. This is a solid, reliable product, just at an incredibly reasonable price! It's very convenient and cuts down the tangle for travel (or even at your desk). Even if you are worried about somehow breaking it from overuse, go ahead and buy a second -- after all, you can buy 12 or more of these for the price of any similar cable you would see in stores!

The cable they sent me is not what is pictured. I was looking for an inexpensive cable that would fit into my IPhone 3Gs while the case was still on. The cable pictured has an iphone/ipod connector that is rounded like the Apple branded version. Unfortunately, the ones they sent me are completely rectangular, so now I'm forced to shave down the plastic and glue the housing back together. That is precisely what I was trying to avoid.

Being that this product was a mere $.33 when I bought it, I wasn't expecting much. The reviews said mostly positive things about it, but there are times when I speculate the validity of others ill advised opinions. That being said, this product broke my expectations.

The retract feature works much better than I ever thought it would. I have had retractable ethernet cables before that were very cheaply made, resulting in a broken cable and increased latency. This product, on the other hand, is very simply made but with quality components. The retract feature works seemingly flawless.

In addition, I had no problems charging or using data transfer. It connected and transferred flawlessly.

The only thing that bothered me was the high shipping cost. I purchased 3 to have on hand at work/home/laptop bag and paid ~$1 for the product, but a wopping $9 for shipping. Nearly 10x the cost of the product for shipping? That just seems unreasonable.

This unit caused a USB port surge that shut down all USB operated items (keyboards, mouse) on 2 computers in office. Unusable due to this issue. Returning to seller.

this product is dirt cheap and it does a good job at charging, but thats about it. when it comes to retracting the mechanism does not lock and it breaks easily. i got one and upon leaving bad review they sent me a new one, not 5 seconds after opening it the darn thing broke, so now im stuck with a cable which does the job but i guess one cant be picky if its only one cent, if u want a retractable cable this is not the cable for u

Unit arrived with the plastic cover on the rewind hub 50% off center. It's attached with adhesive so it was easy to fix, but it was a sign of poor quality control. The cord works as advertised. However, the rewind mechanism broke the second time that I used it. A piece of plastic came flying out of the central hub as I was extending (I didn't even extend it to full length).

I have a different retractable cord from Belkin (USB) that works just fine. I would spend a few extra bucks to get better quality.

I bought several of these retractable USB cables. I really like the fact that they are retractable and are easy to store. And they do work to sync and charge my iPhone or iPad or iPod with my macbook, or to charge with a power adapter plugged into the wall. The cable simply works very well.

I also like how the cable itself is flat. I like this because I've used this cable to make a simple dock stand for my iPhone. (I actually made several of these docks.) For instance, I would take a plastic jello cafeteria cup, cut a narrow rectangular hole in the bottom of the cup, turn the cup upside down, and insert the connector of the cable into the narrowly cut hole, and have the rest of the flat cable run out from under the upside-down cup that is now turned into a dock for my iPhone. You would have to take the cable out of the retractor mechanism and also pull out and remove the hooks from the sides of the connector to make it easier to slide the iPhone onto and off the dock. I also put a little brace on the do-it-yourself dock stand to brace the back of the iPhone, put some styrophone inside the cup to hold the connector in place, and painted the dock. See the picture that I've posted with the other user pictures at the top of amazon product page for this retractable USB cable for iPhone and iPod.

I highly recommend getting this very inexpensive retractable USB cable which I've used with my Apple iPhone, iPod, and iPad, plus also with a shanzai iPhone-clone phone. I bought several of these retractable USB cables over the last couple of years and more recently got another one. I bought at least four of these retractable USB cables from amazon marketplace seller "Importer520" and I also previously bought one from amazon marketplace seller "UnitedIntegral". The retractable USB cables were all exactly the same. And they all worked.

When I initially purchased this, the connector appeared to be too big to fit into my iphone. I loosened it up in an old ipod from our technology graveyard, and after it fit easily into my phone.

I was thrilled at first with the size and ease of this product. It's compact enough to stash in your purse or pocket for the inevitable daily iphone battery death, and you don't have to deal with messy wires getting tangled up in your hairbrush or other mystery purse contencts.

However, after a couple of days of use, the cord stopped retracting on one side. I've also found that it only connects and charges about half of the time - it's very fickle about positioning on the USB side.

I'd suggest shelling out a couple of extra dollars for a more reliable cable.

cheap replacement does not take up allot of space. save money if your cat eats the oem cable and buy this one.

Quality of the cable is not good. Retractable mechanism broke with in 2 day of use.