iOrange-E Cable/Adapter Mega Review

I’m not usually one to go for expensive cables. As long as it meets spec, and has a decent connector, I’m pretty happy. But that’s the trick with USB-C right now. It’s new, and there are a lot of cables flooding the market that are not actually made to spec. It was such a problem, an engineer from Google started doing Amazon reviews pointing out which ones were to spec and which ones were not. It was time to up my cable game.

USB-A to USB-C Silver Braided Cable

It blends in super well.

It blends in super well.

This was the first, and only, iOrange cable I purchased on my own. I ordered it after we bought a new sectional and added floor outlets with USB-A under it. That meant this cable was going to always be plugged in, because I wasn’t going to want to crawl on the floor to plug/unplug it. Because of this, I wanted one that would look nice and blend in with the decor instead of standing out. And it does exactly that.

The cable itself is very well made. This is probably the most abused cable in my home. I use my phone with it plugged in on the couch, and that means it’s often moved and bent. It’s hasn’t shown any signs of wear three months in. The braided cable makes it more durable to flexing, and the aluminum connectors mean I’m not worried about them failing at that point.

USB-A to USB-C Notched Braided Cable

iOrange-notched-USB-cWhen I bought my first iOrange cable, I went to their site to look for coupons. They had some, and do frequently it seems. And I noticed they also had a reviewer program. So I signed up for that (you can too btw). They sent me a notched cable that is practically identical to the silver one I reviewed above. The only difference being the USB-C end was notched to allow room for a case. I haven’t had any issues with my Speck CandyShell grip not having room for chargers, so I can’t say if this would solve your problem. But it’s just as good as the cable I bought myself.

Micro USB to USB-C Adapter

iOrange-usb-c-adapterI love USB-C, but I have a ton of micro-USB cables lying around. That’s where the iOrange micro USB to USB-C adapters come in. This is actually the second time I’ve tried these sorts of adapters. I tried some from a different brand, and was not pleased with my first experience. They weren’t to spec. (They are now to spec, so I won’t name them.) If iOrange hadn’t sent me these as part of the Power User program, I wouldn’t have tried adapters again. But these are great. They’re the same aluminum the other iOrange products are, which is a nice aesthetic and a solid feel. The fit is snug, and you don’t have to worry about unplugging your phone and the adapter staying plugged into the phone. It sits flush against existing cables, which leads to a more seamless appearance. The only thing I dislike about these adapters is that the end you plug the micro USB cable into is square, and that makes it easy to plug in the wrong direction.

Car Charger

iOrange-usb-c-chargerFirst, the good. The iOrange Dual USB car charger works well. It charges my phone quickly, and is able to handle charging two devices at once without issue. Neither the device nor the charger gets hot. The fading in-and-out blue light while charging is a nice touch, and the quick visual of a solid blue when complete is a good feature to have in a car when you don’t want to look around. And while the cable itself doesn’t feel as solid as the braided cables I’ve had from iOrange, it’s by no means bad. But one thing that really bugs me about this charger is the USB C cable is not removeable. It’s permanently affixed to the charger. I hate having extra cables lying around, cluttering up my car. In my opinion, it also makes it harder to store neatly in the center console. The charger itself is a bit bulky, but I’m not sure if this is normal or not since I typically use single-device chargers.

If the permanently attached cable doesn’t bother you, this is a good charger. It can charge two devices at once, and you don’t have to buy another USB C cable to keep in your car. But if you don’t want to constantly unplug it, just to keep your car neat, you’re better off looking for another option.

Overall

Overall, the iOrange cables are solid cables that also look better than you average cable, if that’s part of your use case. They’ll be my go-to going forward for anyplace where the cable may be visible, and for USB-C in general with so many bad cables out there at the  moment.

Disclaimer: I got most of these products from the iOrange-E power user program. Amazon Links are Affiliate Links.

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