REVIEW – EDC items aren’t just flashlights, wallets, and knives. For techies on the go, EDC can be their phone, laptop, and all the necessary cables required to power and charge them. We all know how USB cables can become tangled in knots while traveling. Native Union Pocket Cable has designed a USB-C cable that won’t tangle. But is it the perfect EDC cable for your on-the-go lifestyle? Let’s find out.
What is it?
The Native Union Pocket Cable is a short USB-C cable that has a pocketknife style design.
What’s in the included?
- Native Union Pocket Cable
Tech specs
Click to expand Specs
High speed charging up to 60W
Length – 6.5in (17cm)
Design and features
The Native Union Pocket Cable has an obvious pocket knife vibe going for it with its Kevlar fiber scales. I was sent the Oxyfire version, otherwise known as tomato red (my own definition). Other colors include black, sandstone, lemon, and slate green.
Unfolded (unwrapped?), the Native Union Pocket Cable is about 6.5 inches long. The cable itself has a braided cover.
Each end of the cable wraps around one side of the housing, and the ends slide between the scales and are held there with friction. This is going to be my first criticism of the Pocket Cable. I think the plastic cable ends need a fingernail knick to make it easier to remove the ends. As is, I found it a little tricky to pull out the ends.
The Native Union Pocket Cable is a USB 2.0 cable that supports Power Delivery up to 60W for high-speed charging of your phone or other gadgets and supports 480 MB data transfer speeds. It worked just fine with my iPhone 15 Pro Max and my OnePlus Open.
But as you can see, this is a very short cable. You probably won’t be able to comfortably use your phone while charging with this cable.
What I like about the Native Union Pocket Cable
- Cool design
- Compact
- Tangle-free
What needs to be improved?
- Expensive for what it is
- Too short
Final thoughts
I love the look of the Native Union Pocket Cable, but when it comes down to it, I don’t think it’s a great value for your money, given the short length and ease of removing the ends from the case. If you’re like me, you probably already have dozens of USB cables in a drawer. I’ll stick with using something I already have instead of spending $30 for this limited-use (but pretty) cable.
Price: $29.99
Where to buy: Native Union and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Native Union. Native Union did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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Drat! I was thinking this might be one of those “extendable” cables that unwinds to maybe 3 feet (1meter) or similar.
It would be easier to recommend it if it did extend.