Once in awhile, a product comes along that changes your life. I have run across a handful of those types of products, and rather than build up the suspense, I’ll just go ahead and say it. The $11.99 Dodocool magnetic micro USB cable is the best cable I have ever owned. Bar none. Is it perfect? Well, no, but it is close. Let me count the ways.
First, the specs from the manufacturer:
Specifications
Material: OFC + TPE + Nylon braided cable
Color: Silver
LED indicator light color: Blue
Connection interface: 1 * USB 2.0 connector, 1 * Micro-USB connector
Data transmission speed: 480Mbps (Max.)
Input voltage: DC 5V
Output voltage: DC 5V
Input current: 2400mAh (Max.)
Conversion rate: Approx. 90%-96%
Compatibility: For Micro-USB equipped Huawei, Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Nexus, Nokia, LG, Sony, Blackberry, smartphones, tablets, MP3 players, power banks and more.
Item length: Approx. 3.9ft
Item weight: Approx. 0.71 oz
How it works
Since phones don’t come with magnetic power connectors built-in, the Dodocool cable solves this by providing you a small adapter that plugs into your micro USB port, and on the other end of the adapter is the magnetic Dodocool cable connector. So you insert the adapter into the power connection on your device, then when the Dodocool cable gets close to it, it snaps into place with no effort.
What I loved
I lost track a long time ago of the times that I have struggled in the dark to get my charging cable plugged up to my phone. And with micro USB the cable only goes in one way. It makes me want to scream. I would think that after plugging the cable up to my phone thousands of times it would get easier, but no. Finally, an easier way. Now I know how Mac users feel who use one of those MagSafe cables.
With the Dodocool cable, you just have to get the cable close to your device, and it snaps into place. And it doesn’t matter which direction, up or down, that you attach the cable because it is reversible. There is also a built-in LED indicator on both sides of the connector so that you know it is connected and charging.
What I would like to change
The things I have to complain about are relatively minor in my opinion. There have been times when I needed to plug the cable up behind a desk or a bed, and it wasn’t long enough for me to sit on the bed and use my phone plugged up. So I wish the cable was longer.
I wish that the LED light wasn’t so bright. I mean, it lights up the room when I use it beside the bed at night. If lights keep you up at night, that is a consideration. I would simply cover it up with something if that is a concern.
One concern that some people may have is that the adapter you plug into the power connection on your device sticks out rather noticeably. You can see the pictures below. When I have the case on the phone, it isn’t noticeable at all. But when I remove my phone case, it looks a little funny on the bottom there.
And finally, the biggest complaint I have is that I don’t have multiple Dodocool cables. I need one in my house, and my car, and at work. When you insert the adapter on the bottom of the phone, you don’t want to be constantly pulling it out so that you can plug up a standard cable, so I really need a Dodocool cable everywhere I need to plug up. So I suppose I’ll just have to buy some more!
Final thoughts
It may seem that my list of dislikes is longer than my list of likes, but that isn’t the case. I love the Dodocool cable and now carry it with me everywhere I go in case I need a quick charge. It works with the quick-charge feature on my phone, and the nylon braided design is much more durable than the typical black rubber type cable. I highly recommend this product.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Dodocool. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order.
Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
I have a very, very similar (can anyone say, same OEM) cable I got off Indegogo last year. I actually ordered a bunch of them because it was only one “cable” per connector. I have one for home and one for my car. The others I gave the away.
The fact that the connector sticks out doesn’t bother me because I do use a case so it isn’t so noticeable. The bright LED is… So for home, where I use it to charge next to my bed for night charging, I’ve covered the LEDs with a couple of small pieces of masking tape colored with a black marker, and that helps cut the brightness, but the light is still visible.
Two things I really like are:
1) The fact that I don’t need to hunt for the cable at night because the head has a magnet, I just stick it to the post of my bed.
2) When in the car, don’t have to worry about plugging in right away when I get in and then have to figure out if the plug is the right way if I’ve already started driving. Very distracting if you have already started off and need to plug in.
Don’t know if this cable is the same, but my A Connector is “universal”. It doesn’t matter which way you plug it in.
Yep, you don’t know what you are missing till you plug up a charging cable in the dark. And yes, Dodocool cable is reversible.
I had something similar for my Nexus 6P, but it stuck out way too far for my liking so I stopped using it.
http://the-gadgeteer.com/2016/03/10/sojitek-universal-detachable-magnetic-charging-cable-and-usb-type-c-adapter-review/
I am not sure if I would use Dodocool on a daily basis if I didn’t have the case on my phone.
Something proprietary like this offends my sensibilities ever so slightly. That said, I hate microUSB with a passion; The connector is tiny, one way, and fragile.
Luckily, with wireless charging and enough Qi pads scattered around, this isn’t an issue as much as it used to be for me.
I use Qi wireless charging pads at both work and home. I love them, but you can’t use your phone when you are wireless charging. I find myself constantly having to pick up the phone up off the charger to send a text or reply to an email. I usually use a wireless charger at night to charge my phone while I sleep.
The “either way” plug was something I very much welcomed when Apple switched to the Lighting Connector back when. It would have been nice had they done a magnetic catch setup (a la my MacBook’s MagSafe) but I imagine size and cost beat that down.
And while I’d very much welcome a universal adaptation of the USB-C connector with everything electronic, I think within a few years it will all be moot as Qi and other wireless charging modes come into play.
(The old phrase, “Excellent, you fixed the barn door after all the horses have gotten out” comes to mind — in my old home state (Louisiana), years and years back they finally got much of the interstate set up with Motorist Aid Call Boxes right about when everyone started getting cell phones. That kind of thing.)
Can you buy extra plugs for each device so that one cable can be used with all your devices
I do not see extra plugs for sale on their website. I imagine that is something they could easily do though.
I ordered one for me from wsken.co I watched on some yt video and that guy explained everything about design and patent.This product is very useful while i’m driving and using my mobile as a navigation system. Easy to connect without looking, also another thing can connect with their phones because this cable supports all phones Android and iOS. And that is what makes him different from other cables.
I hope I helped someone to choose.