Accessories
How to Keep iPhone Cables from Breaking
Ever come across a broken iPhone charging cable? You’re certainly not alone, but we have a few tips that will help you avoid a broken iPhone Lightning cable in the future. Here’s how to keep iPhone cables from breaking.
We’ve all experienced a broken charging cable at some point. They get worn out after a while and the cable starts to tear open at the base of the connector. The cable might still work (sometimes not), but exposed internal wires are considered a safety hazard, and unless you want to wrap it up with electrical tape, you’ll simply have to throw it out and buy a new cable.
Read: Best iPhone 6s Accessories
However, iPhone cables can last practically forever if you want them to. All it takes is a bit of care and general maintenance on your part and you’ll never have to replace a cable ever again.
There are multiple ways that you can preserve your collection of iPhone cables. There are simple methods such as wrapping them carefully every time you’re done with them, and even ways to reinforce the cables with various materials so that they won’t break in the first place. Here are some tips that may prove useful to you if you’re sick of your iPhone cables constantly breaking.
Wrap Them Correctly
Most incidents of iPhone cables breaking are because the user doesn’t properly take care of the cables in the first place, and it usually has to do with how the cables are wrapped.
More likely than not, you probably wind your cable harshly around your hand and then toss it into your bag. It turns out that wrapping your iPhone cable around something can cause a lot of kinks in the cable, which can slowly degrade the wires on the inside. Technically, the way charging cables come wrapped in packaging before you even open it up isn’t the best way to wrap cables, so don’t do it like the manufacturers.
Ideally, the best way to wrap an iPhone cable for storage is to loop it around several times and have it create a circle when it’s all done. This is called “coil wrapping” and it’s the best possible way to wrap a cable, as it won’t create kinks or sharp bends. The above video does a great job of demonstrating the coil wrap.
Don’t Make Sharp Bends
This sort of goes along with the previous section, but it not only applies when wrapping your iPhone cables, but also when you’re simply just using them.
Don’t make sharp bends in your iPhone cables, because that’s how you can ruin the wires on the inside. Especially don’t create sharp bends near the connector. That area where the connector ends and the cable starts is extremely fragile, and with enough action, it can eventually kink and split open, exposing the wires within. Usually the cable won’t work after that, but even if it did work, it would be a huge safety hazard anyway.
So the next time you go to plug in your iPhone charger into the wall behind a couch or other piece of furniture, be aware that making a sharp bend in the cable is never a good idea.
Buy Reinforced Cables
If you don’t want to go out of your way taking care of your iPhone cables using the simple tricks above, then perhaps buying reinforced iPhone cables is the way to go instead. These are cables that essentially come with some sort of reinforced wrapping over the cable that prevents it from kinking up and eventually breaking open.
Many companies sell third-party reinforced iPhone cables of their own, including Belkin with its Mixit Lightning cables, as well as MOS with its Spring cable.
We personally tested out the MOS Spring cable and put it through a few torture tests. It held up better than Apple’s own Lightning cable for sure, so these kinds of cables are certainly worth it. The MOS Spring cable is reinforced with an aluminum housing, a weaved metal exoskeleton, and includes springs on the ends to prevent splitting.
You can buy these cables in multiple lengths, and while they’re a bit more expensive than Apple’s own cables, you likely won’t have to replace them as often.
Reinforce iPhone Cables Yourself
If these reinforced cables aren’t in your frugal price range, perhaps you could reinforce your current cables yourself. There are many DIY tricks you can use in order to reinforce your iPhone cables, and there are different materials you can choose from as well.
A popular option is using small springs from writing pens and wrapping them onto the ends of your cables. This prevents them from making sharp bends in the first place, similar to the MOS Spring cable.
You can also use shrink tubing on the ends as well. You probably don’t have shrink tubing just lying around, so this probably isn’t the most convenient option, but you can choose from all sorts of colors to make your cables more festive. You can even double up with pen springs and shrink tubing for a even more reinforced iPhone cable.
shaheena
06/29/2014 at 11:38 pm
Good blog you have here.. It’s hard to find high-quality writing like yours nowadays. I really appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Rama
10/17/2014 at 2:17 pm
Good blog
Sleev.Protect
06/09/2015 at 9:36 pm
You guys should definitely check out Sleev and protect your wires before they get damaged! Sleev was recently on Kickstarter and surpassed its goal by almost 300%.
In some cases, it can even repair ripped wires that are in working condition. Check us out at sleevprotect.com!
keziapm
07/05/2015 at 6:20 pm
i have like 4 broken cables. i decided to buy a new one and i even reinforce it, but still, after a week i bought it, it’s broken again. i swear i think i am cursed to not have a good relationship with cables. ugh
Jason
07/13/2015 at 8:53 pm
I save money and use the repair tubes from FixaCable.com.
They work perfectly and are quick and easy.
http://www.fixacable.com
Karen
10/18/2015 at 6:52 am
Sleev? Went to the web site but found no means of buying the thing nor any price. Whassup wid’at?
Kyle
11/22/2015 at 5:27 am
I find that the spring and heat shrink approach does a really good job protecting the cable where it meets the connector. They are for sale on ebay here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/-/161878232458? if anyone wants to go this route.
rebekah
11/27/2015 at 4:35 am
Why must there be a cable at all? Why is there no direct usb-to-micro usb (or other) charger? In my mind this would look like a dual flash drive with usb on one side and micro on the other, and nothing in between but high speed data and current. All of the cables I have ever bought (at least ten) have eventually stopped working or become incredibly slow. I have found some short poseable cables but none that are labeled as high speed. Maybe I’ll just make my own by buying a very short one and encasing it completely in plaster or cardboard or something.
Cabtisha
03/28/2016 at 2:00 am
I am so careful with mine but have managed to split three this year. They are an absolute nightmare. Can one use other cheaper cables woth the iPhone or does it actually have to be there very own? I have also been informed that if you go to an Apple shop they will repkace ot free. Is this trie? Karen: wassup wid’at? Is that actually English?
Cabtisha
03/28/2016 at 2:01 am
*with* I do hate typo’s.
tibsta12345
04/14/2016 at 5:04 pm
you could go to therightcharger.co.uk and then you wouldnt have any problems! iv had mind for 7 months now from there
paulchrisjones
05/05/2016 at 10:04 am
@Cabistha “*with* I do hate typo’s”
Ironically, the word “typo’s” is itself a mistake.
Phil
06/09/2016 at 6:53 am
I think there is a quality issue with the new lightning USB cable versus the old 30 pin cables. I have 30 pin cables that are 10 – 12 years old and in perfect condition after years of abuse. Yet every single lightning cable I have ever owned has frayed shielding or broken outright in under 2 years no matter how delicate I treat it.
Angel
07/27/2016 at 7:04 pm
Click on the link to make money fast and easy
https://youthnize.com/?ref=12337
cham
08/10/2016 at 3:42 pm
nokia cables never broke i remember, Iron cables are bend, laptop cables are bend. cables are not made to a high standard.
Cohen Robins
12/05/2016 at 11:43 am
A couple friends and I are working on trying to strengthen charging cords. If yall could take this survey really quick it would help a lot! https://docs.google.com/a/bheagle.net/forms/d/1NmRo_fR-8yHRJuMP4OBRuPJR4EBwe1slDpCtCk133gg/edit
Luca
01/11/2017 at 9:51 pm
Great blog post. If you guys are getting the “accessory not certified” message or your charger is fraying or damaged like mine was, be sure to check out https://CordCondom.com to either grab a new MFI certified cord or use a CordCondom to protect and strengthen your existing charger from future wear.
nik
03/19/2017 at 9:45 pm
I buy a 2.5k macbook pro, cable breaks.
I buy a 1k iPhone, cable breaks again and again.
Stuart Goss
07/10/2017 at 1:57 pm
To attribute the wearing of the cable close to the connector sleeve to poor handling by the user is frustrating nonsense. I do not ever wind or wrap my lightning cable after charging use. Yet within months of buying a new cable, the rubber by the connector sleeve initially bulges and then quite soon thereafter tears. Usually the cable continues to work in my experience but for Apple with its obsession with design and good looks, these frayed cables look really unsightly. Frankly, given the outrageous price Apple charges for these lightning cables, it is no exaggeration to call this situation a commercial rip-off! If I could find a good 3rd party vendor cable that will work and not give me an “unsupported device” error message and mfi certified seems to be another highly dubious standard from this perspective, I would never buy another replacement Apple manufactured Lightning charging cable. This situation may not be a priority for Apple to fix but if that is the case, it represents the height of arrogance and a management blind spot. Apple enthusiasts like me expect, no we demand, that Apple brings its standards of excellence to every product and peripheral it markets and upon which it places its brand and this situation erodes consumer confidence in the vaunted customer focus that Apple prides itself upon having.