Fuse Chicken SHIELD iPhone Cable review: Stainless steel chainmail
- maj
- 02
Invest in a tougher charging cable for your Lightning-enabled Apple products.
Does your Apple charging cable tend to get frayed over time? Fuse Chicken's SHIELD is an option you might consider. It has a stainless steel chainmail armor to protect it from degrading. That's right: chainmail, just like a medieval knight's battle armor.
Fuse Chicken SHIELD iPhone Cable
Price: $35
Bottom line: Invest in a stainless steel chainmail iPhone charging cable which resists fraying.
The Good
- Resists fraying
- MFi certified
- Limited lifetime warranty
- Looks and feels nice
- Works just like Apple's
The Bad
- Costs more than Apple's
- Weighs a little more than plastic
Damage-resistant
Fuse Chicken SHIELD iPhone Cable: Features
Fuse Chicken's SHIELD iPhone Cable is a Lightning to USB-A charging cable that you can use to charge any of your Apple devices that have a Lightning port. What makes this cable stand apart is that it's wrapped in stainless steel chainmail. Over 10,000 individual links make up the chainmail armor. Even with its armor, the cable is extremely flexible. It does feel slightly heavier than regular plastic coated cables, though it's by no means unpleasantly heavy.
The cable is one meter long, which is about three feet. This is the same length as the charging cable that Apple includes in the box with your iPhone. Like the Apple cable, one end is a standard plug that fits into any USB-A power adapter or charging block. The other end is a reversible Lightning plug, which fits into the port on your iPhone as well as your AirPods, iPod, iPad (except for the latest Pro models.)
Why shouldn't your charging cable be just as protected as a knight heading into battle?
SHIELD is a many-layered cable. The inner core is Kevlar, with the power and data wire conduits wrapped around that. The next layer is anti-interference mylar wrap, followed by anti-interference metal braid. Next comes conforming wire protection, which appears to be a plastic coating. Finally, we have the stainless steel link chainmail sleeve. Where the cable meets the plug on both ends, there is an additional reinforcement of flexible polymer. The plugs themselves are aluminum and have the Fuse Chicken branding on them.
This cable is MFi certified, which means that Apple has certified it and recommends it. The box carries the "Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod" label. Additionally, the cable has a limited lifetime warranty.
A step above
Fuse Chicken SHIELD iPhone Cable: What I like
I don't worry that this cable is going to tear or fray no matter how many time I roll it up to stuff it in my bag. Plus, it just looks and feels classy and cool.
Costs a little more
Fuse Chicken SHIELD iPhone Cable: What I don't like
The Fuse Chicken SHIELD iPhone Cable costs a little more and weighs a little more than Apple's charging cable. If you are pretty gentle on your cables, you probably don't need to spend the extra money on an armored cable like this.
Just a cool product
Fuse Chicken SHIELD iPhone Cable: Bottom line
This charging cable for your Lightning-enabled Apple products is more rugged than the typical plastic-coated cable. A Kevlar core and stainless steel chainmail coating toughens up the cable and deters damage. If your cables tend to tear or fray over time, Fuse Chicken's SHIELD iPhone Cable is an excellent investment.
