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Three keychain cables for charging your tech on the go
The trouble with mobile devices is that they need constant recharging, and that means travelling with a tangle of cables. We road-test some lightweight keychain alternatives
Styled to be both the same shape and size as the real keys it's designed to hang next to, this tiny cable is all about the bend. Available in both micro USB and Apple Lightning versions, the 6cm long NomadKey (HK$195, hellonomad.com) is fashioned from flexible silicon that's strong enough to dangle a phone from a USB wall socket without falling out. NomadKey weighs a mere 3g, though we found the tiny connector on the top can sometimes get tangled and contorted when in among other keys.
If you travel with a portable battery or frequently need to charge or sync a phone with a laptop, the Bluelounge Kii (HK$198, beecrazy.hk) is an incredibly discreet solution. Weighing just 14g, this Apple Lightning or micro USB cable is rigid and 4cm long, inserting into a metallic key-like section so strongly that it doesn't fall out. Though its size makes it difficult to use with a USB wall socket, this is a well-made, lightweight accessory that's no trouble to travel with.
Want more than just a miniature cable? As well as offering either Apple Lightning or microUSB, the GoBuddy+ (HK$195, amazon.com) has a bottle opener in one end. Although it can be attached to a keyring, it's significantly larger than the other two products here (it weighs 38g), so is perhaps better clipped to a backpack or the belt loop of a pair of jeans. There's a carabiner included for just that, though it's low quality. The unfurled cable stretches to 20cm, so despite some drawbacks, it's by far the most practical cable here.
This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: KEYCHAIN USB CABLES
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