Reviewed by
Jarrett Dottin
Licensed Occupational Therapist dedicated to helping others live their best lives. Certified lymphedema therapist and amazon affiliate who has tested over 1,000 different products. About JD →
The Crave Type C Cable is worth buying if you’re tired of your cords not reaching your iPad or phone. It’s a 3 ft nylon braided USB-C to USB-C cable rated for a 5,000 bend test, with aluminum casing and rapid charge support. Skip it if you don’t already own a USB-C wall brick.
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How this review was made: written from my own video review of this product. Every opinion here is my own, from using it myself.
| Length | 3 ft |
|---|---|
| Connectors | USB-C to USB-C, aluminum casing |
| Jacket | Nylon braided, 5,000 bend rated |
| Protection | Surge and overcharge detection |
| Guarantee | 30-day money back |
Two Cords Gone From My Desk
Crave sent me the Crave Premium Nylon Braided High Speed 2.0 Type C Cable (see it on Amazon) to test, and the first thing I noticed wasn’t the braid or the aluminum ends, it was that I finally pulled the second cord off my desk. I had one on each side because neither reached the tablet from a single spot. This one does, so now there’s one cable where there were two.
Now I don’t need all these extra cords here. I plug this one right in, put it in my tablet, and be good to go.
The nylon braid is the maintenance plan
The nylon braid means zero maintenance and no replacement hassle, that’s the entire point of braiding. The professional-grade braid wrapped in nylon is rated for a 5,000 bend test, so the usual failure point, that spot right where the cord leaves the connector and kinks, is the part they spent money on. Aluminum casing on the ends instead of molded plastic, which is where cheap cables crack first, the housing flexes with the connector instead of fighting it.
The only ongoing cost is wear. Braided jackets fuzz at the ends eventually if you yank from the cord instead of the connector. Pull from the aluminum and this one should outlive the cheap cords it’s replacing, which is the real math here: cheap cables get replaced every few months, this one doesn’t.
Against the cable that came in your phone box
Stock cables fail on three counts: thin TPE jackets that kink, weak strain relief, and stiff memory that won’t bend without creasing. Those are thin TPE, they kink, and they split at the strain relief. This one is really flexible and easy to bend without that stiff memory where the cord keeps the loop shape you forced on it.
Where a stock cable can win is length. A lot of in-box cords run longer than 3 ft. If your outlet is behind the couch, that matters more than the braid does.
Where 3 Feet Stops Working
Three feet works for desks and cars; it won’t reach from a bedroom outlet to your bed or across a hotel room. In the car it’s close to perfect, you’re running from a console port to a phone in a mount and the extra slack would just coil up in the cupholder. Same at the desk: short run, nothing to tangle, and it stays compact enough to take wherever you need to take with you.
Outlet behind a nightstand, floor outlet across a room, or a hotel plug stuck down by the baseboard? You’ll be sitting on the floor next to your tablet. That’s not a flaw, it’s a length. Buy accordingly.
How the charging side works
Rapid charging works only if you pair it with a USB-C wall brick, the cable alone can’t force speed without the right power source. This is USB-C on both ends, so it does need the USB-C brick on one side so that way you can charge your device. Plug one end into a wall adapter with a C port, the other into the phone or tablet, done. Plug it into a laptop or a hub C port instead and you’re syncing and charging off whatever that port gives you.
Inside, there’s circuitry that reads what your device is asking for. The listing calls it surge and overcharge protection, meaning the cable detects your phone, tablet, or other mobile device’s proper power requirements and protects it from overcharging and power surges. That’s the part you can’t see or photograph, and it’s the part that matters when you leave something charging overnight on a strip that also runs a space heater.
Compatibility is the easy part. It works across a Type C product line, so the same cord handles the tablet, the phone, and the headphones. That’s exactly why two cords left my desk.
The brick catch
This cable is USB-C only, if your wall adapter is the older USB-A rectangle, you’ll need to buy a C brick separately. There’s no A end to plug in. You’ll need a C brick, and that’s not included. For anybody who upgraded phones in the last couple of years it’s a non-issue, you already have one. For anybody still charging off the brick from an older phone, that’s an extra purchase on top of this one, and it’s worth knowing before you order.
Check the price before you click
Price swings by $5, 10 every few weeks, so take thirty seconds and check today’s price on Amazon before you order, catching it on the low end of that range is worth the click.
On version: it comes in silver, 3 ft. Measure the run from your outlet to where the device actually sits before you decide 3 ft is enough. And there’s a 30-day money back guarantee behind it if the length turns out wrong.
Pros
- Braided nylon rated for a 5,000 bend test
- Really flexible and easy to bend, no stiff memory
- Aluminum casing, looks really nice and sleek on one end as well
- Supports rapid charge and replaced two separate cords on my desk
- Compact enough for the car, the desk, or a bag
Cons
- Needs a USB-C brick on one side, and no brick is included
- 3 ft is short for beds, couches, or far-away outlets
- Price swings, so buying on the wrong day costs you
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect the Crave cable to a TV or monitor for video?
No, treat it as a charge and sync cable. It’s listed as a High Speed 2.0 cable, which is a data and power spec, not a display spec. For running a tablet to a TV you want a cable that specifically lists video or alt-mode support.
Does it need an app or account to work?
Nope. It’s a cable, the power management is built into the cable itself. No pairing, no firmware, nothing to update or subscribe to.
What’s the return window if it doesn’t fit my setup?
Crave backs it with a 30-day money back guarantee. That’s a reasonable cushion if 3 ft turns out shorter than your outlet run. Standard Amazon return terms apply on top of that.
Will it charge a Switch, headphones, or a power bank too?
Yes, as long as the device has a USB-C port. It’s built to work across an entire Type C product line, which is the whole appeal: one cord for the tablet, the phone, and the small stuff. Charge speed will still be whatever the device and your brick negotiate.
Get it now
Crave Nylon Braided Type C Cable
Get the best price on Amazon →Affiliate link. See the disclosure at the top of this post.
Buy it if you already own a USB-C wall brick and your longest run is under 3 feet; skip it if you need longer reach or only have USB-A adapters.
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About the reviewer
Jarrett Dottin
Licensed Occupational Therapist dedicated to helping others live their best lives. Certified lymphedema therapist and amazon affiliate who has tested over 1,000 different products.
