Alyee USB Type-C Cables with LED Light REVIEW
I remember a time when all devices that were being released with Micro USB as the ‘standard’ charging method. Apple has always marched to the beat of their own drum and as such, they have typically released their products with proprietary connectors. First, it was the 30-pin connection with the iPod, which carried over to the iPad and iPhone, and then it was the Lightning connector. Now, they are beginning to adopt USB-C, which is not unique to Apple products, but it is a bit rare for charging products. Most devices being released still use the Micro USB connection, but I have noticed that ever since Apple started using it more, other accessories are starting to emerge with USB-C as its main connector.
Since I started using it more, I found that I needed to have additional USB-C cables as backups and I happened onto the Alyee USB Type-C Cables with LED Light. I’ve been using it now for a couple of weeks and had some very good results.
DETAILS
The first thing to note about these cables is that they are flat for flexibility and to prevent tangling. The cable is designed to have a 7000+ bend lifespan and will last 3X longer than standard USB-C cables. The Alyee cables pass over 10,000 bend tests and the anodized aluminum connector casing can withstand over 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging. The cable is compatible with all USB-C devices. It has 70 zinc-plated copper wires to support the 2.4A output. The outside of the cable is diamond-shaped TPE material that is wrinkle-free, tangle-free, fray-free and the inner PVC prevents overheating.
You can choose to order the USB-C cable as a single, double, or triple pack. I opted for the double pack, which contained two 6-foot long USB-C cables. The cables were packaged in a simple, plastic bag that locks closed with a Ziploc-style closure. It’s very plain, but the cables fit in it well and they were protected by the elements that way. The ends of the cables were wrapped with lightweight plastic. I assume this was done this way so that the ends wouldn’t get scratched up. Each of the cables was wrapped with two individual Velcro straps for cable management.
USER EXPERIENCE
It feels weird to say this, but these cables are a work of art. I love the flat cable style and how well it blends into the aluminum case of the connector. They look really slick and it’s honestly a shame that as a cable, they are typically hidden away. The LED light on the USB-C end of the cable is a great notification that it’s receiving power. They do come in two color combinations — red/silver or black/silver. They are extremely affordable (for a 2-pack, they are only $11) and can be used for a wide variety of products.
As I mentioned above, I don’t have a lot of devices that charge using USB-C (yet). I do have a few things though. I have listed them below with their charging results. For this test, I used the Omnicharge 20 power station as my power source. It has two USB-A ports for charging devices. One is meant for Qualcomm Quick Charging 3.0 and the other port provides 5V/3A power delivery. I used the standard USB port rather than the quick charge port.
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016): Because the cables are called out as being able to charge the MacBook Pro, I wanted to test my machine out first. My computer requires 61W of power delivery in order to charge its battery. Unfortunately, I did not have a power adapter that would connect via USB-A in order to test that completely. I did, however, try an 18W power adapter and of course, the Omnicharge power station. With both power sources, the MacBook Pro showed that it was connected to a power adapter, but that the battery wasn’t charging. I am willing to state that if I had a proper power adapter for this cable type that my MacBook Pro would have charged.
Master & Dynamic MW50 Wireless Headphones: I plugged these headphones in and let them charge for about an hour. I was, unfortunately, unable to monitor their charging progress because my iPhone would only show the battery percentage when it was unplugged from the battery. Otherwise, it was showing 100% because it was plugged into a power source. The headphones did charge successfully and after about an hour, they were at 100% battery (they were at 60% when they started charging). Using a USB Digital Tester, I checked the power delivery to the wireless headphones. I got a reading of 5.2V/0.21A.
Nintendo Switch: I was also able to successfully charge our Nintendo Switch using the Alyee USB-C cable. When I tested the power delivery using the same tester I did for the headphones, I got a reading of 5.03V/1.48A. Unfortunately, when I started charging the Switch its battery wasn’t run down too far, but I did find that it took about 12 minutes to gain 3% battery life.
Google Pixel (1st Gen): Finally, I charged our first generation Google Pixel. We don’t use this phone too often so its battery was at 0% when I plugged it in. I found that it got a power delivery reading of 5.11V/0.99A. After a period of 7 minutes, the phone had gained 7% battery.
CONCLUSION
The Alyee USB-C cable is a hearty, affordable cable. Throughout my testing, I found that it will charge pretty much anything you throw at it. The one exception was the MacBook Pro, but I believe that was because I didn’t have the correct power adapter for the USB-A to USB-C connection. I am impressed by these cables and in addition to their superior performance as charging cables, I was equally impressed by the fact that they did not get warm at all while they were sending power to various devices. If you are looking for a good set of USB-C cables, I would invest in the USB Type-C Cables with LED Light from Alyee.
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Originally published at macsources.com on April 16, 2018.
