Are Built in Charging Cables Good or Bad?

(Last Updated On: November 14, 2016)

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Charging electronics are mostly universal which means that they have charging ports that are able to work with many different devices and all that’s needed is the dedicated charging cable that is compatible with the device that you need to charge. This is the most common type of charging electronic and is true for Car chargers, Wall chargers, and power banks. People usually want to use their own charging cables to charge their devices when using different charging electronics; Or at least many people expect to use their own charging cables.

However, that isn’t always the case. Some charging electronics actually their own dedicated built-in charging cable for certain devices. With a built-in charging cable, that means the user no longer has to carry around a charging cable and worry about bringing it with them to actually charge their device since their charger already has a charging cable. Although there can be limits to this kind of design, because having a built-in charging cable with a power bank and car charger can especially have its limits in certain situations.

Let’s take a look on why this double edge sword should be thought through before getting a charging electronic with a built in cable.

What are the Limits of getting a built in charging Cable?

Let’s get the limits of a built-in charging cable out of the way first.

1. There are limits in length

When you have a built-in charging cable with a power bank, then the charging cable length will most likely be very short. Charging cables that are built in aren’t actually cables either since they have to go into the power bank itself; The cables are more like short stems that are designed to simply change angles to come out of the power bank and go back into it. There’s not a lot of versatility with built in cables since they can’t really be bent to accommodate the location of the device that you’re charging to the way you’re holding it.

A limit with length is especially troublesome when you take into account that power banks are portable. If you want to take a power bank while you’re on the go, then you have to make sure the device and cable are placed where they’re always facing each other. It’s a tedious problem and this is where the main limits of built-in charging cables come in.

The same can be said about built-in charging cable for car chargers and wall chargers. If their cables are too short, then it’s a great inconvenience since you’re going to have to move closer to the charger itself or you’ll have to leave your device unused while it sits and charges. You realize just how convenient and awesome separate charging cables are when you realize built-in, also means “Limited Range”

2. You or someone else may want to charge an incompatible device

With so many devices that do different things better than other and people having so much different preferences over other products, it’s quite common for people to have different smartphones and tablets. When you have a built-in charging cable, the cable tends to cater to a single device and its single way of charging. This means that another device that uses a different charging cable cannot charge with a Power bank that uses a Micro USB built-in charging cable because an iPhone is not compatible with it.

This limit can pertain to you personally and to someone else that may want to use your charger but can’t because you don’t have a compatible charging cable. If you have an Android smartphone that uses Micro USB charging cable and you own a power bank that uses a built-in Micro USB charging cable, then the smartphone is perfectly fine to charge; But what if you also have an iPad, and you’re on the go with your power bank but your iPad needs charging? You’re out of luck because the power bank only accepts devices that use Micro-USB.

Another scenario could be with a car charger and this one could be a bit worse.

Having a car charger that only has a single Lightning cable built into the car charger is a good charger if a user always and only charges their iPhone with the car charger. However, you may have friend or family in the car that is running low on battery power with their smartphone and needs to charge their phone but alas they cannot because they don’t have an iPhone. As a result, the ones sitting in the car with a low battery power must have their device die. In the end, you don’t have anyone’s back when it comes to a sole charging cable that is built into a charger.

3. The charging cable may break

Normal wired charging cables are becoming more and more stronger but even then charging cables may not last long but they all have their thresholds of use and eventually break. The same can be said about built-in charging cables and more so, it’s more of a severe problem when it comes to built-in charging cables because the cable is built into the charger; Then there’s no way to replace the cable and as a result the charger becomes useless.

This is most likely someone’s biggest fear when they have a built in charging cable with their charger because once the cable breaks, there’s no way to take it out and replace it with separate charging cable. Instead, when a built-in charging cable breaks, then it renders the charger useless and in the end you’re stuck with a useless charging device.

If you’re getting a charger that has a built-in cable, make sure of these 3 things:

  1. The cable is tough
  2. The charger has a long warranty or if it has a warranty at all
  3. The charger has a USB Output port to plug a cable into for more free charging

You may have to expect the charger to be replaced a few times.

What are the Benefits of getting a built in charging Cable?

1. You are the sole user of the charger

When you’re the sole user of a charger, then you know what to expect from it. If you’re the only person that uses the charging cable that’s built into your power bank or Car charger, then you’re always going to be prepared to use it; There’s no need to carry around a charging cable separately or having remembered to take a charging cable with you when you’re heading out with your power bank. Instead, a power bank with a built-in charging cable is somewhat of an improvement because it already has a built-in cable that’s ready to charge.

Using a built-in charging cable also means that you’ve thought about what device you have and what charging you need, so there are not expectations on what is compatible to charge.

To truly benefit from a charger that uses built-in charging cables, you need to evaluate your needs for charging. If you don’t want to worry about carrying around a charging cable with you, then a built-in charging cable may be for you. It creates a convenient experience for those that are seeking a streamlined approach to charging.

2. The charger has Output Charging ports

Above, when we mentioned the limits of having a built-in charging cable, we said that there’s a limit because you can only charge single devices with some chargers. However, this is solved with chargers that have built-in charging cable AND USB Output ports that allow the user to use any charging cable that they want. This means that they can charge other devices that don’t adhere to the built-in charging cable.

It’s Car chargers, Wall chargers, and power banks that have a built-in charging cable and Output charging ports are the best to get. In some cases, it may actually be better to get a charger that has a built-in charging cable and has Output port because it’s always a sure-fire way to have your most reliable and used charging cable on hand.

We recommend car charger with built-in charging cable because you will always have your cable in the car, while there are other ports for other people to use. Same goes for power banks, with your cable always on hand and if someone else wants to charge their device, they can plug their cable into the Output ports.

Should You Get a Built-in Charging Cable Charger?

It depends on what you’re circumstances are. You must know what you expect from your charger. If you’re going to be the sole person using the charging cable, then we say go for it. If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t take really good care of their cables, then you may want to rethink getting one.

However, we are very big advocates for Built-in charging cables when they come along with a car charger that has Output charging ports. That’s because it gives more options to the sole user of the charger and gives other chances to take advantage of the charger. If you own an iPhone, then purchasing a car charger or power bank that features a built-in Lightning cable is a good option, only if the chargers have Output charging ports. The same goes for devices that take Type-C and Micro-USB cables. By having Outputs along with your built-in charging cable, it’s a fallback plan just in case the built-in cable were to get damaged.

Pros & Cons of getting a Built-in Charging cable charger:

Pros:

  • If you’re the sole user of the charger
  • The charger with the built-in charging cable comes with Output charging ports

Cons:

  • The charging cable may be too short
  • A charger with a sole built in charging cable renders the ability to charge different devices useless
  • If the built-in charging cable breaks, then the charger ultimately becomes useless if it has no output charging ports.
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