The followup to a shipped Kickstarter project, Une Bobine for iPhone 5/5c/5s ($30) is the newest cable from Fuse Chicken. French for “a coil,” Une Bobine is a different take on Lightning cables, with a heavily reinforced cord that functions as a gooseneck. The design allows the cable to act as a stand in addition to charing and syncing, positionable to almost any angle you’d like.
At one end of Une Bobine is a traditional USB plug, while two feet away at the other end there’s an MFi Lightning plug, surrounded by a wide plastic housing and a rear support. Unfortunately, this plastic severely limits case compatibility, which is the biggest downfall of the product; unless you’re using a shell style case, a slider, or the rare model with a flip-up bottom, you’ll have to take it off to use it with Une Bobine.
The cable is covered in metal tubing, with a rather thick gauge. It’s noticeably strong, and can be contorted however you see fit. You might need to play around for a few seconds to get a position that holds properly, but we found that it wasn’t difficult to do so. It works with laptops, wall plugs, and even iMacs, where the iPhone can float next to your machine at whatever level you’d like.
With the prices that most companies are charging for Lightning cables, let alone docks, $30 is actually a pretty impressive price tag for Une Bobine. It provides for a really wide range of uses for a syncing and charging cable, and considering that Apple charges pretty much the same price for a regular cable that happens to be longer, it’s kind of crazy. Our only real hangup is the base around the Lightning plug; while the support is obviously necessary to distribute the weight of the device and hold it in place, the limit to case compatibility is a real problem, leaving Une Bobine at a B+ rating; if it had a way to accommodate cases, it would easily receive a higher recommendation.
Our Rating
Company and Price
Company: Fuse Chicken
Website: www.fusechicken.com
Model: Une Bobine
Price: $30
Compatible: iPhone 5/5c/5s
