Being remote workers, Joey and I are always on the go visiting friends, family and a myriad of places abroad. We own our fair share of digital equipment and as much as we treat our gear with care, moving around does inevitably wear things down.
One of the biggest problems we have run into on our travels, is the deterioration of our computer and phone charging cords, particularly around the weakest part of the construction – where the cable joins the plug. Frayed charging cables can be dangerous and are expensive to replace.
The best way to stop your cables from breaking is to take proper care of them. This means, paying attention when you remove a cable from a device port or plug, ensuring you avoid putting pressure on the weakest part of the construction. Of course, when you’re constantly packing and unpacking a workstation, being mindful isn’t always a useful solution which is why we’ve opted for something more.
Cable protectors are plastic or rubber material that wrap around a charging cable, protecting the point at which the cable joins the plastic or metal plug. They are compact and bendable still allowing the cable to flex, however, they reinforce the weak areas minimizing damage.
To extend the lifespan of our charging cords and to make working on the road a little easier, Joey and I were recently gifted a series of original ocean-themed cable bites, a perfect fit for two traveling scuba divers.
Genuine cable bites are adorable little plastic animals, which as the name implies, “bite” onto your phone, computer and iPad cords. This copyrighted design was created so that the power cord can be fed through a split in the animal’s underside, exiting out the mouth in such a way that the critter appears to be chomping down on your cable.
Aside from being super adorable technological accessories, cable bites have two practical functions when it comes to a charging cord. Firstly, their durable nature reinforces the most sensitive part of your charging cable – where the cord meets the plug – protecting it from premature wear and tear. Secondly in a household where multiple charging cords exist, the wide selection of animal Cable Bites works incredibly well to differentiate your own power cord from the masses.
I was like a kid on Christmas when we received our package of genuine cable bites from Dreams USA, Inc. As someone who is pretty rough on equipment, I was really looking forward to spicing up our technology with some scuba diver-related trinkets. The cable bite package contained every single critter from their ocean collection.
At first glance, I saw whales, sharks, clownfish, dolphins and penguins. Digging further into the bites I discovered manatees, otters and even an axolotl, which I discovered is a neotenic aquatic salamander found in Mexico.
Each little cable bite was roughly 2.5 centimeters (1-inch) long and created from a rubbery plastic. The plastic material was sturdy yet flexible given that the charging cable needed to be inserted in the underside of the bite, through a small slit in the animal’s protective casing. I had a hard time bending and squeezing the figuring which gives me confidence in the durability of the cable bite.
The cable bites were also incredibly colourful. Our ocean collection came in a wide variety of hues, from the teal blue of an elegant manatee to the brown fur of a playful otter. I washed and tested a few cable bite samples to see how permanent the colour was ingrained in its composition. Like many forms of rubber and plastic-based material, I was worried that the colour would fade over time. So far, I’m happy to report that the cable bites look just as good as the day I got them.
Manatee Cable Bite: Cute animals to protect your charging cables. This manatee cable bite is a great way to identify your charging cable as well as protect the most sensitive part of your charging cord.
Not only are the cable bites vibrant and colourful, but they are designed with a surprising amount of detail considering their size. My favourites are the intricate patterns of the orange clownfish and speckled whale shark, but trust me when I say, it was hard to pick a favourite. They were all incredibly adorable.
An unexpected bonus in our cable bite package was an even bigger shark wall plug protector. Much like the smaller cable bites, this shark was built of identical material. The biggest difference was that this cable bite was twice as long measuring approximately 5 centimeters (2 inches).
Have you ever had any problems with your charging cords? What did you do to help protect them against regular wear and tear?
Writers Note: This ocean-themed cable bite review and the encompassing social media promotional contest review was sponsored by Cable Bite Dreams USA, Inc. The two packages of the cable bites were provided to Dive Buddies 4 Life. All comments, feedback and thoughts in relation to the cable bites are honest and strictly that of Dive Buddies 4 Life. For more information or to get your own series of marine cable bites to visit the Dreams USA website.
Additionally, this post may contain affiliate links. We will make a small commission if you make a purchase through one of these links, at no extra cost to you. See full disclosure and disclaimer policy here.
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