It looks like a small pocket knife. You know… the kind you can hang on your key fob for easily taking as part of your everyday carry without adding much heft or size in your pockets. Except, the Native Union Pocket Cable doesn’t house a blade within its frame like a proper keychain knife, instead coming with a charging cable that can power up your laptops, tablets, and other USB-C devices.
No, the pocket knife form factor isn’t an accident. In fact, Native Union says it was inspired by the classic pocket tool, repurposing its practical and portable design as a way to carry a charging cable in a more organized manner. Seriously, it makes for a convenient way to carry a charging cable on the same fob along with your keys and various other EDC items.
The Native Union Pocket Cable basically takes your standard pocket knife form factor, with a frame covered up by scales on each side. However, instead of having a fold-out blade inside, it houses an integrated USB-C cable with the connectors tucked along the sides of the frame. When you need to charge something, just pull out the connectors, which extend from either end of the frame and plug in to your devices. Once unplugged, the cables winds back into the frame and tuck the connectors in to their spot on the sides, with no need to deal with the knots, tangles, and wire mess common with traditional cable solutions.
Do note, the cable only spans up to 6.5 inches end to end, so it’s not a very long cable. As such, this makes sense for charging devices on your desk, on a drawer, or from the power bank on your backpack, but probably not for plugging in to a wall outlet unless you’re fine setting down whatever device you’re charging on the floor. It uses a very strong braided cable made with 100 percent recycled plastic, with an even tougher aramid fiber core that boasts a lifespan of 30,000 bends. The connectors also get an O-Flex strain relief at the joint that, the outfit claims, will allow it to absorb two times more stress than typical connectors.
The Native Union Pocket Cable supports power delivery up to 60W, so you can use it to charge not just smartphones and tablets, but full-fledged USB-C laptops. Yes, that’s not going to charge as fast as a proper 100W cable, but it should still replenish your laptop’s battery decent enough speed. According to the outfit, it’s USB-IF certified, with an E-marker chip to constantly regulate power, ensuring no damage to any electronics you decide to charge. In case you need a data cable, it can work for that, too, with a listed 480MB of data transfer speeds.
The housing is made with recycled TPU, which exhibits characteristics of both rubber and plastic, with each side fused together using a pair of fasteners, while a tiny keyring sits on the corner for easily attaching to your keychain. It comes in five colors, namely black, lemon, sand stone, slate green, and oxyfire.
The Native Union Pocket Cable is available now.