The Rock Magnetic Light Cable has magnets spread out at intervals along its length. Using these magnets, you can uncoil as much (or as little) as you need when charging, keeping the rest in a neat bundle. Rock makes this in Lightning and USB-C versions — I tested the 1.8m Lightning version. If the cable appears familiar, it is because the Rock Magnetic Cable looks exactly like a Kickstarter project called SuperCalla from 2020. The SuperCalla came in more versions, including USB-C to Lightning and USB-C to USB-C connections.
Quick specs
- USB-A to Lightning
- 0.9m or 1.8m available
- Magnets along length of cable
The Rock Magnetic Lightning Cable is encased in a soft silicone sleeve. This sleeve is separated into small sections, allowing a small cylindrical magnet to be placed at intervals of 7.5cm. For my 1.8m cable, there are 24 magnets. With these magnets, I'm able to coil the cable near the power adaptor, and extend only what's necessary to reach my device. You can choose the size of the loop depending on how you coil the cable. My personal favourite is an eight-layer coil (three magnets per loop) as it gives the right mix of space-savings and stability when placed on a table.
Credit: John Chan/Can Buy or Not
Once completely extended, simply letting go of this cable doesn't cause it to coil back up. You have to align the magnets to return it into a coil. I found this easy to do, and it is faster and more convenient than rolling up a regular cable. But a minor gripe is that when coiling, the magnets can sometimes be in the wrong position so it repels rather than attracts another magnet. It's just a tiny inconvenience as turning the affected magnet fixes this.
I tested charging an iPhone 11 Pro, and got about 10.5W. This is within expectations for a USB-A to Lightning cable. Hopefully, Rock will also make a USB-C to Lightning version in the future that supports fast charging.
At S$14.90 on Shopee, the Rock Magnetic Lightning cable isn't exactly cheap, compared to others like the Mcdodo cable. However, it is good value for those who hate cable clutter.
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