Tired of fraying and failing cables? Belkin just launched the Mixit DuraTek USB-C cable, a brawny cord built with Kevlar and a special strain-reducing design that should put an end to premature cable death.
Measuring 4 feet long with USB-C connections on each end, the new DuraTek cable sounds perfect for the latest MacBooks and MacBook Pros.
“We’ve made our DuraTek cables so strong because we know that ordinary cables aren’t tough enough to endure the challenges we put them through,” said Oliver Seil, Belkin’s vice president of design, in a press release. “After all, cables should be made to serve us, not the other way around.”
Kevlar fibers inside reinforce the DuraTek cable’s wiring, with flexible insulation that “minimizes damage from friction,” Belkin says. A tough, double-braided nylon jacket protects the outside from scuffs.
“The strength created by these resilient ingredients is further enhanced by smart design details to reinforce the cable at its stress points,” says Belkin’s website, citing an extra-long strain relief made of flexible TPE. “This ensures the finished product can withstand even the most demanding routines, and perform above and beyond expectation to deliver a cable that borders on indestructible.”
Belkin backs up its durability claims with a five-year warranty on the DuraTek USB-C cable.
The new Belkin USB-C cable doesn’t skimp on looks, either. It comes in four colors (black, gold, rose gold and silver).
“We also did not want to compromise on elegance and aesthetic appeal while reinforcing the structure, so we started from the inside out and redesigned the way we construct a cable,” said Seil. “We were inspired by industrial cabling, race car and aerospace construction methods, and tested many construction methods to finally arrive at the best cable we have ever made.”
The cable’s extruded aluminum connections are USB-IF certified, sporting a chip that allows up to 60-watt charging at up to 3 amps. The cable’s data-transfer speed maxes out at 480Mbps.
Belkin’s history with Apple and future with USB-C
Photo: Belkin
Belkin’s been making quality cables and accessories for decades. The company got its start in 1983 and soon developed “the first intelligent cable that connected an Apple IIc, Apple’s first portable computer, to a printer,” Belkin said.
Now, Belkin is going heavy at USB-C — just like Apple, which switched to the port for its latest MacBook and MacBook Pro computers. Talking with Cult of Mac last year, Belkin design chief Seil said he expected most devices to adopt the standard within five years due to USB-C’s power-handling capabilities (up to 100 watts), awesome bandwidth (up to 10Gbps) and small size.
“If you look at what’s happening in the world of laptop computers, thin is the game.” said Seil. “Thinner and thiner and thinner. And [USB-C] gives you that. And it has all the technological capabilities.”
The new DuraTek USB-C cable is available now from the Belkin website and at retail stores worldwide.
