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Video Review: The Juiceboxx Keeps Your MacBook Charger Cord From Fraying

What the hell you guys do with your cables for them to get damaged?!

All my power or usb cables are intact from that kind of damage (only got one damaged due to a baby cat bitting on it)... It's just a matter of being a bit careful when rolling up the cable and not push it when it's connected, it's not that hard!
plus, in the brick side, just do a loop before rolling the cable around the 2 prongs.
 
This reminds me those users that use a laptop (it doesn't matter what brand) on top of a pillow or on top of the bed clothing, and when it burns out, it's the laptop that it's crap...
 
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Itzamna said:
What the hell you guys do with your cables for them to get damaged?!

All my power or usb cables are intact from that kind of damage (only got one damaged due to a baby cat bitting on it)... It's just a matter of being a bit careful when rolling up the cable and not push it when it's connected, it's not that hard!
plus, in the brick side, just do a loop before rolling the cable around the 2 prongs.
Click to expand...
We use our cords the same way you do. Some of them are made with inferior materials that tends to fray. Even though we don't treat our cords more roughly than you do. Even though you haven't had any problems with your cables while treating them the same way we do ours. Consider yourself lucky that you are able to enjoy long-lasting cables without treating them ANY better than we treat ours.
I've purchased third-party MFI cables for my iPhone and treated them the same way I treated my Apple-supplied ones. The Apple ones fray, and the third party ones don't. If your position is that the Apple ones are all fine, then mine is that the third-party ones are better (and less expensive). I've taken to leaving the Apple-supplied ones in the box that the iPhone came in, neatly coiled, and secured by a little plastic sleeve. The closed box in a dark closet protects them from light and other environmental elements. I've found they last a remarkably long time this way. For my day-to-day use, I employ the third party cables, which don't seem to mind ordinary use.
 
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i've had umpteen apple devices over the last 15 years, almost without exception the strain reliefs and/or cable sheath retention were poorly designed for much of this period

typical flaws:
  • strain reliefs are too stiff, resulting in tight bend at the end of the relief, correct design matches relief to cable to give a gentle bend
  • cable sheath is not clamped or bonded, over time it can eventually pull out exposing the inner cables
  • cable sheath too loose, inner cables can kink
only with apple, no problem with motorola, hp, dell, sony, etc. etc., whose chargers were not as pretty, but at least they were reliable, the apple hockey-puck style chargers were particularly poor

but with the magsafe era, 2011 mbp for instance, they finally adopted correctly designed strain reliefs, nice and compliant, matched to the cable, though they still are prone to inner cables kinking after a few years
 
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hutrebug said:
This is such a non-issue. There is no "design flaw." Its called user error. For some reason people insist upon wrapping the cord so $#!&ing tight that they destroy the cable. I've had countless macs thru the years and have never had this problem since I simply wrap the cable loosely. Its just common sense, but many people lack it. And I don't think some people can learn it.
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Funny how this is not a design flaw when it does not hit you...
I have 2 adapters at home, 1 for traveling and 1 for home office use.
The one I use at home is rarely taken anywhere, and if I do it wrapp it loss with a loop just to prevent fraying. However for a charger which might be transported 4 times a year I have fraying (both ends)... If this happens it is not user error, but rather bad quality of cord.
My travel adaptor which is a year or two older then my home office adaptor is only frayed in the macsafe end...
The home adaptor is T style and the travel adaptor is L style
 
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I'm on my 3rd charger cable for my 2011 MacBook Air. First 2 frayed (electrical tape delayed but did not prevent the problem) and the 3rd is beginning to fray. All on the MagSafe end, I've had no problems on the charger side (not pulling this end right before wrapping solves the problem completely). Apple really needs to do something with these cables because it's a joke how fragile the MagSafe connector end is. And these chargers are not cheap.
 
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HiRez said:
I'm on my 3rd charger cable for my 2011 MacBook Air. First 2 frayed (electrical tape delayed but did not prevent the problem) and the 3rd is beginning to fray. All on the MagSafe end, I've had no problems on the charger side (not pulling this end right before wrapping solves the problem completely). Apple really needs to do something with these cables because it's a joke how fragile the MagSafe connector end is. And these chargers are not cheap.
Click to expand...

I'm on my second charger since getting my 15" MBPr in 2013. Only cause my first one was getting dangerously hot for no reason.
 
Well, my frayed MagSafe just started to smoke today. Guess it's time to get my 3rd one...
 
Wait, whut?
At any given time, we have at least 6 MacBooks (3x13", 3x15") in our test lab; one of each model on a rotating 3 year cycle. Never encountered this in almost a decade. And we used to have 17" models as well, until they were discontinued, so probably a good 24 in that time.
The only problems have been the recalls, and that invariably the other end - the one that goes into the computer - turns yellow
 
Kissaragi said:
Surely some self amalgamating tape round both ends do the same job? Works for me on any cables getting dodgy.
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That's exactly what I use. It's usually black which looks ugly, but just last week I found a clear version in Home Depot that is PERFECT

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Nashua-Tap...Fusing-Silicone-Tape-Clear-1210364/203534911/

de8ffd51-cd42-4a66-bbde-6420a68602a7_400.jpg
 
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batchtaster said:
Wait, whut?
At any given time, we have at least 6 MacBooks (3x13", 3x15") in our test lab on a rotating 3 year cycle. Never encountered this in almost a decade. And we used to have 17" models as well, until they were discontinued.
The only problems have been the recalls, and that invariably the other end - the one that goes into the computer - turns yellow
Click to expand...
Our chargers that stay at home don't fray.

The ones that travel do. Always at the MagSafe end.
 
Arran said:
Our chargers that stay at home don't fray.

The ones that travel do. Always at the MagSafe end.
Click to expand...
Sure sounds like user error to me. Wrapping them wrong or handling them carelessly.
Our lab machines aren't bolted to the table. They're unplugged, moved around, used in demos and loaned out.
 
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It's entirely down to how you use it.

Plug it in on a desk or shelf all fine. Sofa lap top charging or on a bed you'll probably end up damaging it.

Obviously they are going to shift to
USB-C on future models as in the new MacBook as it can handle 100w and and the cord and transformer will be separate like the iPhone.

Possibly this means the end of the mag connector as USB-c seems to detach with about the same force outward as the mag BUT perhaps not at right angles.
 
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batchtaster said:
Sure sounds like user error to me. Wrapping them wrong or handling them carelessly.
Click to expand...
Possibly, but a competent industrial designer will anticipate that sort of user behavior and design the product in such a manner that prevents the user from making such simple errors.

There really is no excuse for poor design. Particularly in a notebook computer that is expressly intended for a mobile/traveling user. Frequent wrapping/unwrapping is an inherent requirement here.
 
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prowlmedia said:
It's entirely down to how you use it.

Plug it in on a desk or shelf all fine. Sofa lap top charging or on a bed you'll probably end up damaging it.

Obviously they are going to shift to
USB-C on future models as in the new MacBook as it can handle 100w and and the cord and transformer will be separate like the iPhone.

Possibly this means the end of the mag connector as USB-c seems to detach with about the same force outward as the mag BUT perhaps not at right angles.
Click to expand...
Yeah, the user-replaceable cord on the USB c chargers is a huge step forward. Kudos for apple for getting that right. It'll prevent thousands of perfectly functioning power supplies becoming landfill because a 10 cent cable frayed. Kind of surprised Apple, with its green credentials, didn't do this sooner.

It's a pity we had to lose MagSafe to get it.
 
Arran said:
It'll prevent thousands of perfectly functioning power supplies becoming landfill because a 10 cent cable frayed.
Click to expand...
Yep, and it's frustrating that even the detachable AC lead isn't sold separately for MagSafe. It's one thing having to buy a new attached adapter just to replace a frayed cable, another to have to buy another detachable AC lead with it too!
 
We have a ton of frayed chargers at work and it is always the charger end. I've never personally seen one frayed on the magsafe end.
 
To stop the other end from fraying.
Step 1, buy some Sugru.
Step 2, mould the Sugru over the wire and the connector.
Step 3, allow to set.
 
Itzamna said:
What the hell you guys do with your cables for them to get damaged?!
Click to expand...

I think the answer is in the video from ~0:57 to 1:00. Yikes! Remind me not to lend my Mac to that guy - but then he's selling cable protectors so he'd be very happy if everybody did that.

I also suspect there may be some other factor: duff batches of cables, places with particularly strong sunlight (pro tip: bright sunlight is highly destructive) or high/low humidity (air conditioner set to stun?) - but I'm pretty sure that Hulk Hands syndrome as seen in the video is part of the problem. Personally, I work with around 10 other Mac users and if the failure rates some people report here were representative I'd be ordering a six-pack of Magsafes every month.
 
My 2008 MacBook Air cable hasn't frayed despite me never being particularly careful with it. I've had two cables on my 2012 rMBP shred themselves, even though one of those was only used on my desk. Never happened to be on any other laptop.

Whatever biodegradable plastic Apple uses is crap.
 
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iPhysicist said:
If you really wrap that cable the way you do it in the video you can be happy that your cable still functions. The way you do it you consistently pull and twist it. With this method you surly shorten the chargers life no matter if you use that blue plastic or not.
Click to expand...
Exactly.
 
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