Electronics

[January121]

I guess I have been lucky .... I bought my iPad at the Apple Store in March 2014 .... I have been using the charge cord since then & have had no problem.

[ChynnaBlue]

I've had at least a dozen Apple charging cables and that's only happened to one of mine and it happened after more than a year. For most cables, the weak point is at the join where the plastic meets the cable. I use Sugru, a moldable 'clay' that hardens into rubber when exposed to air, and wrap some of that around the join of I notice it's getting weak. (But BEFORE wires start to show, because I'm paranoid like that. If wires start to show, like in the picture below, I throw the cord out.)

Here are some pictures of a similar wrap from the Sugru website:

If you don't have to worry about an iPad case that narrows the charging port, you can bring the Sugru up over the plastic. I did that for a knockoff cable I bought there the USB side was cracked.

I've got one cable that I wrapped in Sugru immediately because it goes on my mattress (the phone is on the mattress because of a sleep monitoring app) and I did not want to risk any broken cables or exposed wiring. The Sugru has been on the cable for 2 years now and is holding strong.

I got my Sugru from The Container Store, but you can find it in many places. Here's a link to their website: https://sugru.com/about

[Reba055]

I've had an iPad and iPhone forever and have never broken a cord. Neither have my husband or kids. And we're talking YEARS. Not to sound snarky, really, but perhaps you aren't as careful as you think. 

Are you unplugging from the end or pulling on the cord?

[shoesnbags]

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@Reba055 wrote:

I've had an iPad and iPhone forever and have never broken a cord. Neither have my husband or kids. And we're talking YEARS. Not to sound snarky, really, but perhaps you aren't as careful as you think. 

Are you unplugging from the end or pulling on the cord?

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This is what I was wondering. No problem like this through years of iPad, iPhones, and iPod, but I do always grab the end, not the cord. 

[glb613]

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@Reba055 wrote:

I've had an iPad and iPhone forever and have never broken a cord. Neither have my husband or kids. And we're talking YEARS. Not to sound snarky, really, but perhaps you aren't as careful as you think. 

Are you unplugging from the end or pulling on the cord?

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I vote for pulling the cord.  I have the original cords for my iPad and iPhone, 4/2 years, and no problems. 

[Nuttmeg]

It is a shame a real cable has to cost so much.

[meem120]

I get mine on Amazon

[SeaMaiden]

Thanks for all the replies. I am careful and do not pull from the cord. Only from the connection. This 2nd one broke at the connection Where it goes into the iPad- the metal part came apart!  It had nothing to do with the cord.  Just dumb luck. I will see how the third one does after I buy it. Third times a charm they say!

I did go ahead and order some off of a Amazon... much better price that the retail stores. The reviews(many reviews!) from this seller were all 5 star as far as quality. Worth trying before I go back and buy the same cord from the store that only lasted two months.

[Kachina624]

I buy Apple certified cords on Amazon for a heck of a lot less than $20/each.  I usually pick up about 3 at a time.  Just be sure to get the right cord for your tablet.   I also get them longer than the short original was.

I sit in a recliner to use my pad and often press it against my body.  That ruins the cord fast.  I wish they'd put the port on the side of the device.

[glb613]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

I buy Apple certified cords on Amazon for a heck of a lot less than $20/each.  I usually pick up about 3 at a time.  Just be sure to get the right cord for your tablet.   I also get them longer than the short original was.

I sit in a recliner to use my pad and often press it against my body.  That ruins the cord fast.  I wish they'd put the port on the side of the device.

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Run it on battery which is how it's meant to be run.