I Never Leave Home Without This Viral Usb-c Key Ring Accessory, And It Only Costs $25

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Nomad's ChargeKey V2 is connected waste for $25 each.
• This type of nan useful accessory provides charging speeds up to 240W for laptops and information transportation speeds up to 10Gbps.
• However, immoderate whitethorn find its short magnitude excessively restrictive.

At nan clip of past publication, nan ChargeKey V2 is backordered and expected to vessel starting July 24. 

As often arsenic I trust connected USB-C cables to complaint my devices aliases thief pinch work, I hardly deliberation astir them. My mindset has been that they're each mostly nan aforesaid pinch negligible differences. I usually propulsion them into my junk drawer and only return a cablegram retired erstwhile needed. Plus, what improvements tin you really make connected smartphone cables?

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That was my belief until I spent immoderate clip pinch Nomad's caller ChargeKey V2. This compact USB-C accessory is thing I wish I had years ago. It provides accelerated charging speeds while sporting a compact creation that ensures it'll ne'er get tangled successful your pockets aliases bag. You won't person to walk 5 minutes unraveling it for illustration regular wires. 

As you astir apt conjecture from its name, this is simply a 2nd procreation product. But while it looks astir identical to nan previous model, location are a fistful of improvements.

Built to last

The ChargeKey V2 sticks to nan series' signature characteristic pinch a durable shape factor. Both nan cablegram lodging and nan small connecting fastener are made of electroplated zinc, protecting nan instrumentality from extracurricular harm and corrosion. You'll announcement that nan fastener has capable abstraction successful its loop for owners to descent successful a cardinal ringing and connect it to a keychain aliases backpack.

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Nomad's thoughtful creation doesn't extremity there. The cables are covered successful nylon, which further enhances durability. Unlike nan integrative sleeves seen connected garden-variety USB-C cables, nan ChargeKey tin beryllium twisted successful different directions and won't rip.

Aesthetic tweaks were besides made, but they're truthful subtle that you whitethorn not announcement them unless you look closely. For example, nan lodging molds are somewhat larger than before, and nan electroplated zinc is much polished.

Speedy recharges

Nomad's ChargeKey is simply a 240W USB-C cablegram that tin quickly recharge mobile devices. I wanted to spot really it performs, truthful I did a bid of tests. 

First, I connected a Moto G Power to my Anker powerfulness slope via nan ChargeKey. It took astir 50 minutes to spell from a dormant artillery to astir 50% and conscionable nether 2 hours to 100%. For nan adjacent test, I connected nan powerfulness slope to a laptop, and it took astir 2 hours to recharge nan machine to astir 40% (the slope yet ran retired of juice).

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Once everything was done, I did nan aforesaid tests, but pinch nan cable, I sewage pinch nan powerfulness bank. I noticed nary clip variance betwixt either cable. They performed astatine astir nan aforesaid level. On nan surface, that whitethorn sound disappointing -- nan ChargeKey didn't rustle nan title retired of nan water. Is it nary amended than immoderate aged cablegram you bargain astatine Best Buy?

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No, it is decidedly better. Those generic cables don't person ChargeKey's durable design. This is simply a important facet erstwhile considering purchasing it because it enables a longer support life and moreover saves users from spending money connected replacements. 

The Nomad ChargeKey does supply 1 different use that different cables whitethorn not person -- nan expertise to transportation files astatine 10Gbps. In different test, I moved 150 images from my smartphone to my individual laptop. The full process was complete successful astir 40 seconds. Moving larger packets of information will return longer. A 10GB files took astir 5.5 minutes from nan aforesaid telephone to my laptop.

ZDNET's buying advice

Nomad's ChargeKey V2 retails for $25 per unit. The institution offers "2-pack" and "3-pack" bundles, which costs $45 and $60, respectively. I urge this accessory to group who want a USB-C cablegram arsenic portion of their mundane transportation but don't want a agelong ligament knotting up successful their pockets aliases purses.