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The Drawbacks of Cheap Cables and What Should You Look for

With the significant increase in consumers of gadgets and electrical appliances, electronic goods industries have multiplied exponentially. And as a result, it’s now as easy to get cables and plugs in the neighbourhood petrol station as it is to get a can of cola from a nearby store. But are they all reliable? The answer is a straight no.

 

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There are many setup industries and their production is steady, but not all in the industry are reliable and neither are all products. The accessories that are most exploited are the diverse range of cables to go with electronic appliances and gadgets. You can probably get a replacement for your gadgets at half the rates brands sell them, but cheap cables have their own drawbacks. Let’s count a few:

 

Gadget Damage

Cables might be available in every nook and corner at really incredible prices, but you know that the everyday replacement of devices isn’t an option. Cheap cables can do considerable damage to your gadgets or devices, often irreversible. Also, if your gadget is malfunctioning due to connecting it with unreliable cables, in all probability your device company will reject any warranty claim against it.

 

Quick Replacements

We all know this but just for the sake of inclusion in the list, we must mention that cheap cables aren’t durable and need to be replaced at very short intervals. If you are a regular user of these easily available cables, you know some of them fail even by the end of the day they were purchased. Therefore, investing in a comparatively expensive but durable cable is a smarter option any day.

 

Hazards to look out for

Accidents due to unreliable cables are on the rise. Though there had been minor accidents in the past, now there are significant numbers of deaths reported across the globe resulting from the use of unsafe cables. In most of these cases, the cause was detected as the cable, bought locally from shops and manufacturers, not licensed to sell or manufacture such electronic accessories. The reason obviously is the increasing availability of such cables and customer’s preference for low-cost products. But it is important to be vigilant as the customer and remember that cheap cables can pose serious safety hazards.

 

Slow Transmission

USB and Category cables are used to transmit information from one device to another. If you are using cheap, low-quality cables, the speed of transmission of data is adversely affected. Though you won’t be able to tell the difference in the first few days, the shortcomings will be easily visible once the testing time is over. This goes for chargers for your gadgets as well. Cheap cables will charge your gadgets much more slowly than the company-manufactured reliable ones.

 

Cheap Materials

Cheap cables are made up of substandard raw materials inside and out, which explains the reason they are usually 'such a bargain'. The inner wires are mostly bought in bulk from sellers who sell discarded cables, no longer fit for usage. The outer covering is also prone to easy wear and tear and can even melt away if exposed to high summer temperatures.

 

While we are generalising cheap cables here, it is important to note that even quality brands and industries, mostly online sellers, offer quality cables at affordable rates. To state in clear terms, you cannot always differentiate cables on the singular basis of them being cheap in terms of cost. So, what should you look for while buying cables for your gadgets and other electrical appliances? Here’s a checklist to follow:

 

  • Prefer cables of the same company/brand as your gadget/appliance instead of others.
  • Make sure the cables are manufactured by ISO 9001-2000 registered manufacturers.
  • Buy cables from manufacturers/sellers that provide technical support for your purchase. A few online stores also provide lifetime technical support on their products.
  • Buy cables only from reliable manufacturers and stores; avoid buying cables from temporary roadside/local kiosks selling cheap cables.
  • Ask for an invoice and keep it safe to claim guarantee/warranty on your purchase, if required later on.
  • Get perfect fit cables instead of adjusting them with makeshift accessories and techniques.

 

As mentioned already, it is to be emphasised time and again that cheap cables do not only hinder the performance of your appliances but also pose serious safety hazards. And all in all when you look at the frequency of replacement that cheap cables require, you end up spending more than you would on a quality, long lasting cable. Therefore, to ensure safety and optimal utilisation of your gadgets and appliances, you must always be on the lookout for genuine and quality cables manufactured by reliable manufacturers.

 

 

Jennifer Truong is the owner of SF Cable, a California based online retailer of all kind of cables, wires and power cords, including NEMA power cords. Jennifer has extensive experience in the cable industry and blogs about its various aspects. https://www.sfcable.com/
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