Paracable is a new company that is hand-wrapping Lightning-to-USB cables with paracord, a lightweight rope originally used in parachutes. The cables are not official 'Made for i' cables, but Paracable founder Travis Beck told MacRumors that they have sourced high-quality cables from China and have tested them thoroughly.

The company buys cables without the USB-end attached in order to wrap the paracord, then attaching the end and using a hardening resin to ensure it is firmly attached.

ParacableAs Paracable explains, they were trying to create a cable that would not be destroyed by the founder's cat Baxter quite as easily as Apple's OEM Lightning cables.

After much thought and prototyping, the first Paracable was born. As a byproduct of the Baxter-proof cable, we had also created a beautifully textured and colorful cable worthy of the iPhone's gorgeous industrial design. "We can make these in all sorts of colors and patterns," we thought. And so we did.

Each cable is hand assembled and soldered one at a time using a unique process that ensures it's longevity and durability. We spent many months perfecting the process in order to create the best cable possible. One that not only looks good, but will last.

Paracables are available in more than 20 different colors for $27.95 each from the company's website.

Top Rated Comments

Jessica Lares Avatar
164 months ago
Ehhh, you're basically buying something that was modified. This is the sort of thing you would buy at Etsy, at a market, or other art related thing. This shouldn't be something that is sold to everybody.

I don't care whether they've tested them or not, these are still cables that don't comply to the standard Apple wants. And honestly, just because it works, doesn't mean that it's good for your device or the computer it's pushing the data to and from to.

They're using glue to seal these things too, that's just another thing to get in the way. It's going to come off eventually.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jjwarwick Avatar
164 months ago
I'll pay $28 for the cable - but they lost me at another $20 for international shipping. It doesn't cost more than a few dollars to post something to the UK.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flottenheimer Avatar
164 months ago
... They're (Paracable) using glue to seal these things too, that's just another thing to get in the way. It's going to come off eventually.

No one use more glue than Apple these days.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DonutHands Avatar
164 months ago
Wonder how long till they get shut down by apple. Those are cheap $1.50 unauthorized knockoff cables wrapped in cloth.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chiefsilverback Avatar
164 months ago
Paracord's strength is derived from the inner nylon cores, not the outer sheath. My assumption is that they are using the outer sheath only and therefore this product is purely decorative.

A cat's claws will quickly make that braided nylon look pretty tatty!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Intarweb Avatar
164 months ago
Will they actually charge and sync? I've bought knockoff ones that didn't. This seems like they're buying knockoffs and putting their wrappings around them.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
watchos 26 workout app

Apple Watch Users Claim Workout App Is Now Worse in Every Way

Thursday November 20, 2025 7:01 am PST by
Apple Watch owners have been voicing their frustration online over changes to the Workout app that Apple introduced in watchOS 26, with many finding the redesigned interface makes starting exercises difficult and exasperating. When Apple launched watchOS 26 in September, the Workout app went from large, easily tapped workout tiles to a scrolling, corner-button interface. Instead of tapping a ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Two More U.S. States Commit to Offering iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet App

Thursday November 20, 2025 8:21 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Earlier this week, Illinois became the 13th state in the U.S. to offer the feature. Subsequently, we shared a list of additional states that are committed...
android iphone airdrop quickshare

iPhone Users Can Now AirDrop Files to Android Devices

Thursday November 20, 2025 9:47 am PST by
Google today announced a new cross-platform feature that allows for file sharing between iPhone and Android users. With AirDrop on the iPhone and QuickShare on Pixel 10 devices, there is a new file transfer function available. The file sharing option works on Apple devices that include iPhone, iPad, and Mac, along with the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Fold....