For this week's giveaway, we've once again teamed up with Fuse to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Side Winder cable wrangler, designed to let you quickly and easily wind up your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro's charger cord.


The reel-style construction of the Side Winder keeps your power adapter, cord, and attached extension cable in a neat, compact package with zero tangles and no hassle. It's perfect for use at home or work and it's great for when you need to travel because it makes it so quick to pack up.

sidewindermessycable
When traveling with a traditional Power Adapter and cable setup in a bag or backpack, winding the cord and the extension cable is an exercise in futility because it constantly comes unwrapped, leading to a messy, knotted tangle of cable. That cable tangle is the problem the Side Winder solves.

sidewinderdesign
Side Winder works by enclosing the Power Adapter of your MacBook with a reel that holds the cable. When you need to wind extra cable, a simple twist of the top piece pulls it in. When more cable is needed while the MacBook is in use, you can pull out as much cable as you need to reach a power outlet.

sidewinderunwinding
Fuse says that it takes less than six seconds to fully wind a cable using the Side Winder, and the design of the device provides protection against cable damage and fraying by preventing stress at weak points.

sidewindermacbook
Side Winder is compatible with all 45W, 60W, 61W, 85W, and 87W MacBook Pro and Air chargers, with both MagSafe 1 and 2 and USB-C versions available. The MagSafe versions are available for $29.99, while the USB-C version is $33.99. The USB-C model includes a USB-C cord, but neither model includes a power adapter or extension cable.

sidewindertable
In addition to offering Side Winders to MacRumors readers in our giveaway, Fuse is also providing a 20 percent discount on all Side Winder purchases. To buy one at a discount, just use this link.

We have 20 Side Winders to give away to MacRumors readers. To enter to win our giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below and enter an email address. Email addresses will be used solely for contact purposes to reach the winners and send the prizes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, following us on Instagram, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page.

Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years or older and Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) who have reached the age of majority in their province or territory are eligible to enter. To offer feedback or get more information on the giveaway restrictions, please refer to our Site Feedback section, as that is where discussion of the rules will be redirected.

The contest will run from today (October 26) at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time through 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time on November 2. The winners will be chosen randomly on November 2 and will be contacted by email. The winners will have 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address before new winners are chosen.

Top Rated Comments

Spectrum Avatar
81 months ago
And why exactly did Apple remove the super useful ears in the first place? I've been using them for over a decade without any issue. Their absence is a real pain in the new MacBook models.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Spectrum Avatar
81 months ago
Why? Because it no longer has a permanently attached (captive) output cable. Those wrapping hooks were for "cable management", so there would not be a long cable dangling in a bag or carrying case. A discrete USB PD cable is much easier to manage alone, than a dangling captive cable. ('https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/why-doesnt-the-new-macbook-pro-come-with-those-two-clips-on-the-power-brick-to-wrap-the-cable.2036592/#post-24386622')

Those wrapping hooks were terrible all along. Not super useful. Thank goodness and good riddance. If you want your power brick and USB PD cable to be bosom buddies, then 'use a rubber band or something' ('https://forums.macrumors.com/goto/post?id=24386739#post-24386739').
So how do you wrap up the separate USB cable now? The new design is clearly inferior. No one was forcing anyone to use the hooks. I did because I found them to work really well.
Indeed, for me, the wrapping hooks worked excellently on every Apple notebook I've owned - I think they were even there on the Power Books too. Simple, tidy, tiny, helpful, features.
Like magsafe...
And the charging indicator light...
And the battery charge indicator light...
[And replaceable HD/SSD...
And upgradeable RAM...
And a USB-A port...
And an HDMI port...
And an SD card slot...]
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
81 months ago
Oooh, this is nice. That's one thing I miss from my older MacBook Pro, those little ears that would pop out of the adapter.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NoIdentity Avatar
80 months ago
Never used the ears and always been carefull when packing the charger. If you ‘coil’ the cables as they should be you won’t create any tears, creases, kinks or curls. But this appies to any cable. Unfortunately most people have no clue how to properly store cables. This product doesn’t necessarily mitigate the issue. It might help, but it creates a more bulkier package.
Anyways, this chargers are on their way out.

I am much happier with the new design. The replacable ibs-c cable makes the replacing of damaged connectors way cheaper. Which is where most of my old chargers had problems, the magsafe was the one bit that recieved most stress. Due to bends to reach the other side of the computer or accidental puls and intentional ones to disconnect the charger.
But yeah. Now I disconnect the usb-c coil it so it doesn’t have any stress on it and store the brick separately. And if the usb-c cable dies on me, I will just by the new one.

The ears in my view were a bad design from the start, since they promote bad habits in taking care of your cables.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7thson Avatar
81 months ago
Man o’ man, this is exactly what I need. I ordered using the discount code which negated the shipping. I’ll come back with my thoughts on it after I’ve tried it out a bit.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7thson Avatar
80 months ago
Following up to share my thoughts on this. I really appreciate what it does for organizing the brick and cord adapter. I prefer to use this configuration but have been put off by the bulk of the cord and how to keep it together with the brick without it being a mess waiting to happen. It works very well and doesn't feel cheap, however I'm not going to drop it repeatedly to see how long it takes to break either. Does it make for a very large charging solution? Yes it does. Just look at the photos. That's an iPad mini 4 it's sitting on in the second pic.

Yeah it's huge. However I don't see any way to avoid this mass if you want to keep your cord with the brick. So that's my take away, if you prefer this configuration for your usage, this is a great solution. If you rarely use the cord, then this thing will seem absurd and impractical. As an side, I ordered the model for the 85watt magsafe2 and the box seems to have adapters for every model of Apple charging bricks.

Attachment Image

Attachment Image
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Rumored to Be Compatible With These iPhones

Sunday December 22, 2024 8:09 am PST by
iOS 19 will not drop support for any iPhone models, according to French website iPhoneSoft.fr. The report cites a source within Apple. The report said that iOS 19 will be compatible with any iPhone that is capable of running iOS 18, which would mean the following models: iPhone 16 iPhone 16 Plus iPhone 16 Pro iPhone 16 Pro Max iPhone 15 iPhone 15 Plus iPhone 15 Pro ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Coming to These U.S. States Next

Tuesday December 24, 2024 10:49 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Below, we outline which U.S. states and territories offer the feature, and additional states that have committed to rolling it out in...
AirTag and Lavender iPhone

AirTag 2 Launching Next Year With These New Features

Tuesday December 24, 2024 8:35 am PST by
Apple is expected to release an AirTag 2 next year, and a few new features and changes have already been rumored for the item tracker. Below, we recap what to expect from the AirTag 2: The new AirTag is expected to be equipped with Apple's second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for longer range. The chip debuted last year in the iPhone 15 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple said it...
m3 macbook air blue

Apple Accidentally Leaked the Next MacBook Air

Sunday December 22, 2024 8:33 am PST by
Apple earlier this month released macOS 15.2, and in doing so it accidentally confirmed new MacBook Air models coming next year. Apple accidentally released macOS 15.2 restore files for unreleased "‌MacBook Air‌ (13-inch, M4, 2025)" and "‌MacBook Air‌ (15-inch, M4, 2025)" models. While it no surprise that the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models were going to be updated with the M4 ...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

22 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 23, 2024 6:30 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iPhone 16 Apple Store

iPhone Sizes Change Next Year: What to Know

Monday December 23, 2024 7:40 am PST by
This year, Apple tweaked iPhone 16 Pro screen sizes to make them bigger than 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models, and next year we are also expecting a change in the size of the displays in the iPhone 17 lineup. Here's what we know. Standard iPhone 17 Apple could introduce a new display size for the standard iPhone 17 model in 2025. The iPhone 17 could measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches,...
iphone 16 pro design cameras

iPhone 18 Pro Rumored to Be More Like DSLR Camera With This Upgrade

Monday December 23, 2024 6:24 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still nearly two years away from launching, a new feature has already been rumored for the devices. In a blog post today, Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reiterated that the main rear camera on both iPhone 18 Pro models will offer variable aperture, which would be a first for the iPhone. The main camera refers to the 48-megapixel...
apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple m5

Macs With M5 Chips Expected to Launch in This Order

Monday December 23, 2024 8:27 am PST by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today outlined mass production timing for the M5 series of chips, which he expects to be used in both future Macs and Apple Intelligence servers. The rollout will likely begin next year. Kuo expects the standard M5 chip to enter mass production in the first half of 2025, followed by the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips in the second half of the year. Then, he...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 2 Redux

Top 5 Apple Products to Look Forward to in 2025

Friday December 20, 2024 2:22 pm PST by
It's looking like 2025 is going to be an important year for Apple, with the company planning to revamp the iPhone, push further into smart home products, and improve Apple Intelligence. There are tons of new products rumored for 2025, including new iPhones, M4 Macs, a smart home command center, and much more. We've highlighted the top five Apple products that will have the biggest impact in...