This is the English edition of a review from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets from my home studio in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.
Quick take
If you want a USB-C cable that lives on your bag, clip a short flat cable into a carabiner cable holder. My pick is the CIO holder with the Ezo Flex 13.5 cm flat cable: 19.4 g together, 100 W charging and 20 Gbps data. A one-piece "strap" cable I bought earlier looked great but would not transfer data at all.
What I tested
- CIO carabiner cable holder (USB-C) and ELECOM carabiner cable holder, both 550 yen at the time of recording
- Ezo Flex USB-C to USB-C flat cable, 13.5 cm
- CIO soft silicone USB-C cable, 15 cm
- The strap cable that comes with the UGREEN PB525 power bank
- A 22 cm leather-look strap cable (999 yen) that I reviewed earlier
What I found
- The two holders are almost identical in size and spring strength. The CIO one let cables seat fully; the ELECOM one was so tight that the flat cable left a gap of about 0.5 mm.
- Pulling with a hanging scale, the CIO holder did not let go at 2–3 kg. The cable would probably fail first.
- Measured weights: CIO holder 12.8 g, ELECOM holder 13.2 g, flat cable 6.6 g, CIO cable 8.6 g.
- Data transfer worked with the flat cable, the CIO cable and the UGREEN cable. The strap cable was not recognised by my SSD on Mac or Windows, although it charged at 35–40 W.
- Both short cables fit the small port opening of a leather iPhone case.
| Setup | Weight (measured) | Data transfer |
|---|---|---|
 Holder + Ezo flat 13.5 cm | 19.4 g (CIO holder) | Yes |
 Holder + CIO silicone 15 cm | 21.8 g (ELECOM holder) | Yes |
 UGREEN PB525 strap cable | 12.5 g | Yes |
 22 cm strap cable | 21.8 g | No |
Who it's for
- Anyone who keeps forgetting a cable and wants one short cable that both charges and transfers data.
- If you already own the UGREEN PB525, its included strap cable is good enough.
- If you only ever charge, a strap cable works, but for the same money I would rather have data transfer too.
Watch the review
The video is in Japanese. The holder comparison starts around 3:10 and the pull test around 5:50.
Limitations
The data test was done with my own SSD, Mac and Windows PC. The strap cable may have been a faulty unit, although its listing did not clearly promise data transfer. CIO and ELECOM are Japanese brands, so availability outside Japan varies. Prices are Amazon Japan's at the time of recording.
Products
CIO carabiner cable holder (USB-C): on Amazon Japan
ELECOM carabiner cable holder (USB-C): on Amazon Japan
Ezo Flex USB-C to USB-C cable, 13.5 cm: on Amazon Japan
CIO soft silicone USB-C cable, 0.15 m: on Amazon Japan
UGREEN PB525 power bank: on Amazon Japan
The Amazon Japan links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.
More reviews in English
All Chargers & Cables (29) →Browse all English reviews →
This review is also available in Japanese.