Une Bobine review: the smartphone charger that thinks it’s a tripod
Fuse Chicken’s Une Bobine is rather unique among smartphone charging cables. Its design serves several purposes at once, offering durable construction alongside the ability for the cable to double as a tripod and phone dock all at the same time. It sounds like a potentially zany idea, but is the end result just another forgettable gadget?
The Une Bobine is a charging cable
The Une Bobine is, at it’s core (literally), a charging cable. In that respect it works exactly as expected. Available for Android (MicroUSB) and iPhone (Lightning connector), it does the job of charging a device just fine. Connect one end to your phone and the other to a USB power supply and watch as your battery level goes up, up, up.
What sets the Une Bobine apart is its design. This is perhaps the sturdiest cable you will come across. The internal charging cable is wrapped in a seemingly impenetrable flexible metal exterior. You can rest assured that dogs, cats, scissors, and any other manner of destruction will not easily befall this cable.
The downside, of course, is that this metal wrap makes for a bulky result. The Une Bobine is most definitely one of the heaviest charging cables you will encounter. It packs down to a fairly portable size, but it’s a far cry from tossing a traditional charging cable in your bag.
The Une Bobine is a tripod, too
The Une Bobine’s construction makes for an intriguing possibility. It can be bent into and retain shape, allowing for the cable to double as both a “dock” and a “tripod.” This is an intentional feature, and perhaps the most enticing aspect of the Une Bobine.
For the most part, it works as advertised, but as device’s continue to increase in size the added weight isn’t always friendly to the Une Bobine. As long as you establish a pretty firm base and create a center of balance, this is usually fine, but for larger device’s like the Galaxy S5 things can become a bit precarious. Another thing to consider is the various locations that Android manufacturers place their device’s USB ports. The Une Bobine works best with a device that features a charging point located at a central point below the display.
The Bottom Line
The Une Bobine is an intriguing concept, and at about $20 ($10 for the “petite” version) isn’t breaking the bank. For those looking for a simple solution for a tripod in combination with a durable charging cable, it might be worth a purchase. Folks may wish to hold off though. Fuse Chicken informs us that a new version of their charging cable is on the works, one that is designed to better fit the large variety of Android devices available on the market today.
The Good
- Durable construction
- Versatile design doubles as a dock/tripod
The Bad
- Heavy and a bit bulky
- Not perfect for all Android devices
Overall: 3.5/5