Wednesday, September 27, 2023
Backpacking & OutdoorsBusiness travelCablesGadgetsPhoneographyPhones & TabletsReviewsTravel lightTravel tech

REVIEW: Native Union TAG Cable

This nicely disguised Apple Lightning cable is perfect for fastening to a backpack for tangle-free travel


This slideshow requires JavaScript.


No-one wants to travel in a tangle, but sometimes you’ve got to get all ‘belt-and-braces’ about tech, and just take everything you need. TravGear ALWAYS travels with a portable battery for recharging a phone (preferably one that recharges via Apple Lightning, not microUSB) either on a long-haul flight, or in off-grid areas (always go for something about 9,000mAh, nothing less), but until recently the recharging cable has been an issue. Cue the TAG, which makes travelling cable-free a reality at last.

Braided & bold

If you’re recharging an iPhone once a day, you do not need a  long Apple Lightning cable. TAG, essentially a nicely braided USB-Apple Lightning cable looped around a leather sheath, is all about giving you what you need, keeping it accessible, and disguising what it it.

Quick access

When attached to a backpack strap (I went for the strap designed to keep a water bladder hose in reach), the TAG stays away from pockets, where cables get tangled, and proved easy to reach for each time I needed it (though I did need to untie it each time). If you want even quicker access, it could go on a carabiner.

Fit-and-forget

A handy fit-and-forget way of travelling with an essential cable, TAG looks like a luggage tag (perhaps version 2 could also be a luggage tag?) and proves just as essential. It’s available in tan-brown or black leather and, in our tests, worked perfectly both with portable batteries and with standards USB plugs.

Pricer as reviewed: £39.99

Buy the Native Union TAG

%d bloggers like this: