How to reinforce or protect USB-C cable from connector damage

Question

How can I maximize the life of a phone and minimize my total cost over the lifetime of the device while factoring in malicious cats?

My wife's Moto X4 is repeatedly knocked off her nightstand/bed by our cat, and have gone through several cables where the metal connector on the USB-C side of the cable gets bent at about a 45 Degree angle, the internal connections get broken, and the cable no longer works. Are there any recommendations on how to prevent this from happening?

I did see a similar post referencing micro-usb connections, but since this isn't something that I can simply adjust unplugging behavior (we've tried, the cat doesn't learn very quickly)

Answer 1

Hang the phone up so it can't be knocked down.

Here's a short YouTube video with very simple instructions.

You cut the top of an empty plastic bottle (from lotion, shampoo, household cleaners or whatever) in a way that you can fit your phone inside and have a tab on top that fits between your wall socket and your charger.

When you charge your phone, first pin the phone hanger to the wall socket with your charger. Then put your phone inside so the cable faces up! Most pictures show the phone sitting inside the hanger upright, which bends the cable if it connects at the bottom.

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Image source

In this image you see that the bottle should be longer than the phone. If it had been just a little longer, the phone would fit inside without leaning against the charger and bending the cable at that end.

Answer 2

Get a wireless charging case that fits the phone (similar to the one pictured below). This will allow you to protect the phone while also charging it wirelessly so that if it gets knocked, the connector will remain undamaged.

Answer 3

Use a magnetic USB-C connector, like the one in the image. However, the phone itself may still crack if it is repeatedly knocked off. Perhaps the cable / connector was what kept your phone safe until now - just saying.

Answer 4

I had a similar problem except it was me knocking it off.. once upon a time I had tied a loop in the charger lead near to the USB c end, and would hang the loop onto the wall charger itself, the phone dangling from its charger connector and hanging in mid air

Now that we’ve replaced the bedside table with a bigger one that makes it difficult to get to the outlet I just plug the phone in and lower it down onto the floor at the side of the cabinet, leaving the wire to run over the top of the table. When retrieving the phone I pick it up by the wire, like hauling in a fishing net

All in the simplest life hack I can recommend is to put the phone on the floor (it can’t fall any further!) somewhere it won’t be trodden on during a bleary eyed mid-night trip to the bathroom

Answer 5

Interestingly, if you've ever seen the product called "Sugru" - they specifically have this as one of the suggested uses for the product. I've used it for this purpose myself and it works well.

You use it to form a reinforcing sleeve around the plug end of the cable, forcing any bend in the cable to take place over a larger diameter and therefore be less damaging.

Answer 6

Avoiding the problem is the first and most effective hack.

Put the phone in a cup to amplify the volume; then, put the cup into the half-open nightstand drawer beside your wife for the night.

Benefit: You don't even have to remove the storage cup when your wife removes the phone for the day.

Benefit: Any glow from the phone won't be visible to disturb healthy sleeping illumination.

Benefit: It can't be pulled, kicked, or pushed off the top of the nightstand by your service animal. It's stable unless there's a catastrophic natural disaster.

Benefit: Nothing more to buy or make.

Benefit: It works for your problem.

Good luck.