This 4-in-1 keychain charger is my new essential travel accessory | ZDNET

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

Finding yourself carrying a bunch of cables with you when you go traveling? Or you never have the right cable with you when you need it? You could roll up a cable and shove it into a pocket, or you could get a cable specifically designed to attach on your keychain.

Also: This ultra-portable power station gives you AC power on the move

One of the best keychain cables on the market is made by Rolling Square, and the new InCharge XS is a great 4-in-1 portable cable, especially if you're looking for a fast-charging device. It allows data transfer and ultra fast charging up to 240W along with Apple's fast charging up to 27W.

This cable offers four different charging combinations that can virtually charge any modern device from any power source.

The InCharge XS is a compact 4-in-1 cable that is designed for a keychain. It is a 240W USB-C to USB-C cable with a Lightning adapter on one end, and USB-A on the other, allowing it to take on four configurations:

The cable is easy to transform between the different configurations.

The ends of the cable are made from metal, and the cable itself is a flat ribbon that's reinforced with nylon and aramid fiber. There's also strong N52 magnets keeping the ends together, and a TPU end cap to protect the ends from wear and tear.

Also: The best power banks you can buy: Expert tested

I've been testing these cables for a few weeks and I have to say that they live up to the hype. They carry 240W with no problems, they convert between the different configurations quickly and easily, and they clamp onto a keychain securely. In a few weeks of use, I've not managed to lose it, so that says a lot about how well it attaches.

Yes, it fits well onto a keychain!

If you need a cable that's unobtrusive enough to carry about with you on a keychain, or a cable that can handle USB devices and Apple's Lightining port, the Rolling Square InCharge XS is a solid option. The only downside I can see is that the 155 mm/6 inches might be a little short for some larger devices. For example, it's a bit short for charging a laptop.

But other than that particular use case, I find this cable to be as close to perfect as a cable can be, and has earned a place in my kit.