If you haven't felt the absolute horror of seeing some exposed wire from your MacBook charging cable, then consider yourself lucky.
I've owned quite a number of MacBooks over the years, and every time I end up going through one or two charging cables. Am I harsh with them? Maybe. Do I bandage them up and try to make them last forever and ever? You bet your bottom dollar, I do.
Sure, you can easily go and pick up a new charging cable, but that costs a lot of money. So what's a less expensive – yet effective – solution? We're here to help!
Here are a number of different ways you can fix the fraying charging cable of your MacBook!
Flex Tape
If you're looking for a super strong, super durable, relatively easy to use and inexpensive tool to fix your MacBook's charging cable (especially if the damage is to the cord itself!) then take a peek at the very appropriately named Flex Tape!
Designed as a thick yet flexible rubberized, waterproof tape that can easily twist and conform to almost any shape or object, Flex Tape acts as an additional layer of protection against any unwanted zaps from your charger's exposed cord. The material it's made with is also environmentally friendly and can can survive a wide-range of temperatures and outside conditions.
While you won't need much Flex Tape to fix your cable (unless you're like my boyfriend who has a foot of exposed wire he refuses to do anything about), having this stuff on hand just seems like a handy fix-it tool, especially when it comes to your MacBook.
You can pick up Flex Tape in large (4" x 5'), jumbo (8" x 5'), or giant (12" x 10'), and the best part? You can choose between black or white so it seamlessly blends into your charging cable!
Liquid Tape
While tape is an okay fixer-upper tool for your MacBook charging cable, liquid tape has your bases taped down a lil' bit better.
I had a USB cable for my iPad which had some insulation pinched off it... they can be a little pricey to replace. The better solution was to paint the frayed area with some of this liquid tape. It made for a nice discrete electrical repair without the tape adhesive residual that tape eventually acquires. (Amazon user John D. Hanig)
Designed to essentially be liquid electrical tape, this fast-drying adhesive is built to dry to a rubber based coating that still allows your cable to move flexibly and freely while keeping its wires secure and under wraps.
While you can pick up Liquid Tape in black, red, or green, look for the Liquid Tape in white to have it blend in better with your charging cable.
Sugru
Sugru's mantra says it all: Stick it. Shape it. It turns into rubber.
The rest is really up to you!
Sugru acts as a super durable Playdoh of sorts. A mouldable glue, this adhesive putty is designed for fixing, making, and improving your things: and it's the perfect thing for patching a hole in a MacBook charger.
The Sugru is made to stick to almost anything and once it's been cured, can even bend and move like the plastic coating on your cable. Once you get your Sugru, the putty will stay good for around 13 months before it gets difficult to mold and work with.
You can buy the Sugru in a ton of fun colors, including red, brown, silver, blue, orange, green, pink, and yellow, or you could stick to the standard black and white.
Oh! And did we mention that they make their own tech-specific fit-it kit called the Rebel Tech Kit? You're welcome!
Electrical Tape
If you're really in a pinch to fix up your MacBook charging cable, then dig out an old roll of electrical tape and get tapin'!
It may not look like the prettiest DIY fixer-up job for your cord, but it totally does the trick – at least for a little while. Electrical tape isn't the easiest thing to work with, and so it may punch and peel, even leaving a residue behind if you decide you want it off.
The best part about electrical tape? It's cheap, so you can use as much of it as possible without feeling super guilty. Huzzuh!
Or when all else fails…
Talk to Apple (or just pick up a new cable)
If you're still under warranty on your MacBook or have AppleCare, you may be able to get a replacement cable for free, depending on the type of damage. If you can't, well... you may have to suck it up and buy a new cable.
It's a pain (we know), but it's better than risking a fire-hazard or a big nasty shock.
How have you fixed your fraying MacBook charging cable?
Are you the type of person to hold onto your busted cable and keep performing Frankenstein-like surgeries on it to keep it alive? Or would you rather say "screw it" and buy a brand new cable?
Let us know how you've fixed your fraying fiascos in the comments below!
