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Aug 14
Is there a difference between a right angle or a left angle cable or adapter?
From time to time, we will see a review or get feedback from a customer that the right angled cable or adapter they bought from us is in fact a left angled cable or adapter.
Is there such a thing as a left angled cable? The short answer is no. The longer answer is it can depend on what you mean by left angle.
Right Angle vs. Left Angle
Traditionally, a right angle refers to the one of the ends being perpendicular to the axis of the cable or adapter itself. Some cables or adapters can only be plugged in one way so the rest of the cable or adapter will always appear to go up or down and others will always appear to go left or right.
Now it is possible that some plugs will only allow you to connect the cable or adapter in one specific orientation so it will be a right angle connector with the cable always going left (or “left angled”) or a right angle connector with the cable always going to the right (or “right angled”).
However, what complicates this issue is that some devices will use the same plug in one orientation and still others will use it in a different orientation. A great way to illustrate this phenomenon is by using our right angle YCS Basics 3-foot USB mini extension cable:
A closer look at the male plug reveals the unique shape of the USB mini male to be similar to a trapezoid with a shorter side and an opposite longer side.
Now let’s go ahead and take a look at two items I found around our warehouse. I went ahead and put them on the table where they would normally be placed to be charged. The first item is a walkie talkie and the second item is a wireless handheld barcode scanner.
What is interesting to note is that they both have a connection for a USB mini plug, but the orientation of the plug is different on both devices. That means when you plug in the cable to the scanner, the cable looks like it goes to the right.
However, once you plug it into the walkie talkie, the cable now appears to go to the left:
Now in this example, the solution is easy. You can go ahead and flip over either device to have the cable going in the direction that you need it. However, this may not always be possible in your setup. For example, you may have a mounted GPS in your car and need the cable to go in a specific direction.
Conclusion
In essence, right angle only refers to the bend and does not actually indicate whether the cable or adapter bends to the right or left.
So while technically there is no such thing as a left angle cable or adapter, depending on your view and the orientation of the plug, you can have a cable or adapter with a perpendicular (approximately 90 degrees) end that will appear to bend to the right or bend to the left. Of course if your plug is cylindrical, then a right angle connector can be swiveled around so this issue would be moot.
So what happens if you cannot really figure out which way the plug is supposed to go or just do not have the time to go check?
No worries! We offer free returns on all our retail orders. Be confident in knowing that if your cable does not work the way you need it to work, you can always return it.
And if you are doubting whether it would be worth it to return your item despite offering free returns, please check out our previous article here: Why Bother to Return?
While the left angle and right angle debate will undoubtedly continue, just remember that it is not just the cable or adapter that matters, but also how the plugs are oriented on your devices as well.
When not answering technical questions over the phone or e-mail, Edward loves writing articles ranging from all things cables to how to systematically achieve world domination.
Follow @YCSedward
