I picked up an old iPod without a cable and the retractable cable I bought locally wasn't working well with my device (won't stay connected, random bugs etc). Since the dollar tree has stopped bearing them, I looked online. 2 of these were only a few dollars more expensive than one so I bought 2 packs. The iPod synced directly to my car with this cable and also to my computer. I've only been using them for a week so don't know about durability although they seem to be quite durable.