My defense of a $40 cable paperweight – I’m sorry

Warning: I’m going to make an attempt to justify a $40 paperweight for cable management. I’m not sure how I ended up in this position, or who hurt me. All I can say is that I’m not proud of myself, so please, take pity.

I’ve been using Native Union’s 3-cable Weighter for about a week. It sits on my kitchen table, which also serves as my impromptu workspace on most days. It looks nice when I happen to notice it, and I can be assured that each time I return with my MacBook Pro in hand, I’ll find the MagSafe connector right where I left it.

Before Weighter, I’d just let the cable fall to the ground, requiring a middle-age bend and audible grunt to restore the connection a few times each day. I’ve considered using other cable management solutions like any of the hundreds of cheap clips sold online, but I’m reluctant to apply anything ugly or adhesive to my expensive kitchen table.

Weighter’s precision production and material selection gives it a premium feel. The jagged but soft silicone bottom grips onto (and protects) smooth surfaces and provides three slots for cables. The aluminum top is rigid with a slightly rough texture that makes it feel organic. At 170 grams, it sits heavy in the hand, which adds to the feeling of quality.

I wouldn’t mind it being even heavier if the diminutive size could be maintained. That would prevent stronger tugs on the cables from moving the Weighter around, necessitating a careful adjustment to realign the block with the table’s edge. See, I’m the type who sits down at a restaurant and immediately adjusts the angle of the silverware. Sick, I know.

I like that it’s designed to allow cables to slide effortlessly between the gaps without the USB-C or MagSafe connectors falling through. But I could do without the “Native Union” logo inscription, or the word “Paris,” which I assume is meant to help justify the luxury pricing. What is fashion?

I don’t think I’d ever buy the $29.99 Weighter for myself, or even the $19.99 version that manages a single cable. I would, however, gladly accept one as a gift. But really, I should just get over myself and save a few bucks by creating some custom cable holders from that Sugru moldable glue.

Update, January 5th: Native Union reduced the pricing from $39.99 to $29.99 for the three-cable Weighter, and from $29.99 to $19.99 for the single cable model.