Last year, soon after the iPhone was released, we took a look at iPhone headphone adapters—short cables that let you use any headphones with the iPhone's recessed headphone jack—from Belkin and RadTech. Since then, a number of vendors have released similar products. Because these cables are essentially minor variations on theme, we aren't going to do extended reviews; instead, here's a quick look at some of the other models we've seen. All work as advertised, so you're really choosing based on appearance, construction, and price.
Griffin Technology Headphone Adapter ($10): Perhaps the most attractive model, Griffin's offering is black and gray, 3.5 inches long, and has a rubbery covering. The cable is fairly flexible, although the female adapter at the end—into which you plug your headphones—is a bit bulky.
Helium Digital 3.5mm Headphone Adapter ($4 CAN): The shortest adapter in the bunch, Helium's offering—pictured at the top of this article—is only 2 inches long (not counting the female adapter at the end) with a fairly flexible cable, but has the bulkiest female adapter of the bunch. The biggest advantage of this model is its super-low price; on the other hand, it ships from Canada, so some of the cost savings may be offset by shipping charges.
FastMac Audio Headphone iPhone Adapter ($5): Although longer than most at nearly 6 inches, FastMac's offering uses the thinnest and most-flexible cable and has the thinnest female adapter, making it the least obtrusive we've seen. The low price is a bonus.
ProCable - Audio Extension Cable 3.5mm Male - Female ($8): Since we looked at RadTech's adapter last July, the company has replaced that model with a new version that comes in two lengths. Although RadTech classifies these lengths as 3 and 4 inches, my measurements—from the beginning of the plug cover on the male end to the juncture between the cable and the female adapter—were 3 and 4.5 inches, respectively. The cable is fairly thin and flexible, although the female adapter is just slightly smaller than the one used on the Helium adapter, above.
Out of the six adapters we've seen (seven if you count both RadTech sizes), FastMac's Audio Headphone iPhone Adapter is my favorite thanks to its thin profile, flexible cable, and low price.
(I have another current favorite, but it isn't available as a separate product; it's actually an accessory included with some SwitchEasy iPod and iPhone cases. These cases fully enclose your iPod or iPhone, so the headphone jack is recessed; SwitchEasy includes a short, slim, flexible adapter—white or black, depending on the case—for using any headphones with these cases. The adapter works great with the iPhone with or without a case, so if you're in the market for an iPod or iPhone case and an iPhone headphone adapter, it's worth giving SwitchEasy a look, especially considering the reasonable price of the company's cases.)
Note: The original version of this article had an incorrect description for the Helium adapter; the error was corrected a few minutes after publication.
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