We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-20 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a single MFi-certified Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter built to survive daily pocket abuse, choose JSAUX Headphone Adapter; if you need two USB-C headphone dongles for modern phones, tablets and laptops, choose Criello USB C.
The two products aren't really competing for the same buyer. One is a Lightning-only adapter aimed squarely at older iPhones and iPads. The other is a USB-C dongle sold as a two-pack for the phones and laptops that have already moved to USB-C. The right answer comes down to which port is on your device — and how many of them you need to cover.
• JSAUX's biggest strength: Apple MFi certification plus a reinforced build — aluminum housing, nylon-braided cable and a stated 15,000+ bend rating — so it's built to stay in one piece and connect without error messages on Lightning iPhones.
• JSAUX's biggest trade-off: It's Lightning-only. It won't work with 2018 iPad Pro models, the 11-inch iPad Pro, or the 2021 iPad Mini, all of which use USB-C.
• Criello's biggest strength: USB-C compatibility across a much wider range of hardware — recent iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and Samsung Galaxy phones — and it ships as a two-pack, so you can leave one plugged in at home and one in a bag.
• Criello's biggest trade-off: The data sheet is thin. Criello lists ABS finish and a one-year limited manufacturer warranty, but gives no bend rating, no sampling rate and no certification claim, so there's less hard evidence to lean on.
• Who JSAUX is for: Anyone still on a Lightning iPhone (7 through 14 series) or a Lightning iPad who wants one sturdy adapter with Apple's MFi stamp on it.
• Who Criello is for: Anyone on USB-C hardware — iPhone 15/16/17, iPad, MacBook or Galaxy S24/S23 — who wants a cheap-feeling-but-practical pair of dongles rather than one.
The JSAUX adapter does one job and does it with paperwork behind it. It's Apple MFi certified, which is the meaningful part here: MFi means the connector is built to Apple's spec, so the adapter is designed to connect without the "accessory not supported" style error messages that plague uncertified Lightning dongles. If you've ever plugged a cheap adapter into an iPhone and watched the audio cut out mid-song, that's the failure mode this certification exists to prevent.
Functionally, it's a full adapter, not just a pass-through for sound. With it connected you can still control volume, skip tracks forward and back, pause, answer calls and use Siri through your wired headphones. The audio spec is a 48KHz sampling rate with noise filtering — a normal figure for this class of adapter, and enough for everyday music and calls.
The build is where JSAUX argues its case. The aluminum housing and nylon-braided cable are the two things that usually fail first on a dongle, and JSAUX claims a strain-relief design rated for 15,000+ bends in lab testing. Take that number as a manufacturer claim rather than an independent result, but the design intent is clear: this is meant to live in a pocket or a bag and get flexed constantly. At 7 inches long and about 9 grams, it's small enough to forget about.
Buy it if you're on a Lightning iPhone or iPad, you want MFi certification so you're not fighting error messages, and you'd rather own one well-built adapter than a handful of flimsy ones. Skip it if your phone, tablet or laptop has a USB-C port — it simply won't fit.
Criello USB C: Who It's For
Criello's adapter is the modern-port answer. It's a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle, and the compatibility list reads like a current device roll call: iPhone 17, 16 and 15 in Pro, Max and Plus versions, iPad, MacBook, and Samsung's Galaxy S24 and S23 Ultra. If you bought a phone in the last couple of years, there's a good chance this is the adapter that actually fits it.
The most practical thing about it is the packaging: it's sold as a two-pack. That sounds like a minor detail until you've lost your only dongle on a train. One adapter stays plugged into your laptop bag, the other lives with your phone. For anyone who uses wired headphones across more than one device, the second unit is the real feature.
Criello lists a white ABS finish, a single port, and a limited one-year manufacturer warranty. The manufacturer also highlights durability, ease of use, wide compatibility and a portable design as its selling points. What the data sheet does not give you is a bend rating, an audio sampling figure, or any certification equivalent to Apple's MFi program. That doesn't mean the adapter is bad — it means there's less published evidence to judge it on. If you want specs you can compare line by line, JSAUX gives you more to work with.
Buy it if you're on USB-C hardware, you want to cover more than one device or more than one bag, and you're comfortable with a simpler spec sheet and a one-year warranty as your safety net. Skip it if you're still on a Lightning iPhone — this adapter won't connect to it at all.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for Lightning iPhones (7 through 14 series) → JSAUX Headphone Adapter. It's the only one of the two that physically fits.
• Best for USB-C phones, tablets and laptops → Criello USB C. iPhone 15/16/17, iPad, MacBook and Galaxy S24/S23 all fall here.
• Best for error-free connection confidence → JSAUX Headphone Adapter. Apple MFi certification is the concrete reason.
• Best for covering multiple devices → Criello USB C. Two adapters in the box beats one.
• Best for build detail you can actually evaluate → JSAUX Headphone Adapter. Aluminum housing, nylon braid and a stated 15,000+ bend rating versus an ABS finish with no durability figures.
• Best for in-line controls and calls → JSAUX Headphone Adapter. Volume, track skipping, pause, call answering and Siri are all explicitly supported.
• Best for a low-commitment backup → Criello USB C. The second adapter doubles as a spare, and the one-year limited warranty is stated in writing.
• Best for 2018 iPad Pro, iPad Pro 11" or 2021 iPad Mini → Criello USB C. These use USB-C, so the JSAUX adapter is ruled out by its own compatibility notes.
My Verdict
If I'm buying for myself and I'm on a Lightning iPhone, I'd take the JSAUX Headphone Adapter. In my opinion, MFi certification plus a metal housing and braided cable is the combination that matters most on a dongle, because the two ways these things die are compatibility errors and a frayed cable end — and JSAUX addresses both on paper. I'd pick Criello USB C instead if my devices are USB-C, or if I want one adapter for my phone and a spare for my laptop bag, since two dongles for the price of one category is genuinely useful. Match the port first. Everything else follows.
No. JSAUX's adapter uses a Lightning connector, and the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 series use USB-C. For those phones you'd want the Criello USB C adapter instead.
No. Criello's adapter is USB-C only, so it won't connect to a Lightning iPhone. If you're on an iPhone 7 through 14, the JSAUX adapter is the one that fits.
On published specs, JSAUX gives more to go on: aluminum housing, a nylon-braided cable and a stated 15,000+ bend rating in lab testing. Criello lists an ABS finish and a one-year limited manufacturer warranty but no bend or durability figures. Treat the JSAUX number as a manufacturer claim, not an independent test.
Yes — I don't quote prices here because they change often. Use the "Check latest price on Amazon" button on this page to see the current price for whichever adapter matches your device's port.
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