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Every time there’s another type of cable hookup, it creates a ripple effect — new ports in all your new electronics, a more cluttered box of old, tangled cables (we all have that somewhere), and the search for converters and dongles to keep our beloved but slowly outdated devices going for as long as they can.
USB-C has been around for a few years now, and the good news is, this time it feels different. The USB-C seems to be a connection that more devices can get on board with, more of a universal choice that’s here to stay — at least for the foreseeable future. And to get the most for your money, not to mention the best quality connection, it’s important to get a cable that can handle speed, durability, and the test of time.
There are, of course, cheap options out there, but we’ve found that saving a couple bucks in the short term means you often pay later by having to buy another cable after the cheap one frays and snaps. A few more dollars dropped now can keep a cable going for years to come.
USB-C Cable Buying Guide
Here, our top picks and what we suggest reviewing before purchasing your next USB-C connector cable:
Protection: A nylon outer shell is an excellent option on these — not only is it bendable and soft, but also adds a strong first layer of protection. Underneath that, you’ll still want some tough materials in the mix, like aluminum shielding and a copper core, with rivets holding it in place down the entire length of the cable. For even more good measure, most companies run tests to see if their product is up to extreme wear and tear, bending and twisting it tens of thousands of times.
Voltage: The current these cables carry should be stable, generally around 5V/2.4A, and support the option for fast charging too, ideally charging your smaller devices 70 percent in just 30 minutes. Data transfer speed should keep up too, at around 480Mbps.
Compatibility: With all this talk about how durable it is, don’t forget to make sure it can work with your device. It’s easy to mix up some very similarly small port types, like micro-USB and the iPhone’s Lightning cable, so be certain that USB-C is indeed what you need.
