It’s been just a few years since USB-C first hit the scene. And whereas we nonetheless love how reversible it’s and the way highly effective it’s turn into, we’re additionally extra conscious of the potential pitfalls round this high-powered cable.
There have been loads of tales of poor-quality cables frying parts, shorting chargers, and even catching fireplace, so we’ve gone to nice lengths to check many choices, together with a number of the best USB-C cables you can get and a number of the most hazardous to keep away from.
Here are some key gotchas you want to concentrate on earlier than shopping for a USB-C cable today. Learn how you can spot the unhealthy ones and what you are able to do to finish up with one which’s quick, sturdy, and priced nicely.
Further studying: Laptop makers, I’m begging you for this one simple feature
Don’t purchase from no-name manufacturers
This tip is true for many electronics, however it’s particularly necessary for USB-C cables. You may assume a USB-C cable is only a little bit of wiring in a sheath, however truly there are a number of security options — at the least, there must be — that guarantee secure energy supply.
Of course, simply because security rules exists doesn’t imply that every one producers observe them, particularly producers who don’t have a fame to uphold. That tends to be the case for producers on the opposite aspect of the world who promote to the worldwide market by means of websites like Temu, AliExpress, and Amazon.
Although sticking to recognizable manufacturers isn’t a completely foolproof methodology of securing a high-quality USB-C cable, it does eradicate quite a lot of the danger so far as security transgressions are involved. There’s additionally extra chance of recompense if one thing does go mistaken.
USB-C cable manufacturers we advocate embody:
- Anker
- Apple
- Belkin
- Cable Matters
- Dockcase
- JSAUX
- Microsoft
- SooPii
- Ugreen
Avoid USB-C-to-USB-A cables
Gordon Mah Ung / IDG
If switch velocity is necessary to you and in case your units and chargers help it, all the time want to make use of a USB-C-to-USB-C cable moderately than a USB-C-to-USB-A cable or changing it from one to the opposite with an adapter.
USB-A is proscribed in information switch velocity to 10Gbps and restricted in charging velocity to simply 15W. Although there are some USB-C-to-USB-A cables that declare to deal with as much as 100W, these are usually primarily based on proprietary charging applied sciences and solely attain these charges when paired with appropriately appropriate units and chargers.
In comparability, fashionable USB-C-to-USB-C cables can deal with as much as 40Gbps of knowledge switch and as much as 240W for quick charging. (That mentioned, 100W and fewer remains to be the most typical.) You don’t want to purchase a cable with the best specs, however higher-spec cables are often increased high quality, and that may assist be certain that you’re getting a superb USB-C cable.
So until you’re powering legacy units that solely help USB-A, you’re higher off shifting to end-to-end USB-C for each information transfers and charging if efficiency is a precedence.
Buy Thunderbolt or USB4 when you can
Mark Hachman / Foundry
Thunderbolt (3, 4, or 5) and USB4 cables supply the best charging and information switch speeds potential for USB-C as of this writing. But most individuals don’t precisely want these tip-top specs, proper?
Even so, there’s one other good purpose to purchase certainly one of these cable varieties: they need to adhere to stricter specs to earn their Thunderbolt or USB4 labels, particularly Thunderbolt.
A USB-C 3.2 cable isn’t simply slower and fewer succesful than a USB4 cable, it’s truly constructed to a weaker commonplace and doubtless isn’t as high-quality. Thunderbolt 3, 4, and the most recent Thunderbolt 5 standard have far increased minimal necessities and taller ceilings on potential high quality.
All of which means you’re approach much less more likely to buy a harmful or underperforming USB-C cable when you follow Thunderbolt or USB4. Just ensure you get no matter’s supported by your units. (I imply, if none of your units help Thunderbolt 4, you may as nicely save a bit of money and go for Thunderbolt 3 as an alternative.)
Check the cable’s weight
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Weighing cables before you purchase them may look like some old-timey superstition, however it’s as legit as the rest on this listing.
Higher-quality USB-C cables are constructed with a thicker wire gauge, and that thicker copper wiring delivers a cleaner sign. Although a few of a thicker cable’s heft and weight comes from its sheath, a few of it comes from the wire itself — and extra of which means a greater cable.
We have the receipts to again this up, too. We beforehand examined whether all USB-C cables are the same and in contrast a $9 USB-C cable to a $19 various. Both measured six toes in size, however the cheaper one was a lot thinner and lighter. (The $9 one weighed 38 grams whereas the $19 one weighed 86 grams. A big distinction.)
Now, I do know it’s not all the time simple or potential to weigh a cable before you purchase it on the web, however you possibly can often discover weight within the cable’s technical specs. Just a little variation is okay, but when one cable is considerably lighter than others, think about axing it as a possible purchase.
Avoid third-party magnetic adapters
Michael Crider / IDG
You might have seen magnetic tip adapters that connect a USB-C cable and turns one finish right into a magnetic fast launch, very similar to what we noticed in Apple’s defunct MagSafe cables. But you must keep away from these as a result of they pose a big threat of {hardware} injury.
Many third-party magnetic USB-C cable adapters don’t supply safety in opposition to environmental injury to uncovered pins. Others aren’t protected in opposition to particles shorting out the pins. There’s even the possibility of electrical arc damage when unplugging the connector.
That final level is especially harmful, and it occurs as a result of the USB-C commonplace was designed with the concept a USB-C cable can be plugged right into a USB-C port, offering ample time to chop energy when the cable is eliminated. However, magnetic connections are a lot quicker to detach, so there’s an opportunity that energy supply remains to be happening even after detaching, resulting in electrical arcs and potential injury.
Stop utilizing previous USB-C cables
James Barber / Foundry
After all this recommendation, you may be pondering that it’s not definitely worth the bother and also you may as nicely simply use no matter previous USB-C cables are mendacity round your house.
But be cautious of doing that! USB-C requirements have continued to enhance dramatically over time, and lots of of these older USB-C cables from years in the past weren’t simply gradual — they had been harmful.
We performed an extensive test on older USB-C cables and located that almost all truly had the potential to supply an excessive amount of energy, which might injury ports and even fry units. Do you actually wish to threat shorting your costly laptop computer since you didn’t wish to toss that previous USB-C cable that’s been sitting in your drawer?
Spending a couple of bucks on a brand new USB-C cable can defend you from all types of complications and make life extra handy with quicker information switch and charging speeds.
Further studying: The best USB-C cables worth buying