15 Best USB-C Cables (2024): For iPhones, Android Phones, Tablets, and Laptops

With the various standards and charging technologies at work, it’s harder than it should be to figure out what a cable can do. There are a few things you should know when shopping.

USB standards: The Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard dates back to 1996 but has seen many new standards, revisions, and connection types over the years since then. Instead of dealing with them all here, we try to highlight the important ones.

Connectors: While USB-C is becoming the standard connection type, you want cables with connectors that fit your existing devices. Today, that still means USB-A, Lightning, or MicroUSB. Remember that the power of any cable is limited to its oldest type of connection.

Data: The data transfer speed is always in megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps). You will know the speed the cable should be able to use based on:

• USB 2.0 supports 480 Mbps
• USB 3.0 supports 5 Gbps
• USB 3.1 supports 10 Gbps
• USB 3.2 Gen 1 supports 5 Gbps
• USB 3.2 Gen 2 supports 10 Gbps
• USB 3.2 Gen 3 supports 20 Gbps
• USB 4.0 supports 40 Gbps

Power: Although cable manufacturers always list the maximum charge rating, your device will determine how much power it will draw, so it’s important to know what standards it supports and match your cable with the right power adapter. The charging rate of the cable is measured in watts (W). Sometimes manufacturers will list the information on the cable in small print. If there is no W listed, you can calculate it by multiplying the voltage (V) and the current (A), assuming it is listed.

Basic USB-C cables do not work and can only carry up to 60 watts. Cables that can carry 100 watts or more, sometimes described as active, must contain e-marker chips that identify the cable and its power.

The Power Delivery (PD) level is as close as it should be to the same level. A few manufacturers, such as OnePlus, Oppo, and Xiaomi, still have certified charging standards. Then there’s Qualcomm’s Quick Charge (QC) standard, which has been the most popular feature in phones for years, although Quick Charge 4+ supports PD. Even PD has a variant called Programmable Power Supply (PPS), which is part of the USB PD 3.0 standard. PPS allows real-time adjustments to increase efficiency and charge phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22 with a range of up to 45 watts instead of the usual 18. The latest addition to the PD is the Extended Power Range (EPR), which allows USB-C cables to carry. up to 240 watts (used to be limited to 100 watts).

Thunderbolt was a proprietary connection developed by Intel and Apple, but is now open for free use (still licensed by Intel). With Thunderbolt 3, the standard has adopted the USB-C connector and is capable of data transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps and can deliver 100 watts of power using the PD standard. Thunderbolt 4 brings various improvements mainly related to the video signal (support for two 4K displays or an 8K display). It also supports the USB 4 standard and is backward compatible with previous standards.

Cable Certification: There are several types of cable certification. When a cable is certified, it usually means that it has been independently tested and conforms to certain standards. It gives you, as a consumer, peace of mind that your cable is performing as the manufacturer says. Certification can be expensive, many cable manufacturers avoid it, but that does not necessarily mean that their cables are of low quality. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing USB technology. Managed by members such as Apple, Google, HP, Microsoft, and Intel, it sets standards and provides certification. If a cable is certified by USB-IF, it has been tested to ensure that it conforms to its standards. Apple has its own Made for iPhone (MFi) certification for lightning cables. Intel certifies Thunderbolt cables. Certified cables usually have the appropriate logo on the connector. (For example, Thunderbolt cables have a lightning bolt.)