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Many new Apple devices—including the iPhone 15 series and Gen 3 AirPods Pro—charge via USB-C instead of a Lightning port, but our picks are still your best bet for charging Lightning-powered devices. Nylon Braided Hose Sleeve
A growing number of Apple devices are equipped with USB-C or wireless charging capabilities, but many—including older iPhones, iPads, AirPods, Magic Keyboards, and more—still use the company’s proprietary Lightning port. The trouble is, Apple’s Lightning cables are notoriously flimsy, and they cost more than many third-party cables—even those that Apple has certified will perform just as well as its own cables. If you’re unhappy with the cable that came with your Apple device, or if you just want a backup, we’ve tested dozens of Lightning cables to find the best options for a variety of needs.
This lengthy cable is MFi-certified, sturdily built, and comfortable to grip, and it has a lifetime warranty. Plus, with the right wall charger, it can fully charge most iPhones in about an hour.
Other available lengths: 3 feet, 6 feet
Who should get this: Someone who wants a long, durable cable to charge their iPhone and other Lightning-powered devices as fast as is physically possible.
Why it’s great: First and foremost, the Anker PowerLine II USB-C to Lightning Cable (10 feet) is great because it supports the fastest possible charging speeds. When paired with a USB-C port putting out at least 18 watts of power—like those in many of our favorite laptops, power banks, and wall chargers—the PowerLine II can charge most iPhones up to three times as fast as a USB-A–to–Lightning cable. With a sufficiently powerful wall charger, it can bring the battery of an iPhone 8 or newer from completely dead up to 50% in 30 minutes, whereas Apple’s standard cable and charger can get it to just 17% in the same time period (as we found in tests we ran with an iPhone XR). Batteries charge at an inconstant rate, but this figure roughly translates to a full phone charge in an hour, in contrast to three hours.
This cable is MFi-certified, so Apple has confirmed that it will perform optimally (in terms of charging and data-transfer capabilities) with its Lightning-powered devices. Lightning cables that lack this certification—such as the kind you might buy at a gas station—aren’t necessarily much cheaper, and with those, you run the risk of experiencing slower charging or even damaging your devices.
The rubber sheath encasing the PowerLine II is smooth yet grippy, and it’s quite durable, holding up after more than a year of daily wear and tear in our testing. The cable’s housings—the parts that connect the metal plugs to the body of the cable—are the sturdiest and most comfortable to grip of any we’ve tested. Made of a single piece of matte-textured rubber, the housings provide ample room for you to grasp the plug firmly while you’re plugging and unplugging, which is the best way to avoid fraying and breakage. When we plugged both ends of each cable into a variety of devices, we observed minimal wiggling; that stability ensures a solid connection for charging and data transfer.
A nonessential, but no less valuable, component of this cable is the hook-and-loop tie it comes with. The tie is convenient and easy to use, ensuring that the cable won’t come uncoiled inside your bag or become a tangled mess under your desk.
Unlike most Lightning cables, this one is a luxurious 10 feet long. If you frequently charge your phone far away from an outlet—for instance, while lying in bed, lounging on the couch, or killing time by your gate at the airport—the extra length is a game changer.
If you prefer a shorter cable, the 3-foot version of this cable is slim and compact, and it can coil up small to fit in a pocket or purse. Likewise, the 6-foot version is well suited for carrying in a backpack or briefcase, or for staying put in a desktop or bedside charging setup.
All three versions are available in black or white (the 6-foot version also comes in a dark green), and they’re backed by Anker’s lifetime warranty. Also, at this writing, the 3-foot and 6-foot cables cost less than their Apple counterparts (Apple doesn’t make a 10-foot Lightning cable).
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Our one complaint is that the Anker PowerLine II USB-C to Lightning Cable isn’t quite as slim as some others we tested, including Apple’s Lightning cables. But since it’s still one of the most compact options, and it outdid the competition in every other way, we’re okay with a little extra bulk.
This fast-charging Lightning cable is long enough to reach across most couches, and its sheath and housings are strong enough to (maybe, probably) survive an apocalypse.
Who should get this: Someone who wants a cable that is as long as any we’ve tested, can charge Lightning-powered devices at top speed, and is even more ruggedly built than the Anker PowerLine II USB-C to Lightning Cable.
Why it’s great: Like our favorite Lightning cable for USB-C ports, the Nomad USB-C to Lightning Cable with Kevlar (10 feet) can charge most iPhones, AirPods, and other Lightning-powered devices as fast as possible when paired with an 18 W USB-C wall charger. It’s MFi-certified, and at a whopping 10 feet long, it can reach all the way across most couches.
In our opinion a fabric casing typically isn’t worth splurging on, but this Nomad cable has the most ruggedly built sheath of any cable we’ve seen. It’s made of a thick, double-braided Kevlar material that seems less prone to wear or snag than the more common nylon. The rubber cable tie that comes with this Nomad cable is also more robust than any we’ve seen, with thick ridges that keep it fastened shut so your cable stays securely coiled.
The cable’s plastic housings are sturdy, with little ridges along the collar for added flexibility. And like Anker’s PowerLine II cables, this Nomad cable has metal connectors that fit snugly in most Lightning and USB-C ports.
Although Nomad’s five-year warranty doesn’t match Anker’s lifetime warranty, this cable’s coverage is still much longer than that of most cables we’ve tested. (Regardless, as in most “lifetime” warranties, Anker is referring to the lifetime of the cable, not a human lifetime.)
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Because this Nomad cable is longer and more substantial than other cables we’ve tested, it’s less compact for stowing in a pocket or a purse. But if you plan to mostly keep this cable in one place, or if you have room to spare in your bag, it shouldn’t be too bothersome. While we think it’s a slick-looking cable, the tactical-gear look isn’t for everyone, and the cable comes in only one color (black). It also costs more than any other Lightning cable we’ve tested. However, it’s a worthwhile investment if you want a cable with unsurpassed charging speeds, length, and durability.
This fast-charging Lightning cable has a streamlined design, easy-to-grip housings, and a lifetime warranty. Plus, an included hook-and-loop cable tie keeps it neatly coiled.
Who should get this: Someone who wants a Lightning cable with a 90-degree plug to minimize strain on the cable housing as it props up an iPhone—for movie watching or video chats, say—or simply to give the plug-to-port intersection a more streamlined look.
Why it’s great: Like our favorite Lightning cable for USB-C ports, this cable is MFi-certified, and with the right charger it supports up to 18 W of power to charge your Lightning-powered devices at top speed. It’s available in either black or white, and it comes with a handy hook-and-loop cable tie to keep your cable loosely coiled in a bag or drawer. Its housings are roomy, designed with pleasantly round edges, and made of plastic textured with subtle ridges that make them easy to grip while you’re plugging or unplugging. The body of the cable, in turn, is encased in a slim, flexible rubber sheath. And unlike other 90-degree cables we tested, this one is backed by a lifetime warranty.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This cable isn’t quite as long as some of our picks, but we didn’t test any cables with a 90-degree plug that were more than 6 feet in length.
This fast-charging Lightning cable is just a foot in length, and its extra-grippy housings make it a breeze to plug and unplug. It comes with a hook-and-loop cable tie for tidy storage, and it’s backed by a lifetime warranty.
Other available lengths: 3 feet, 6 feet
Who should get this: Someone who wants a short cable to connect two small devices (one with a USB-C port, the other with a Lightning port) that are less than a foot apart.
Why it’s great: This cable is MFi-certified, so it’ll work just as well as any Apple-branded cable, and Anker backs it with a lifetime warranty. With a sufficiently powerful charger, it can charge a Lightning-powered device at top speed, supporting up to 18 W of power. The sheath protecting its innards is slim and flexible, and its housings have rounded edges and shallow ridges that give it an extra-grippy texture. This cable is sturdily built, and though a tie isn’t much of a boon with a cable of this length, it comes with the same hook-and-loop cable tie we prize on our other picks, so you can store it in a neat loop. It’s available in black and white.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This cable is longer than we’d ideally like for this category, but very few Lightning cables that meet our other criteria are less than a foot long (if you don’t need maximum charging speeds, we also have a 4-inch Lightning cable pick for USB-A ports).
This cable charges more slowly than our pick for USB-C ports. But similar to that cable, it’s MFi-certified, sturdily built, comfortable to grip, backed by a lifetime warranty, and long enough to reach from a wall outlet to a nightstand, couch, or desk.
Other available lengths: 1 foot, 3 feet, 6 feet
Who should get this: Someone who doesn’t have access to wall chargers, power banks, or other devices with USB-C ports, and who can live without getting the fastest possible charge but still wants an otherwise great cable.
Why it’s great: The Anker PowerLine II USB-A to Lightning Cable (10 feet) is the best USB-A–to–Lightning cable we’ve found. It’s MFi-certified, so Apple has confirmed that it can reach top charging speeds (when paired with a charger that can crank out up to 12 W of power) and full USB 2.0 data-transfer rates (up to 480 Mbps) with any of the company’s Lightning-powered devices.
This cable is available in a variety of lengths, making it convenient for a variety of needs. The 1-foot version and the 3-foot version are small and compact enough to pack up and take with you. The 6-foot version is a good length to reach from a wall outlet to a desk, bedside table, or kitchen countertop without adding unnecessary clutter. And our favorite of the bunch, the 10-foot version, adds even more length to accommodate hard-to-reach outlets.
Like its fast-charging USB-C twin, the PowerLine II USB-A to Lightning Cable has a smooth yet grippy exterior, and it comes with a hook-and-loop cable tie to keep it securely coiled and organized. Its housings have a curvaceous shape and a pleasantly soft, matte texture, both of which make them comfortable to hold while you’re plugging and unplugging. The metal connectors slide easily into corresponding ports, and they maintain a solid connection once inserted.
All four length configurations of this cable are available in black and white, and the 6-foot version also comes in red and blue. They’re backed by Anker’s lifetime warranty, and they even cost a few bucks less than their USB-C–to–Lightning brethren.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Most notably, you don’t get the fastest possible charge with this cable; a USB-C–to–Lightning cable can charge most iPhones up to three times as fast. But if you don’t already have a wall charger or power bank with fast-charging USB-C ports at home, or if you just want to have a USB-A–to–Lightning cable on hand to use in a pinch, this one is your best bet. Note that when we ran this cable through the Total Phase Advanced Cable Tester, it reported a signal-integrity error (one of three types of errors the tester is designed to detect). However, such errors cropped up with many cables we tested with this device, especially those longer than 3 feet—power and data have to travel farther in a longer cable, which can slightly degrade the signal—and the impact on charging or data-transfer speeds is likely to be too minor for most people to notice.
This Lightning cable charges more slowly than its twin made for USB-C ports, but it’s just as long (10 feet), and its Kevlar sheath, hard-plastic housings, and overall build quality are equally tough.
Who should get this: Someone who wants a cable that’s as long as any we’ve tested and is even more ruggedly built than the Anker PowerLine II USB-A to Lightning Cable.
Why it’s great: Like our favorite Lightning cable for USB-A ports, the Nomad USB-A to Lightning Cable with Kevlar (10 feet) is MFi-certified, and at 10 feet long it can reach across a couch, a king-size bed, or even a small room. Its exterior is made of the same thick, double-braided Kevlar as that of the other Nomad cable we recommend, and it has an identical rubber cable tie to keep your cable securely coiled. Its plastic housings are sturdy and flexible, and its metal connectors fit snugly in most Lightning and USB-A ports. And although its five-year warranty is shorter than Anker’s lifetime warranty, that coverage is still much longer than what we’ve seen for most cables we’ve tested.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Like all Lightning cables for USB-A ports, this one can’t give you the fastest possible charge. In line with the other Nomad cables we recommend, its thick sheath makes it tougher to pack in a pocket or purse, it comes only in black, it has a love-it-or-hate-it aesthetic, and it costs more than most cables we’ve tested. But depending on your preferences, its 10-foot length and added durability may outweigh those drawbacks. Also, the Total Phase Advanced Cable Tester detected a DC-resistance error with this cable, but that happens with many cables we’ve tested, and most people are unlikely to notice the slight loss in power that the error indicates.
This Lightning cable charges more slowly than its twin made for USB-C ports, but it has the same streamlined design, lifetime warranty, and handy cable tie.
Who should get this: Someone who wants a Lightning cable with a 90-degree plug to create a more streamlined look or to put minimal strain on the cable housing while the iPhone is propped up (for movie watching or video chats, for instance).
Why it’s great: Like our favorite Lightning cable for USB-A ports, this cable is MFi-certified and backed by a lifetime warranty. The robust build quality of its housings helps to prevent breakage, and their rounded edges make them comfortable to grasp while you’re plugging and unplugging. Like the PowerLine III cables from Anker, this one has subtle ridges on the exterior of the housings that give them an extra-grippy texture. It has a slender, flexible rubber sheath, and it comes in either black or white. It also comes with a hook-and-loop cable tie that’s convenient for keeping your cable loosely coiled in a bag or drawer.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This cable can’t give you the absolute fastest charge, but that’s true of all Lightning cables for USB-A ports. It’s also not as long as some of our picks, but we didn’t test any cables that had a 90-degree plug and measured more than 6 feet in length. Last, the Total Phase Advanced Cable Tester detected a signal-integrity error with this cable, which indicates a less-than-perfect electrical signal between the power source and the target device. But we don’t think most people are likely to notice a problem, and many other cables we’ve tested have had the same error.
This Lightning cable charges more slowly than those made for USB-C ports, but at just 4 inches it’s the shortest cable we tested, making it ideal for connecting two nearby devices.
Who should get this: Someone who wants a super-short cable to connect two small devices (one with a USB-A port, and the other with a Lightning port) that are placed side by side or stacked atop one another.
Why it’s great: Like all of our picks, this cable is MFi-certified, so it’ll perform as well as any Apple-branded cable. Its sheath is slim and flexible, allowing you to bend it back on itself to charge two small, stacked devices. Its housings are sturdily built, amply sized, and designed with rounded edges as well as a pleasantly soft, grippy texture. When we plugged its metal connectors into corresponding ports in a variety of devices, the ends stayed firmly in place, with minimal wiggling. To boot, this cable is one of the least-expensive models we tested (a two-pack costs less than $20 at this writing), and Anker backs it with an 18-month warranty.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Like all Lightning cables for USB-A ports, this one can’t give you the fastest possible charge, but we haven’t tested any options for USB-C ports that match it in terms of tininess. It comes in only one color (black), and it doesn’t have a cable tie. But considering it’s so short, we don’t think either drawback matters much.
Handy for travel, this versatile cable can charge most devices with a Lightning, Micro-USB, or USB-C port at a modest pace. And at 3 feet long, it’s easy to coil up and stow in a bag.
Who should get this: A three-in-one cable is, essentially, a USB-A–to–Micro-USB cable with Lightning and USB-C adapters attached by short tethers. Affix the Lightning adapter over the Micro-USB end, and it turns into a USB-A–to–Lightning cable. Swap it out for the USB-C adapter, and you’ve got a USB-A–to–USB-C cable. We don’t recommend any three-in-one cable for everyday use because the adapters add bulk and can be fussy to use, but a three-in-one can be handy for traveling, when you don’t want to carry three separate cables, or as a backup to keep in your desk drawer.
Why it’s great: Of all of the three-in-one cables we’ve tested, the Anker PowerLine II 3-in-1 Cable is a clear standout. It’s MFi-certified (which means you can trust that the Lightning adapter will work properly with most iPhones, AirPods, and other Lightning-powered devices), and it’s sturdy and well made, holding up impeccably after more than two years of occasional use in our tests.
Anker’s 3-in-1 Cable has the same sheath and housing styles (comfortable, sleek-looking, easy-to-grip rubber) that we love on the other PowerLine II cables. Even with the added bulk of the adapters—a USB-C plug and a Lightning plug attached to the main body of the cable by 2-inch-long rubber tethers—the 3-in-1 Cable has a slim profile that’s easy to coil up and stow in a bag. Its adapters were the easiest to plug and unplug of any we tried, and they stayed firmly in place once connected.
The 3-in-1 Cable is available in either black or white, and it’s backed by Anker’s lifetime warranty. Plus, after going on numerous trips (short, long, near, and far) with us over the past three years, ours is still in perfect working order.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: In general, three-in-one cables are an inelegant solution to address the multitude of cable standards and connectors needed to charge common electronic devices. But if you regularly use all three ports (Micro-USB, USB-C, and Lightning) and hate carrying around three different cables, this is a decent option. It’s available in only one length, but that’s not a huge deal since this cable is best used for travel anyway—a longer cable would likely be too bulky to stash in a pocket. When we ran this cable through the Total Phase Advanced Cable Tester, it produced a DC-resistance error (which, though not ideal, shouldn’t noticeably impact the cable’s performance). The 3-in-1 Cable doesn’t come with a hook-and-loop cable tie, and it can’t charge your Lightning-powered devices as quickly as our top picks. But those are reasonable trade-offs for the extra versatility it offers.
As the writer of this guide for the past four years, I’ve spent more time than I care to admit researching and testing Lightning cables. I’ve been a science writer for more than nine years, covering a wide variety of topics, from particle physics to satellite remote sensing. Since joining Wirecutter in 2017, I’ve reported on rechargeable batteries, portable laptop chargers, surge protectors, and more.
To learn more about recycling electronic waste (e-waste), we interviewed the following experts: Joe Day, commercial manager of the Midwest and Northeast regions for Li-Cycle and former director of global business development at TerraCycle Regulated Waste; Linda Gabor, executive vice president of external relations at Call2Recycle; and Leo Raudys, president and CEO of Call2Recycle. For past versions of this guide, we also consulted with Lee Johnson, a former NASA electrical engineer, to better understand the inner workings of charging cables.
We scoured Amazon, Google Shopping, and other major retailers to find the most widely available Lightning cables. Despite mounting evidence that the end is nigh for Lightning cables, they’re still sold by hundreds of brands. So, to narrow the field, we disregarded any cables made by companies with a limited online presence; in our experience, less-established brands have a harder time keeping their products in stock and providing adequate customer support. Plus, cables from well-known companies often cost just pennies more.
From there, we narrowed our search based on the following criteria:
We preferred, but didn’t require, that each contender offer multiple color configurations. We didn’t have a strict price cap, but since most cables cost less than $10, options costing more than that had to offer some standout features—a lifetime warranty, an extra-rugged sheath—to convince us to consider it for testing.
Wielding these criteria like a machete, we hacked through thickets of cable options, cultivating a list of 69 models to test from a variety of brands, including Amazon Basics, Anker, Apple, Belkin, Fuse Chicken, Kanex, Monoprice, Nomad, Paracable, RAVPower, and Tripp Lite.
Based on our previous testing of Lightning cables—we sent 40 cables to a former NASA engineer, who tore them apart to examine their internal components—we’ve learned that there’s little difference in their charging or data-transfer capabilities. Any MFi-certified Lightning cable made for USB-C ports should support up to 18 watts of charging power (or up to 12 W if it’s made for USB-A ports) and USB 2.0 data-transfer rates (up to 480 Mbps).
So, for subsequent rounds of testing, we primarily focused on the build quality of the cables’ key components:
First, we ran the cables through a Total Phase Advanced Cable Tester, which tests wiring and signal integrity, DC resistance, and compliance with USB specifications. Errors detected in more than one of these areas would be cause for concern, but fortunately just one of the cables we tested—Belkin’s Universal Cable—raised two red flags, leading us to dismiss it.
Next, we plugged either end of each cable into corresponding ports in a variety of electronic devices—power banks, wall chargers, an iPhone SE, a Magic Trackpad, and a Magic Keyboard—and wiggled them around to see how well they stayed put. A solid connection is necessary to efficiently transfer power and data, so you should have a fairly snug fit.
For the cable housings, we sought the perfect blend of sturdiness and comfort. Plugging and unplugging a cable involves a wide variety of movements—bending, twisting, pushing, and pulling—which puts a lot of strain on the housings. As such, the housings are often the first part of a cable to break. And even if they’re built to last, small or sharp-edged housings can make plugging in a cable feel like a chore (especially if you have hand strength, flexibility, or dexterity issues caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis, or a variety of other conditions), so we paid close attention to their size, shape, and texture in our testing.
To put each cable’s sheath to the test, we used a small measuring tape to take and compare their circumferential measurements. The longer the cable, the bulkier it tends to be, since the power and data must travel that much farther. But at the same time, a slim, flexible, streamlined cable is easier to coil and stow in a bag or drawer. So we looked for those that most gracefully toed the line between length and portability. We also scratched and picked at the soft surfaces of the cloth-covered cables with our fingernails to see if we could pull any threads loose.
Lastly, some cables come with an accessory (such as a hook-and-loop cable tie to keep it neatly coiled) or have a standout feature (such as a small light to let you know when your device is charging). In these cases, we tried to judge whether the accessory or feature significantly improved our overall charging experience.
If our favorite Lightning cable for USB-C ports is unavailable: The Anker 641 Flow Silicone USB-C to Lightning Cable, which comes in 3-foot and 6-foot versions, is a good option. It doesn’t come in a 10-foot version like our top pick does, its cable tie has a fiddly rubber buttonhole closure, and its 18-month warranty pales in comparison to our pick’s lifetime warranty. Plus, it typically costs twice as much. But there’s still a lot to love about this cable: Its rubber sheath is silky smooth and super flexible (to the point that you don’t really need a cable tie anyway, since it doesn’t tangle like most charging cables), and it comes in more colors than any other cable we tested, including black, white, yellow, light pink, light blue, seafoam, lavender, and lilac.
If our favorite cloth-covered Lightning cable for USB-C ports is unavailable: The Paracable Paraflex USB-C to Lightning Cable, which comes in 3-foot and 6-foot versions, is a good option. Compared with the Nomad cable, this one has a shorter warranty (two years instead of five) and less-ergonomic housings, and a 10-foot version does not exist, but its braided-nylon sheath is nearly as slim, flexible, and rugged (the company gets its name from the type of woven cord that was originally used for World War II parachutes). It’s also less expensive, and instead of just one color it comes in three unusual patterns: grayscale, rainbow, and a pixelated black, white, and blue pattern.
If our favorite cloth-covered Lightning cable for USB-A ports is unavailable: The Belkin BoostCharge Braided Lightning to USB-A Cable (which comes in 3.3-foot, 6.6-foot, and 9.8-foot versions) is a good option. It has a shorter warranty than our pick (two years versus five), but its braided-nylon sheath is nearly as slim, flexible, and rugged. It also costs less and comes in two colors (black and white) instead of one.
The best way to keep a Lightning cable out of the landfill is to treat it well, prolonging its usable life until you’re forced to replace it. Most important, when you’re unplugging a cable from a USB port, make sure to grasp the plug housing rather than the cable. Doing so reduces the stress on the area where the cable and the plug meet—a spot that’s prone to damage.
We also advise loosely wrapping cables, rather than folding or otherwise aggressively bending them. Tight coils and folds can damage the metal wires inside the cable, causing it to work improperly or not at all. The hook-and-loop (that is, Velcro) fasteners that some companies toss in with their cables (including many of our picks) are useful for this purpose since they allow a loosely coiled cable to hold its shape for compact storage. We have more tips for safely storing cables in our guides to the best bag and cable organizers and the best gear for organizing your desk.
Eventually, though, even the sturdiest and most scrupulously cared-for charging cables will reach their end of days. When that happens, the best thing to do is recycle them. Since recycling facilities salvage usable components from old electronics, rather than mining and manufacturing the materials needed to make new ones, this simple action can help conserve natural resources, reduce emissions, and avoid polluting soil and water systems.
Here are some of the best ways we’ve found to recycle used electronics:
The Anker PowerLine+ II USB-C to Lightning Cable (3 feet) and Anker PowerLine+ II USB-C to Lightning Cable (6 feet) are nearly identical to their PowerLine II counterparts, except they have a double-braided nylon sheath instead of rubber. We don’t think the different sheath adds much to the experience of using these cables, and they cost a few dollars more at this writing. Plus, they’re not as long or as ruggedly built as the Nomad cables we recommend.
We dismissed Apple’s USB-C to Lightning Cable (3.3 feet and 6.6 feet) without formal testing because both lengths’ housings are notoriously flimsy, and they cost more than most models in our testing pool. However, since the shorter version comes with most newer Apple devices, we’ve had plenty of hands-on experience with it.
In a previous round of testing, in 2019, the Belkin BoostCharge USB-C to Lightning Cable (4 feet), the Kanex Premium DuraBraid USB-C to Lightning Cable (4 feet) proved to be mostly on a par with Anker’s PowerLine II cables, but its housings were significantly less comfortable to grasp.
Also in 2019, we found the housings on the Kanex Premium DuraBraid USB-C to Lightning Cable (6 feet) to be less sturdy and less comfortable to grasp than those of our current pick in this category. Plus, at this writing, it costs more.
The 3.3-foot, 6.6-foot, and 9.8-foot versions of the Tripp Lite USB-C to Lightning Sync/Charge Cable, as well as the 3-foot, 6-foot, and 10-foot versions of the Tripp Lite Heavy-Duty USB-C to Lightning Sync/Charge Cable, don’t measure up to our pick in this category. They have a shorter warranty (two years, in contrast to the product’s lifetime) and smaller housings. They also cost more despite their lack of a cable tie.
The Amazon Basics Lightning to USB-A Cable (6 feet) used to be a budget pick in this guide, but a CNN investigation found that it and numerous other Amazon Basics products are prone to explode, catch on fire, or begin smoking, melting, or causing electrical malfunctions. After evaluating Amazon customer reviews of this cable and similar models (including our pick in this category), we no longer recommend this cable due to a high percentage of reports related to fire, heat, and melting.
In a previous round of testing, in 2019, we found that the double-braided nylon encasing the Anker PowerLine+ II USB-A to Lightning Cable (available in 1-foot, 3-foot, 6-foot, and 10-foot lengths) failed to enhance the experience of using its rubber-encased counterparts. Since these cables cost a few dollars more than our pick in this category, and since this material is known to wear down or snag (like a sweater) after extended use, we decided not to test them again.
We dismissed the 1.6-foot, 3.3-foot, and 6.6-foot versions of Apple’s Lightning to USB Cable without formally testing them—although, since the mid-length version comes with most older Apple devices, we’ve used it extensively—because their housings are notoriously flimsy, and they cost more than most models we tested.
The Belkin BoostCharge Lightning to USB-A Cable (6 inches) and Belkin BoostCharge Braided Lightning to USB-A Cable (6 inches) are too short to coil up neatly, and because they’re bulkier than the 4-inch Anker cable we recommend, they’re less portable than the other short cables we tested. Plus, they’re out of stock at this writing.
The 3.3-foot, 6.6-foot, and 9.8-foot versions of the Belkin BoostCharge Lightning to USB-A Cable have a shorter warranty than our pick in this category (two years versus a lifetime) and a thicker, less flexible sheath. They also don’t come with a cable tie, and they’re out of stock at this writing. On top of all that, the longer two versions are available only in white.
The 3.3-foot, 6.6-foot, and 9.8-foot versions of the Tripp Lite Safe-IT USB-A to Lightning Sync/Charge Cable have a shorter warranty than our pick in this category (two years, in contrast to the product’s lifetime), and they come only in white. Their rubber sheath is thicker and less flexible than that of other cables we tested, and they lack a cable tie.
The Tripp Lite USB-A to Lightning Sync/Charge Coiled Cable has a clever design that’s reminiscent of a 1990s landline-phone cord. However, it’s far bulkier and costlier than the other short cables we tested, and its housings weren’t especially comfortable for us to grasp.
The 3-foot and 6-foot versions of the Tripp Lite Right-Angle USB-A to Lightning Sync/Charge Cable have a shorter warranty than our pick in this category (two years, compared with a lifetime) and they come exclusively in white. Their rubber sheath is thicker and less flexible than on other cables we tested, their housings are smaller and less ergonomically shaped, and they don’t come with a cable tie.
The Belkin Universal Cable (3.3 feet) was the only cable we tested that lost its bout with the Total Phase Advanced Cable Tester, which detected errors in two out of three key areas: DC resistance and signal integrity. Plus, this cable has a shorter warranty than our pick in this category (two years versus a lifetime), it comes only in black (whereas our pick comes in black or white), and its adapters are so finicky, they’re almost unusable.
The housings on the Monoprice USB-A to Lightning, Micro-USB, USB-C Cable (3 feet) are smaller than those of our pick, and as a result we found them less comfortable to grasp when we were plugging and unplugging. Also, the tethers that attach the metal connectors to the body of the cable are thinner and flimsier.
The Nomad USB-A Universal Cable with Kevlar (5 feet) is 2 feet longer than our pick, yet it still coils down to be fairly compact, and its Kevlar sheath and rubber cable tie are as rugged as any we’ve seen. However, this cable’s plastic adapters were among the worst of those we tested—fastening and unfastening them felt like doing battle with an unyielding opponent—which was a dealbreaker for us.
The Tripp Lite Universal Cable (6 feet) is the longest cable we tested in this category, and it’s twice as long as our pick. But its two-year warranty is shorter than the lifetime warranty of our pick, it costs more, and it has flimsy adapters and small, angular housings. Also, unlike our pick, it lacks a cable tie, and it’s available only in black, whereas our pick comes in either black or white.
The two-year warranty on the Tripp Lite Safe-IT Universal Cable (4 feet) is shorter than the lifetime warranty on our pick in this category, and unlike that cable it comes exclusively in white. Also, while the housings on the USB-A and Micro-USB ends of this cable are solidly built and comfortable to hold, its Lightning and USB-C attachments are smaller and have a less ergonomic shape.
This article was edited by Signe Brewster and Caitlin McGarry.
Sarah Witman has researched, tested, and reviewed all manner of products—from massage chairs and mousetraps to pencils and power banks—since joining Wirecutter in 2017. Before that, she worked as a science writer and fact checker for numerous publications, and she studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin. In her spare time, she eats as much cheese as her body will tolerate.
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