USB-C–to–C cable for charging and fast data transfer
Our pick
Anker Powerline II USB-C to USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 Cable
For the fastest charging and data transfer speeds
If you need one cable that does everything, this is the one to get. It supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 transfer speeds (up to 10 Gbps) and can charge any USB-C laptop at full speed, even the 15-inch MacBook Pro. It’s overkill (and short) for charging a phone, though.
Why we love it: Anker’s PowerLine II USB-C to USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 Cable can do it all. It meets USB-C specifications, like all cables we considered for this category (cables that violate these specs can possibly fry devices). As long as you’re using the right charger, it supports up to 5-amp/100-watt charging, so it’ll charge any USB-C device, even a 15-inch MacBook Pro, at maximum speeds. And with USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds of up to 10 Gbps, it moves data as fast as a non-Thunderbolt USB-C port will currently allow—that’s fast enough to transfer a full-length HD movie file in about 3 seconds. It feels sturdy and well-built, comes with a handy Velcro fastener, and has a lifetime warranty backed by a company we trust. Plus it’s USB-IF certified—meaning that it meets a set of criteria designed by the USB Implementers Forum, a nonprofit company run by Apple, Intel, Microsoft, and other tech giants.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: It's more expensive than most USB-C cables, though most of the cheaper ones either can’t transfer data at high speed, aren’t rated for 100 W charging, or have a shorter warranty. It’s also only 3 feet long, but since you’d likely be using this type of cable to connect a laptop to a storage drive, dock, or monitor—and not reaching from your nightstand to your bed, for example—we don’t think it’s a dealbreaker.
Key specs:
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfer rates (up to 10 Gbps)
- 5-amp and 100-watt charging
- 3 feet long
For charging phones, tablets, and laptops
Our pick
Anker PowerLine II USB-C to USB-C 2.0 Cable
For charging phones, tablets, and laptops up to 60 watts
This 6-foot cable is great for charging USB-C phones, tablets, and laptops with chargers up to 60 W (basically everything but the 15-inch MacBook Pro), but it’s limited to slower USB 2.0 data transfer speeds.
Why you might prefer it: The Anker PowerLine II USB-C to USB-C 2.0 Cablesupports USB 2.0 data transfer speeds and carries power up to 60 W (we confirmed this in our testing), which is all you need for charging a USB-C phone, USB-C tablets (including the new iPad Pro), and most most laptops short of the 87 W 15-inch MacBook Pro. It’s USB-IF certified, and it’s backed by Anker’s lifetime warranty. The 6-foot length is convenient for charging while sitting on a couch or in bed.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: As mentioned above, this cable’s data transfer speeds are limited to USB 2.0. If you want a faster cable, you’ll have to give up length, as top data speeds are only available on cables 3 feet long and shorter. But for charging your smartphone or laptop, an affordable cable with reliable charging capabilities is all you need, and this one fills the bill. It won’t charge a large laptop, like the 15-inch MacBook Pro, at full speed though. Our next pick will, and it's often cheaper than the Anker, but it is a bit bulkier and has a shorter warranty, so most people who don't have a 15-inch Pro should get this one.
Key specs:
- USB 2.0 data transfer rates (up to 480 Mbps)
- 3-amp and 60-watt charging
- 6 feet long (also available at 3 feet)
Our pick
Cable Matters USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable
For the 15-inch MacBook Pro
A 6-foot cable rated for 100 W, it performs just as well as Apple’s MacBook Pro charging cable—for about half the price.
$10 from Walmart
May be out of stock
*At the time of publishing, the price was $11.
Why you might prefer it: The Cable Matters USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable is rated for 100 W charging, so it can recharge laptops like the 15-inch MacBook Pro, which comes with an 87 W charger, at full speed. At 6.6 feet, it’s as long as any cable we tested in this category. It’s USB-IF certified and has a one-year warranty backed by a company we trust. It performs just as well as Apple’s 6.6-foot and 3.3-foot MacBook Pro charging cables (which aren't USB-IF certified) but costs half as much, and it's often cheaper than the 60 W Anker charging cable we recommend above.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: It only supports USB 2.0 data transfer speeds, it's a bit thicker and bulkier than the 60 W Anker cable, and its warranty is shorter than the Anker's.
Key specs:
- USB 2.0 data transfer rates (up to 480 Mbps)
- 5-amp and 100-watt charging
- 6.6 feet long
Thunderbolt 3 cable
Our pick
Anker USB-C Thunderbolt Cable
For maximum power and data via Thunderbolt 3
Few devices are Thunderbolt 3 capable, but if you have the need for top speeds (up to 40 Gbps) and 100 W charging, this cable is the best we’ve found.
Why you might prefer it: The Anker USB-C Thunderbolt Cable is rated for 100 W charging, so it’ll charge the 15-inch MacBook Pro or any high-powered laptop. It’s Thunderbolt 3 capable, so although it looks like any other USB-C–to–USB-C cable (aside from the Thunderbolt logo on each end), it can transfer data up to 40 Gbps between supported devices. In our data transfer tests, we confirmed that the cable supports top speeds—on average, 2,172 Mbps read and 937 Mbps write speeds (or 17.4 and 7.5 gigabits, respectively) when connected to our test SSD on a full-speed Thunderbolt 3 port—which is as fast as anything else we tested. Plus, its 18-month warranty was the best we saw in this category. When used with non-Thunderbolt USB-C devices, it functions as a USB-C cable that supports 100 W charging and USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfer speeds.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The Anker USB-C Thunderbolt Cable is also shorter than we’d like—pretty much any cable less than 3 feet long is a thorn in our side—but in this case there’s a practical reason. Sources like AppleInsiderhave reported that Thunderbolt 3 cables longer than 1.6 foot do not support top speeds. We tested Apple’s 2.6-foot cable for comparison, and it performed no worse than any other Thunderbolt 3 cable in our tests. But just in case, we think you’re better off getting this 1.6-foot cable.
Key specs:
- Thunderbolt 3 data transfer rates (up to 40 Gbps)
- 5-amp and 100-watt charging
- 1.6 foot long
USB-A–to–USB-C cables and adapters
Our pick
Belkin USB-A to USB-C Charge Cable
A long cable for charging via USB-A
This USB-A–to–USB-C cable transfers data at a snail’s pace (USB 2.0), but it’s 6 feet long and works great for charging from older chargers and batteries.
Why you might prefer it: This is the cable we’d use if we wanted to connect a USB-C device (like a newer Android phone or a USB-C power bank) to a USB-A charging port—whether it’s on a laptop like the MacBook Air, a wall charger or wall outlet, a car charger, or a battery pack with legacy ports. Belkin’s USB-A to USB-C Charge Cable is USB-IF certified, has a lifetime warranty, and feels solidly built. We like that it has a relatively thin cable (even at 6 feet long) that can be coiled up compactly. In our testing, it reached its full 60 W charging potential, although that's overengineering—standard USB-A charging tops out at 15 watts, and even proprietary charging standards like QuickCharge that work over USB-A don't exceed 20 W or so.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Because the Belkin USB-A to USB-C Charge Cable only supports up to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds (480 Mbps), it’s not the best option for moving lots of data between devices. However, we were unable to find a faster cable that’s both USB-IF certified and 6 feet or longer. It’s not impossible to make such a cable—according to USB-IF, a USB-C cable of any length can be certified as long as it passes all performance tests. But it might be bulkier than most people would want. A rep at Anker told us that the company’s engineers have found that a 6-foot cable with full USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds would just be too thick. Until we find a cable that supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfer, is 6 feet or longer, and is USB-IF certified, we think the Belkin (which offers the latter two) is your best bet for charging.
Key specs:
- USB 2.0 data transfer rates (up to 480 Mbps)
- 3-amp and 60-watt charging
- 6 feet long (also available at 5 feet long)
- black, blue, pink, white color options
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