Best USB-C charging cables for iPhone, iPad and Mac

Charging: 60W

Cable length: 3.3ft (1m)

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Colors: White

If you want every iPhone accessory you own to be made by Apple, go with Apple’s own USB-C Charge Cable as a spare USB-C iPhone charging cable—at 60W it’s powerful enough to charge even a MacBook Air. Surprisingly, Apple doesn’t include this cable in its iPhone Accessories store but it’s a fine, if expensive, solution.

Unlike Apple’s rather feeble plastic USB-C to Lightning cables, this 3.3ft (1m) charging cable has a robust woven design that means it is far less likely to fray or break with frequent winding and tugging. Apple also sells a 2m USB-C Charge Cable that is now also woven—it’s rated at up to 240W, overkill for an iPhone but top-end charging for any Apple USB-C device.

Its USB 2.0 data-transfer speed is super slow compared to 5Gbps or faster USB-C cables but it’s the same as Lightning. That doesn’t make a difference when charging your iPhone but if you are syncing an iPad or Mac via cable, transfer speeds will be frustrating.

As the iPhone 15 Pro models boast 5Gbps data transfer, this cable’s low bandwidth is a bit of a disappointment if you sue the cable for syncing.

It’s available in only white. If you fancy a color that matches your new iPhone or your soft furnishings, you need to read on for one of the third-party USB-C cables that we recommend. Read on.

Charging: 60W

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Monitor support: No

Cable length: 3ft (0.9m) or 6ft (1.8m)

Colors: Black

Like the Ford Model T, this 60W USB-C charging cable is available only in black. But the Anker 310 is a quality cable, with a tough braided construction that’s super affordable—especially in this twin pack.

Its data-transfer speed is slow (480Mbps) but, for charging an iPhone or small MacBook, it’s just what you need at a price that significantly undercuts Apple. And, as you’ll read later in this feature, it’s perfectly good for charging iPads and mid-sized MacBooks, too.

Charging: 100W

Data transfer speed: 10Gbps

Monitor support: 4K

Cable length: 3.3ft (1m)

Colors: Black or White

Apple has increased wired data transfer bandwidth to 10Gbps on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max—20x faster than the USB-C of the plain iPhone 15’s 480Mbps (0.48Gbps).

If you want to take advantage of this significantly increased wired bandwidth, you’ll need a cable. like this one from Cable Matters, that also supports 10Gbps or higher, as the USB-C cable that Apple includes with all the iPhones is really for charging only and rated at 480Mbps.

It can also charge at up to 100W—more than enough for an iPhone but also enough for even the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Charging: 60W

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Monitor support: No

Cable length: 10ft (3m)

Colors: Black, Red, Silver

Sometimes you just need a very long charging cable. Maybe your wall socket is on the other side of the sofa or desk—or even in another room—and you need your iPhone to hand for calls and messaging. This 10-foot USB-C cable should be long enough for you.

Sometimes you need a more colorful charging cable. Ok, you don’t really need a more colorful charging cable but it’s nice to have the option. If you want even more color variations, but at a shorter cable length, keep reading…

Available in black, red or silver, this USB-C cable can charge at a decent 60W—more than enough for an iPhone or iPad and decent for a mid-sized MacBook.

Charging: 60W

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Monitor support: No

Cable length: 0.8ft, 9.6in (0.24m, 24cm)

Colors: Black

There are times when you don’t want a long cable snaking all over your desk or tabletop. All you need is a short cable to charge your device.

While we have seen shorter than this 9.6-inch USB-C to USB-C cable, some that we’ve tested have been flaky at charging so we prefer to go with a brand that we trust.

It is too short to tangle but long enough to dangle from a wall charger.

Charging: 60W

Cable length: 4 inches (0.1m) or 3.5ft (1m)

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Colors: Black

A long trailing cable is just about excusable if hidden behind a desk but is wholly inappropriate in a handbag or stuffed in your pocket.

Most of us find it helpful to keep a tangle-free charging cable in a car, briefcase or backpack. This cable takes up only a few inches of space when fully retracted.

You pull the cable from both ends to extend it to five set lengths: 1ft, 1.5ft, 2.2ft, 3ft and 3.5ft.

Data transfer is slow but it will charge even a mid-sized laptop if connected to a suitable wall charger.

It’s not braided by feels strong and will be protected in its winding shell.

Charging: 100W

Cable length: 4 inches (0.1m) or 3.5ft (1m)

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Colors: White, Black, Purple, Blue

Another tangle-free retractable USB-C cable is the curiously named Baseus Free2Draw. Like the Cable Matters Retractable USB-C Cable, this is a compact, carry-in-your-pocket cable that, as soon as you hold it, declares itself a must-have. Who doesn’t get annoyed by a drawer full of loose snaking cables?

Pull the cable from both ends to extend it to four set lengths: 1ft, 1.9ft, 2.7ft and 3.3ft—a touch shorter than Cable Matters.

It beats its rival by supporting 100W of charging power—enough for even the largest MacBook, whereas the Cable Matters cable maxes out at 60W. Data speed, as with the Cable Matters alternative, is a slow but usable 480Mbps USB 2.0. It will transfer data but its main function is charging.

It is available in four colors to match your device or just your mood.

Charging: 60W

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Monitor support: No

Cable length: 3ft (0.9m) or 6ft (1.8m)

Colors: Misty Blue, Daffodil Yellow, Lilac Purple, Lavender Grey, Mint Green, Cloud White, and Midnight Black

If you want a touch of personality with your tech kit, Anker’s choice of seven mostly pastel colors gives you more options than the monochrome alternatives. Apple delights in offering its iPhones in various shades but religiously sticks to white for its charging cables.

Anker claims that its 643 cable—with silicone covering a triple-layered system of copper wires—has a tensile strength of 220 lbs (100kg) and can withstand as many as 25,000 bends. We haven’t tested this, but it certainly feels tough enough to withstand more everyday rigors.

Available in two lengths and a multitude of colors, there should be an option for one of your cable needs here.

Charging: 60W

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Monitor support: No

Cable length: 3.3ft (1m) or 6.6ft (2m)

Colors: Cotton Candy, Light Mint, Lavender, Black

This quality USB-C cable, available in two lengths, is from the people at Casetify who create such fun phone cases.

They have carried over some of the fun into the dull world of cables with four color options. The Cotton Candy USB-C cable is a real beauty, graduating from a cyan blue to a cute pink. Even the black version is nicely speckled.

You’ll pay more than usual but you will get a premium braided cable that will bring joy everything you connect it to your device.

Charging: 100W

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Monitor support: No

Cable length: 3.9ft (1.2m)

Colors: Black

While Apple’s move to USB-C will eventually mean fewer different cables and chargers, many of will live in a now more cluttered world of Lightning for this and USB-C for that.

This cable can handle just about any charging connector you require—even horrible old fiddly MicroUSB. It come with three connectors heads that magnetically clamp to cable end: USB-C for newer devices, such as the iPhone 15, Lightning for older Apple devices, and MicroUSB for whatever still requires this most-hated of connections—often a pair of cheap headphones.

The end that the connectors fit on can angle 180 degrees, which should prevent cable wear and tear when moving the connected device. It’s also nicely braided for strength.

It seems a great solution but only if you don’t lose the tiny magnetic connectors.

Raycon also sells a longer cable, the 6.6ft (2m) Magic 180° Cable Pro ($29.99), which ships with an additional USB-C to USB-A adapter in case your charger is the old USB-A type. using it won’t enable fast-charging with USB-A but it might save you buying a newer USB-C charger.

Charging: 60W

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Monitor support: No

Cable length: 3.3ft (1m), 6.6ft (2m) or 10ft (3m)

Colors: Black, Blue, White and Pink

Curiously, this lovely cable from Belkin has a range of colors, including pink, and lengths, up to 10 feet, only in the U.K. The U.S. version is black or white and 3.3 or 6.6 feet only.

It’s a quality braided USB-C to USB-C cable in whatever length or color, but U.S. users might have to ask a friend across the pond to send them the fetching pink version.

Charging: 60W

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Monitor support: No

Cable length: 3ft (0.9m) or 6ft (1.8m)

Colors: Black

Our favorite USB-C charging cable for iPhones is also our recommended budget charging option for USB-C iPads. It’s such a flexible solution that it is also our budget USB-C cable choice for smaller MacBooks; see below.

Forget about it for data transfer or connecting a USB-C monitor, but for charging this affordable, durable cable is a great choice.

Charging: 100W

Data transfer speed: 10Gbps

Monitor support: 4K

Cable length: 3.3ft (1m)

Colors: Black or White

If you want to sync your iPad or connect it to a storage device, dock, or monitor, as well as fast-charging the tablet, you’ll need a superior data transfer rate.

The 10Gbps bandwidth gained with this premium USB-C cable should be plenty for most users, and the option of a white version is rare in such USB-C cables.

Charging: 240W

Data transfer speed: 40Gbps

Monitor support: 6K

Cable length: 3.3ft (1m)

Colors: Black

For ultimate iPad Pro data transfer bandwidth, choose a Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 cable.

This Anker 515 USB4 cable is overpowered from a charging point of view but therefore offers some Apple tablet future-proofing. Remember, you won’t harm your iPad using a premium higher-wattage cable.

Where it wins is its 40Gbps data bandwidth, the maximum you’ll get from any USB-C cable, and capable of connecting an iPad Pro to a 6K USB-C display at 60Hz. Via a Mac, it could support an 8K display.

Charging: 60W

Data transfer speed: 480Mbps

Monitor support: No

Cable length: 3ft (0.9m) or 6ft (1.8m)

Colors: Black

Just as we recommended the Anker 310 USB-C cable for iPhones and iPad charging, it’s hard to go wrong with this to charge small and mid-sized MacBooks, too. Buy the twin pack and use one for whichever Apple device that takes your fancy.

Suitable for all MacBook Air models and the 13-inch MacBook Pro, this 60W USB-C cable is able to supply the charge you need to keep those MacBooks powered up.

Its data-transfer speed is pretty feeble but as a charging-only cable, this is all you really need. It is not suitable for connecting a Mac to a USB-C monitor—that would require at least a 5Gbps cable.

Its braided design makes it tough—Anker claims it can be bent and unbent over 10,000 times. In this twin-pack, the Anker 310 USB-C cable is a very affordable option.

Charging: 100W

Data transfer speed: 5Gbps

Monitor support: 4K

Cable length: 3ft (0.9m) or 6ft (1.8m)

Colors: Black

This jack-of-all-trades high-quality USB-C cable can charge at up to 100W, transfer data at 5Gbps, and connect a Mac to a 4K monitor.

It’s a premium build, but its thicker gauge wires make it tricky to roll up as easily or compactly as other cables.

If you need faster data transfer, look to a Thunderbolt 4 cable.

Charging: 100W

Data transfer speed: 40Gbps

Monitor support: 8K

Cable length: 2.6ft (0.8m)

Colors: Black

As a certified Thunderbolt 4 cable, this guarantees 100W charging and super-fast 40Gbps data transfer speeds.

If you just want to charge your MacBook, it’s probably overkill but if you need to use it to connect to a docking station or other device, we recommend you double-up on charging power and data speed.

Backward compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C, you can’t go wrong with a Thunderbolt 4 cable.

Charging: 100W

Data transfer speed: 40Gbps

Monitor support: 8K

Cable length: 10ft (3m)

Colors: Black

It’s certainly expensive, but this Apple Thunderbolt 4 cable is as long as you can get while maintaining 100W charging power and 40Gbps data-transfer speed.

It’s braided for strength and backward compatible with other Type-C connectors and ports.

Charging: 240W

Data transfer speed: 40Gbps

Monitor support: 8K

Cable length: 3.3ft (1m)

Colors: Black

To connect your 16-inch MacBook to a Thunderbolt 4 docking station, you need both top data bandwidth and as much charging power as a cable can support—so you need a cable that supports both 240W and 40Gbps data transfer.

240W, 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 cable doesn’t yet come in anything longer than a meter (3.3ft). Both power and data speed are reduced as the cable gets longer. Active Thunderbolt cables help by pushing the data further but for now have the dual benefits of supercharging and fast. data transfer means you’ll need to keep your Mac close by.

While it supports 240W device charging, Apple has capped its 16-inch MacBook Pro to fast-charge using only its own expensive USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable. We still recommend a 240W PD 3.1 cable as you want the best if you own the top-of-the-range Apple laptop.

Charging: 240W

Data transfer speed: 40Gbps

Monitor support: 8K

Cable length: 2.6ft (0.8m)

Colors: Black

Sometimes a cable plays hard to fit in tight spaces, and only a cunningly right-angled connector head will do the job.

If that’s the case, then this is the most powerful and fastest right-angled Thunderbolt 4 cable that money can buy.

It will work at up to 240W, and as a Thunderbolt 4 cable of course offers 40Gbps data-transfer speeds. As mentioned above, Apple demands you use its own MagSafe power cable if you want to utilize PD 3.1 at 140W for its 16-inch MacBook Pro.