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how to find a good USB cable? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by Acamon@lemmy.world to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca

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I feel like some usb cables are great, allow my devices to charge fast, connect to data reliably, etc. But it seems so difficult to find the ones that are good! I've tried buying expensive ones but it seems pretty hit and miss. Sometimes some cheapass aliexpress cable seems to beat the "good brands".

Are there standards or anything I should look out for? USB drives, sd cards, and the like have read/write speeds or different "classes" but usb cables seem to all claim to be brilliant.

Am I just being dumb?

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[–] jordanlund@lemmy.one 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This is actually a very good question, and I've found even the best connectors fail over time.

Select one that reduces stress on the plug. So, for example, if you're at all like me, surfing your phone or tablet at 2:37 AM with it propped up on your chest with the charging cord poking out the bottom, a straight end plug is going to stress the connector and break:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1gXe4BSpHPtwYmJsIOynt7Xl_6pNmnmsGOv-HBNEzdFlye3hZEJCGmSrkGfy43WYPNYlf6o-oTzoK4E1ijTPbwDrOpr2ots3s4dAg7Zk2_NUWW77XgTJxeA

An L shaped or right angle connector in that same scenario won't stress the cable as much and should last a lot longer:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/hccAAOSw7pNi3-qB/s-l1600.jpg

I found having a fabric wrapped cord to be more reliable than a bare cord but that's just me.
When it comes to fast charging, yes, you need a capable cord, but you need a proper outlet. Having a crappy cord on a good outlet is just as bad as having a good cord on a crappy outlet. Weakest link.