The Anker Powerline+ II is incredibly durable and a highly efficient charger. The most common point of failure on charging cables seems to be where the cable meets the plug-in point for the device. This connection point is bent repeatedly while plugging and unplugging your device, and a stiff cable can't withstand this kind of movement for long. This cable's durability stems from the braided nylon sheath, which gives it the flexibility to bend and twist without breaking. The flexible cord made this a standout in product durability. Typical of all the Anker products we tested, this cable comes with a convenient Velcro strap, making coiling and storing the cable streamlined and easy. To choose the right cable, first, look at the connector shape. They can be small (Micro-B), oval (Lightning), rectangular (USB-A), or symmetrical (USB-C). The cable is named after the type of connector that is not the standard USB-A connector. For instance, a cable with USB-A and USB-C connectors is called a USB Type-C cable or a USB-A to USB-C cable. If both ends of the cable have the same connector, it is named after that connector type. Since 2012, iPhones have been equipped to charge via Lightning cables, or eight-pin cables, which replaced older 30-pin charging cables. And these puppies can do a lot more than charge. They can also transmit data between devices, allowing you to easily transfer photos and files between devices if you're not uploading everything directly to the Cloud. Lightning cables are also exclusive to Apple products, which has been a source of frustration because USB-C cables are much more widely used. In fact, the European Union recently agreed to force all devices to be charged by USB-C by 2024. The idea for establishing a common standard for charging is so popular that U.S. U.S. senators are pushing for the same thing. What to look for in an iPhone charging cable The best Lightning cable isn’t made by Apple. We tested dozens of options to find the best cable for charging an iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and Mac accessories.

Anker cables Warranty of Anker cables

USB-IF Certified: Meets safety standards of the USB International Federation for worry-free charging and transferring.Anker tested over 100 different materials to strengthen its first PowerLine cords. “Finally we settled on using the same material often used in bulletproof vests,” a fiber called aramid, said Alex Xiao, Anker senior product manager. Over the course of a month, we tested each of these cables with our iPhone 7, iPhone 8 Plus and 9.7-inch iPad Pro using a number of different metrics. Most important to a charging cable is, of course, its ability to charge and transfer data at a reasonable rate. So we used each cable in conjunction with a 65-watt power adapter to charge our devices from dead to 50%, timing the result. We also used them to transfer a 1.5GB video file from our computer to the device using iTunes, timing the process as well.

Anker USB C to Lightning Cable [3ft MFi Certified] Powerline

After publication, Belkin sent us another cable, which exhibited no fraying out of the box. They tell us this isn’t a common issue, and they’re looking into it. We’ve torn open dozens of charging cables and found they’re all pretty much the same on the inside. It’s the outside that makes the biggest difference in how long they’ll last. It also comes with a leather snapping strap for coiling the cable, though our model was already flaking when we took it out of its brand-new box, which didn’t inspire a ton of confidence. Belkin also offers a USB-A version of this cable in a few lengths and colors, though we didn’t test that version ourselves.There’s just one downside: Native Union only seems to offer these cables in 10-foot lengths, which charged our test devices five to 10 minutes slower than more typical 4- to 6-foot cables. If speed isn’t of the essence, though, the practical design here may be well worth that small sacrifice. There is a USB-C version for faster charging as well, though we didn’t test that model ourselves.