Best USB-C and Thunderbolt charging cables for iPhone, iPad and Mac 2025

• Charging: 60W
• Cable length: 3.3ft (1m)
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Colors: White

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15-17, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air, charging or syncing MacBook Pro

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. At $19 / £19 it’s a fine, if comparatively 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 $29 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 15/16/17 Pro models boast 10Gbps data transfer, this cable’s low bandwidth is a bit of a disappointment if you use 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.

• Charging: 60W
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Monitor support: No
• Cable length: 3ft (0.9m) or 6ft (1.8m)
• Colors: Black, Gray, Red

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15 and 16, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air, charging or syncing MacBook Pro

This 60W USB-C charging cable is available three colors, which can be useful if you need to distinguish between cables—or know who in your household “borrowed” your charging cable… Available in two lengths (3ft or 6ft) the Anker 310 is top quality, 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: 60W
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Monitor support: No
• Cable length: 5ft (1.5m)
• Colors: Cosmos, Kraft, Slate Green, Zebra

• Best for: Charging all iPhones, charging all iPads, charging MacBook Air
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air, charging or syncing MacBook Pro

This 60W USB-C charging cable is a great choice for people who own a pre-15 USB-C iPhone or a later phone but still have Apple devices with a Lightning charging port—think older AirPods or pre-USB-C iPad. It has USB-C on one end to plug into your charger but at the other there’s a fixed choice between USB-C and Lightning. You can’t charge two devices at the same time but you won’t need to have two cables near you at all times if you still own some Lightning devices

It’s available in three unique colors and patterns, which should also make it easier to distinguish in your crowded cable drawer, and it’s braided for durability.

• Charging: 100W
• Data transfer speed: 10Gbps
• Monitor support: 4K
• Cable length: 3.3ft (1m) and 6ft (1.8m)
• Colors: Black or White

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging MacBook Air and 14-inch MacBook Pro
• Not for: Syncing MacBooks, charging 16-inch MacBook Pro

Apple has increased wired data transfer bandwidth to 10Gbps on the iPhone 15/16.17 Pro and Pro Max—20x faster than the USB-C of the plain iPhone 15/16’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, 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 14-inch MacBook Pro. It’s fine for a 16-inch Pro but fast-charging that laptop requires a 240W cable.

MacBook and iPad Pro owners may prefer a Thunderbolt cable with 40Gbps data transfer.

It’s available in black or white and 3ft or 6ft lengths.

• Charging: 240W
• Data transfer speed: 40Gbps
• Monitor support: 6K (iPad Pro) 8K (Mac)
• Cable length: 3.3ft (1m)
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

For ultimate iPad Pro data transfer bandwidth, choose a Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 cable. This USB4 can be used with the iPhone 15/16/17 and any MacBook—even the mighty 16-inch MacBook Pro—as its 240W/40Gbps specs are broadly Thunderbolt 3 compatible. Anker notes that it is not a fully Thunderbolt 4 cable so if you need that, keep reading.

This Anker 515 USB4 cable is overpowered from a charging point of view but therefore offers some Apple tablet and laptop future-proofing. Remember, you won’t harm your iPad or Mac 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: 100W
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Monitor support: No
• Cable length: 10ft (3m)
• Colors: Black, Red, Silver

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air or MacBook Pro

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 (3m) 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 fast 100W—more than enough for an iPhone or iPad and plenty for a MacBook.

• Charging: 60W
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Monitor support: No
• Cable length: 0.8ft, 9.6in (0.24m, 24cm)
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15 and 16, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air, charging or syncing MacBook Pro

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.

It is also available in a two pack or pack of five.

• Charging: 60W
• Cable length: 4 inches (0.1m) to 3.5ft (1m)
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15 and 16, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air, charging or syncing MacBook Pro

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 at 60W 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. Look out for the two-pack for extra value.

Baseus

The Baseus Free2Pull Mini, pictured above, is an alternative 60W retractable USB-C cable. It’s not a two-pack like the Cable Matters set but is available in four colors: black, blue, purple and white. Pull the cable from both ends to extend it to five set lengths: 1.1ft, 1.9ft, 2.7ft, 3ft and 3.3ft.

• Charging: 100W
• Cable length: 1ft (0.3m) to 3ft (0.9m)
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Colors: Gray

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air or MacBook Pro

Ugreen offers another tangle-free retractable USB-C cable that 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, 1.8ft, 2.5ft and 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.

Again, Baseus has a similar length 100W retractable cable that’s available in a more exciting range of colors: Black, White, Blue and Purple.

• Charging: 100W
• Cable length: 1.9ft (0.6m) to 6.6ft (2m)
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Colors: Black, White, Purple, Blue

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air or MacBook Pro

If you need a longer cable but still want it in neat transportable/storable shape, this cable takes up hardly any space when fully retracted. You pull the cable from both ends to extend it to seven set lengths: 1.9ft, 3.1ft, 4.1ft, 4.9ft, 5.7ft, 6.2ft and 6.6ft.

It can charge at 100W so will power up any MacBook when connected to the right USB-C charger, and it comes in four colors just for the fun of it.

• Charging: 60W
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Monitor support: No
• Cable length: 3.3ft (1m) or 6.6ft (2m)
• Colors: Speckled recycled white

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air, charging or syncing MacBook Pro

The exterior of this sustainable USB-C to USB-C cable is constructed using plant-based materials, thus reducing a reliance on petroleum-based plastics like thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).

The packaging is recyclable (the bio-based cables are secured by a recyclable paper sleeve) and even the shipping is carbon neutral, offsetting the CO2 produced.

Shipping outside the UK is an extra US$6.30 or €6, but if you value the planet that’s not a lot to pay.

• Charging: 100W
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Monitor support: No
• Cable length: 5ft (1.5m)
• Colors: Black, White

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
• Not for: Syncing MacBooks, charging 16-inch MacBook Pro

This special USB-C cable can not only charge a MacBook Pro at 100W but with a wireless Watch/AirPods charging puck on one end it can at the same time power up your Apple Watch or AirPods case. Note that when connected to a MacBook the wireless pad gets in the way of the adjacent Thunderbolt port. If you can live without one while charging, this need not matter but if you always use every port on your MacBook it could be a proble.

We like this a lot as we always leave our Watch chargeing cable in another room when hard at work on the Mac.

• Charging: 240W
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Monitor support: No
• Cable length: 3ft (0.9m) or 6ft (1.8m)
• Colors: Misty Blue, Daffodil Yellow, Lilac Purple, Coral Pink, Lavender Grey, Mint Green, Cloud White, and Midnight Black

• Best for: Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air, charging or syncing MacBook Pro

If you want a touch of personality with your tech kit, Anker’s choice of eight 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. The color choice depends on charging speed and cable length plus where in the world you are based. Anker also sells a 100W version in the same range of bold colors in case the 240W versions are unavailable and in the same 3ft or 6ft lengths.

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 as it would hurt our wrists, but it certainly feels tough enough to withstand more everyday rigors.

It supports 240W charging so is as powerful as any cable can get, although it’s not a data-transfer winner.

• 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

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air, charging or syncing MacBook Pro

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: 60W
• Data transfer speed: 480Mbps
• Monitor support: No
• Cable length: 3ft (0.9m) or 6ft (1.8m)
• Colors: Black, Red, Gray

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15 and 16, charging iPad, charging MacBook Air
• Not for: Syncing iPad, syncing MacBook Air, charging or syncing MacBook Pro

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: 20Gbps
• Monitor support: 4K
• Cable length: 3ft (0.9m) or 6ft (1.8m)
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
• Not for: Syncing MacBooks at very fastest speeds

This jack-of-all-trades high-quality USB-C cable can charge at up to 240W, transfer data at 20Gbps, and connect a Mac to a 8K monitor.

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

It seems churlish to downplay this cable’s impressive 20Gbps bandwidth but if you need the fastest data transfer, look to a Thunderbolt 4 or better yet Thunderbolt 5 cable.

Another 6ft affordable 240W cable is the $24.99 EcoFlow RAPID Pro USB-C to USB-C Cable, which is all you need if you aren’t using the cable for data transfer. It’s hard to get better than the price on this 240W 20Gbps Cable Matters cable, though, and it is a powerhouse on bandwidth as well as charging speed.

• Charging: 100W
• Data transfer speed: 40Gbps
• Monitor support: 8K
• Cable length: 2.6ft (0.8m)
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15 and 16, charging and syncing iPad, charging and syncing MacBook Air and 14-inch MacBook Pro
• Not for: Charging 16-inch MacBook Pro

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.

CalDigit sells an active 2m version of this cable for $99.99. It’s so much more expensive because of the circuitry required to get 40Gbps over a longer distance. Belkin sells an equivalent 2m Thunderbolt 4 cable at a more affordable price, see review below.

Backward compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C, you can’t go wrong with a Thunderbolt 4 cable unless you need Thunderbolt 5’s 80-120Gbps and 240W strengths. If so, keep reading.

• Charging: 100W
• Data transfer speed: 40Gbps
• Monitor support: 8K
• Cable length: 6.6ft (2m)
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging and syncing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro
• Not for: Charging 16-inch MacBook Pro

This certified “active” Thunderbolt 4 cable supports 100W charging and super-fast 40Gbps data transfer speeds over a greater cable length than normal “passive” Thunderbolt cables. The active part enables the longer cable but significantly increases the cost.

You can get longer from Apple, see its 3m active TB4 cable below, but the cost gets even higher!

• Charging: 100W
• Data transfer speed: 40Gbps
• Monitor support: 8K
• Cable length: 10ft (3m)
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging and syncing MacBook Air and 14-inch MacBook Pro
• Not for: Charging 16-inch MacBook Pro

It’s certainly expensive, but this active 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

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging and syncing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

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 any thing 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.

• Charging: 240W
• Data transfer speed: 120Gbps
• Monitor support: 8K
• Cable length: 3.3ft (1m)
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging and syncing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

Apple’s M4 Macs now boast a Thunderbolt 5 port, which can transfer data at up to 80Gbps (120Gbps for video using Bandwidth Boost that creates a unidirectional but fatter pipe)—twice as fast as Thunderbolt 4. While there aren’t many actual Thunderbolt 5 devices out there to connect to at that speed, Apple is right at the front of the technology race as usual. Thunderbolt 5 is backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 4, 3 and USB-C so this Thunderbolt 5 cable will work with any USB-C-type device.

All Thunderbolt 5 cables support up to 240W charging. Some Thunderbolt 4 cables do the same but most max out at 100W.

• Charging: 240W
• Data transfer speed: 120Gbps
• Monitor support: 8K
• Cable length: 1.7ft (0.5m) and 3.3ft (1m)
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging and syncing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

Looking remarkably like Apple’s Thunderbolt 5 cable but priced significantly lower, the Anker Thunderbolt 5 cable is a wise choice as the new top-end MacBook comes with three such ports but not one TB5 cable.

This cable is available in two lengths but just one color. Who will be the first manufacturer brave enough to put out a colorful Thunderbolt cable?

Also worth checking on pricing are Thunderbolt 5 cables from iVanky, Silkland and Cable Matters.

• Charging: 240W
• Data transfer speed: 40Gbps
• Monitor support: 8K
• Cable length: 2.6ft (0.8m)
• Colors: Black

• Best for: Charging iPhone 15/16/17, charging and syncing iPad, charging and syncing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

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.

• Charging: 240W
• Data transfer speed: From 480Mbps to 40Gbps
• Monitor support: Up to 8K
• Cable length: 3ft (0.9m), 6ft (1.8m), 10ft (3m), 13ft (4m)
• Colors: Black

IT professionals are often dealing with tens or even thousands of mystery cables, and trying to identify which are charging cables, which are data transfer only, and which work with what video resolution is nigh on impossible unless the cables are labelled. Startech.com’s latest range of cables—USB-C, USB4, HDMi and DisplayPort— all feature Quick Identification markers printed directly onto the cables for at-a-glance asset management.

If you only own a few cables this might not be so important—if you have a whole office floor of them, it’s essential.