Apologies if the wrong community, if there’s a better suited one, please point me to it!
But, I figure we all buy USB-C cables, and being a progressive group of folks maybe someone has a suggestion so I cause slightly less waste pollution and waste? Here’s hoping!
Edit: Allrighty, apparently I’m just rough on all my usb cables OR you have all teamed up to prank me.
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Anker! They are super good quality and have a phenomenal warranty/replacement program that’s so easy to deal with
I used to think all my cables were broken and flakey but turns out my phone’s port was failing :(
I buy cables that have a braided wrap around them if I buy them at all. I’ve had so many come with phones and other crap. The only reason why I’ve bought a couple of others is because I needed some long ones.
I buy Anker cables and they hold up really well to my kid’s cable abuse. They have a braided sheath around them.
Plenty of companies make solid cables now and Anker’s Eufy camera controversy made me look to other options for cables and battery banks. Truly scummy while sacrificing their own users’ privacy (and lying about it).
https://www.theverge.com/23573362/anker-eufy-security-camera-answers-encryption
I also love my Anker cables. I have cables from them that are like 10 years old and I would still be using them if they were USBC
I bought my kid the magnetic kind where the but stays in your phone and the cable magnetically connects to it and it also rotates and whatnot. Doesn’t charge fast but it’s hella capable of her shit. Last phone port failed because she ripped the cord out all the time but now the important but just stays in the phone.
Ooooooh, this seems like a game changer. Apparently I am a middle aged child when it comes to cord removal.
If you don’t care about fast charge or data transfer they really are. Here’s a link to the ones I bought
Highly recommend if you wear out cables. I’m guilty as well but I use Android Auto for work everyday so these do me no good but help my daughter immensely.
They can’t transfer data? That’s AUFU. But seriously, I use Android Auto every day as well, but the new work vehicle works with it wirelessly. Usually…
They can prolly do some data transfer but won’t make Android Auto work. I wish our trucks had wireless. Surprised they didn’t honestly, they’re all 2024 Mavericks. I need to get another wireless dongle thingy.
I know some of those magnetic cables can do it but they’re much pricier than the ones I got for my kid.
My old work vehicle (Silverado) also only worked with wired Android Auto, but this one is a Ford Transit van.
Pretty sure I’ve got Anker cables from when they were the “no name generic” option.
They’re probably the most recommended brand now for all types of cables and battery banks. It’s kind of crazy
Get in the game with inexpensive options, grow the business and reinvest profits to both expand and increase quality. The exact opposite of what we see with large companies once they hit the top of their respective markets.
Their charging and cable products are awesome and still a decent price. That’s not to say Anker is perfect. They straight up lied about their Eufy security cameras. Sending unencrypted streams back to Eufy despite claims of offline local data storage.
I think I’ll try some of these braided cables with the magnetic bit someone was talking about. Thanks!
I don’t think I’ve ever had to replace an usb-c cable, what are you doing with them?
Also since everything ships with either an usb-c-to-c or c-to-a cable (sometimes both), I have quite the stockpile of them.
The cable in my car for Android Auto goes bad after a few months of use from the weather, I’ve gone through quite a few like that
Yeah, I’ve seen a couple of people mention that. Kind of makes sense with the big temperature differences in cars. But I don’t drive, so no expirence with that.
Yeah, they’re like lighters… I will lose it before it actually breaks, 100% of the time.
I think the lesson to be learned from these comments is if all of your cords keep breaking, they probably aren’t the problem.
Ha, yeah I just figured phonea came with a shitty usb does that starts getting trickier to charge over months etc.
Anker branded cables
Get the braided ones
Edit: Lol someone else already said the same thing 😅
Braided cables… swoon
I don’t think I’ve ever purchased one. The ones that came with my phones have always outlasted my phones, and I keep my phones for years. I may no longer have those old phones, but I still have those cables in my cable box (even those pesky USB micro-b). Maybe I’m too gentle with them haha
That legit blows my mind. I’m not sure I’ve had a phone charging cable be effective for more than a year before I started having to jiggle it while standing on one leg facing East.
Cables tend to go bad if they are being bent at the point where the connector sheath meets the cable.
My wife is great at destroying cables - charging her phone while being in bed. I feel the next cable I’ll buy her will be have a 90° connector.
It might also be partially due to a buildup of dust inside of the phone’s port. You can try carefully scraping in there with the end of a paperclip dipped in a little bit of rubbing alcohol when the phone is shut down. It takes a while but it really helped for me.
A wooden toothpick works just as well and you run less risk damaging anything.
Interesting fact: USB-C moved the retention springs and parts that failed most (on micro-USB) from the port to the cable for this very reason! Every time I have a cable that needs replacing l’m annoyed. Until I remember that it’s about 1000 times better than replacing my phone or laptop!
Interesting fact: USB-C moved the retention springs and parts that failed most (on micro-USB)
The move happened and was a good idea, but was between mini-USB and micro-USB, rather than between micro-USB and USB-C.
Well, they did something more! USB-C connectors last way longer than micro-USB ones…
I have cables that are 15 years old and still work. Not USB-C obviously, but A-A and A-B, but also some USB-C cables that are close to 10 years old now and came bundled with some OnePlus phone (the 3 I think?).
The key to not breaking cables is to not roll them up tightly. If you need to transport them, put them very loosely into a bag or something, and everything should be fine.
I’m using the cheapest 2m long cables I could find online, they don’t fail if treated correctly.
I will try to keep them looser in future! I just find over time, I have to get increasingly careful with plugging them into the phone just right or it won’t charge etc.
UGreen cables for charging (switched from Anker after Eufy shit)
CablesMatter for everything else (HDMI, Display port, usb for data, etc).
As with anything, you have to take care of it. Cables are fragile. If you’re wadding them up in a ball, letting the cable bend at the connector funny or ripping the cable out, the cable will break eventually. Braided cables are more resistant to abuse, but not invincible.
I’ve never had one go bad?
I take that back, I had some cheap chinesium ones I got off Amazon die now that I think about it.
I guess it depends on what you mean by “reasonable”. :)
The last batch of cables I bought were a) braided and b) had right angle connectors.
They’ve lasted long enough that I can’t remember when I bought them.
Ha, totally fair. Right angle connector, never thought about that…
Anker. Still have cables I got in 2018. I’m not rough with my stuff though, so take it as you will.
I’m not sure what you mean.
I haven’t had a USB cable fail that I can recall.
Old USB cables won’t support newer data rates and power transfer rates. But I don’t think that you can do much about that, short of getting the highest-spec one at the time of purchase.
I just find that over time the ones I use for my phone get trickier and require more jiggling around to charge at max speed instead of glacial pace.
From reading the responses though, I think I may just be too hard on my cables I guess. (Also my cat loves attacking them but I’m pretty good about keeping them away from her.)
Have you tried cleaning out your phone port? A plastic flosspick works well. If there’s lint in the bottom it can keep the plug from seating properly and acts like you describe.
I have had plenty of cables fail though so I don’t think you’re crazy.
I like the silicone ones. They’re soft, super flexible and seem to hold up well.
Interesting, I’ll keep those in mind, thanks!
