The Best Lightning Cables, According to Tech Repair Experts
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The most powerful, most expensive iPhone charger can be sabotaged by a sub-par lightning cable. It’s the lifeline between the two that powers the charge and the difference between a reliable power source and a dead phone. Choose the wrong one and you are never more than one good twist away from finding your battery in the red even after a full night on the charger.
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Why is that, anyway? Like any tech accessory, there are hundreds if not thousands of lightning cables out there, and they range in quality from great to garbage. The lightning cable was introduced with the iPhone 5 in 2012, replacing the old 30-pin charging cable with its much smaller 8-pin design. But as superior as the Lightning cable is to its ancestors, it’s still a slender wire that contains other even skinnier wires, capped with a connector containing eight tiny pins and an authenticator chip. Long story short, a lot can go wrong.
When asked what makes a good lightning cable, the experts SPY interviewed pointed to a variety of factors – versatility, length, and material used to wrap the outside of the cable. One of the more important factors is compatibility with your iPhone — surprising since Lightning cables work exclusively with Apple products. “There are lots of cables out there that say they are MFi (Made For iPhone/iPad) certified, which means they’re supposed to work well with iPhones, but sometimes they’re not as good as they claim,” says Casey Profita, CEO of Gophermods, a Minnesota-based tech repair company.
The lightning cable may be in the process of being phased out — as the iPhone 15 was Apple’s first model with the new USB-C charging cable — but anyone with a pre-15 iPhone (the majority of users) will still need dependable lightning cables to get their juice.
Here are some of our experts’ top picks.
Anker Powerline III Flow
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Reliability and durability are absolute must-haves when you’re shopping for a lightning cable, and Suhel Rana, iPhone technical specialist and co-founder of TechiAid.com, called out the Anker Powerline III Flow as one of the best in both categories.
It’s officially Apple-certified and boasts a 25,000-bend lifespan. The 3-foot model is reasonably priced at $21.99, but for just $3 more you can double the size. Anker’s pitch for the Powerline III Flow is its silica-gel finish, which comes in three soft pastel colors in addition to the standard white and black versions. “Silky soft” is an odd flex for a lightning cable, but that finish and the flexible graphene wires beneath the finish also make the Powerline III Flow largely tangle-proof, which is a nice bonus indeed.
Belkin 3-in-1 Universal Charging Cord
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“Versatility” may have seemed like an unusual quality to seek in a cable designed for one brand of phone, but Rana called out the Belkin 3-in-1 Universal Charging Cord for its ability to charge mini-USB and USB-C devices in addition to Lightning. The base cable is mini-USB, but the adapters to turn it into a USB-C or Lightning cord are easy to put on and take off, and they’re attached to the main cable so losing them isn’t a concern. The design also keeps the adapters out of the way when you’re charging. This is an ideal cord for switching between devices when you’re traveling. Belkin is also among the most trusted brands for tech accessories.
Juice Apple Lightning Charging Cable (3m)
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Juice is a UK product, but James Francis, a consumer mobile expert at London-based mobile phone marketplace Mozillion, sings the praises of all of Juice’s lightning cables, especially the 3-meter version (just shy of 10 feet) which is a relative steal at $25. They’re all MFi-certified, and they come in bright colors that stand out amongst a jumble of white cables in a travel bag. Juice’s 100% eco-friendly Zero Waste packaging – made entirely from recycled materials and also entirely recyclable when you’re done with it – is another of Francis’s favorite perks.
Otterbox Premium Pro Fast Charge
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Otterbox’s products rank highly on Profita’s list of the best Lightning cables, and the braided-nylon construction of the Premium Pro Fast Charge cable gives it a toughness that so many other lightning cables lack, so you’ll feel less inclined to treat it with kid gloves. This MFi-certified 6.6-foot cable is flex-tested up to 30,000 times, and the attached cable-management wrap helps control any slack and prevent it from twisting or getting caught on something. The Premium Pro Fast Charge’s rugged construction and built-in wrap make it an ideal cord for car charging.
Apple Lightning to USB Cable (2m)
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The logic for simply going with the Apple Lightning Cable for your Apple iPhone is inescapable, especially when you hear it from an expert like Profita: “Over the years we’ve sold them all from Otterbox, Griffin, Belkin, Scosche, Ventev, and Anker,” he says. “They all work, but honestly, the original Apple cables are the best. They last longer and are more reliable. So when in doubt, just use the Apple cable.” Any compatibility worries are instantly gone when you go straight to the source for your Lightning cable.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lightning Cables
When Is the Lightning Cable Going Away?
The process of phasing out the Lightning cable started in 2023 when the iPhone 15 was unveiled with a USB-C charging input. But iPhones are known for their long lifespan, so as long as pre-15 iPhones are still being sold — and Apple is still currently selling the 14, 13, and SE – Lightning cables will still be in demand.
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