Best Micro USB Cable In 2023
Need the power and the speed of a micro USB charging cord, but not sure which one to choose? We have five of the best for you – see how they do.
Share this article...
Yes, it’s true that more and more manufacturers are turning to li-ion chargers and connectors, because they can deliver more power from a smaller source, but the announcement of the death of micro USB charging cables from some quarters is distinctly premature. It’s premature because micro USB is still a cheaper option, and that matters to lots of people.
Within the arena of cheaper charging cables though, you’re going to want to squeeze the last drops of power and speed out of your micro USB cable so that it feels like an acceptable technology for connecting your phone and other devices.
We’ve lined up five of the best, fastest, most durable micro USB cables on the market today, so you can see what’s available to meet your needs.
Our Top Picks
How We Choose
When it comes to choosing the best micro USB cables on the market, we match them up on a number of key criteria that you should think about before you buy. We’re not here to waste your time online – that’s what Twitter’s for. If we tell you a product is worth your time, consideration and money, you can trust that we’ve tried it, identified its strengths and weaknesses, and are fully prepared to explain our reasoning.
With the micro USB cables on our list, we checked them all out, tested them for look, feel, effectiveness, efficiency. It miiiight be a little too far to claim we hit them with hammers during durability testing. Or… y’know… it might not.
Well, come on, how are you going to know if you can trust a cable’s durability claims unless you subject it to some… erm… stress testing, right?
Bottom line, the five cables that made it onto our list are the battered and bloody remains of an army of contenders, all of whom faced the same criteria. We flung the bodies of the fallen into a pit, and no-one will ever speak their names again. Or, y’know, alternatively, they went to live on a farm, where they lived useful, productive lives charging phones for orphan schoolchildren.
Things To Consider
Before you buy a micro USB cable – in fact, before we would let you buy a micro USB cable – we’d beg you on our knees to consider these factors. The factors, in fact, that went into our testing process.
Speed of data transfer
There are two things you need a micro USB cable for. One is speed of device charging, and the other is the speed at which it will whizz your data from device to device. If, just say, you have an absolute truckload of pictures and friend-mortifying video from a long weekend or a socially-distanced festival, you want to get that stuff safely duplicated on a second machine as quickly as possible, in case your friend launches a sneak attack to steal the phone and get their dignity back.
You’re looking for at least a data transfer speed of 480Mbps in this day and age, to ensure that dignity is a forever-forgotten concept.
Speed of charging
The one thing phone manufacturers have yet to solve, and that could make the world practically perfect, is the phone with the battery you never need to charge.
The company that cracks that wipes out the competition. For now, you want your phone to charge in as little time as possible. Rapid charging is more or less a must to make our list, because seriously, if we wanted to charge slowly, we’d fit our phones with a hand crank.
Durability/Price balance
We live in a world where everything has options, and where durability is not often one of them as standard. You tend to pay more for products and cables that will resist the pressures of real life. Cables that resist the urge to snap and die if they’re twisted, cables that can survive having a chair accidentally put on them, and being sat on. Cables that can take a hammer-pounding and still work afterward, those are the dream. Getting the dream for a price that doesn’t schlurp all our money out of the bank would be excellent too. Getting the balance right is tricky, but these cables managed it.
Warranty
We know – booooooring. But really, the length of your warranty goes hand in hand with the durability/price balance. You want cables that will last in the real world. But you also want to know that if it turns out your lifestyle is just too rugged or too rough-and-tumble for your cables, the company has your back because you bought its micro USB cable in good faith. The longer the warranty, the better the protection, the warmer the feels in your micro charging heart.
The Best Micro USB Cable
In-depth Review
- Lifetime warranty
- Industry standard data transfer speed
- 7% increase in charging speed over standard USB
- Triple-braided cable for durability
- No 10 feet option
Syncwire has a strong reputation when it comes to micro USB cables, and this pack shows why it’s regularly regarded as up among the best.
Aluminum connectors laugh away all the regular cable issues of bending and breaking, while stainless steel heads give you snug connections that won’t get looser over time.
Available in both 3.3 feet and 6.6. feet versions, they should be long enough for most domestic uses (though the lack of a 10 feet option – which other cables have) might steer you away from them if you do a lot of phone charging away from home.
480Mbps at standard USB 2.0 means that for micro USB cables, the Syncwire cables are on point at the industry standard. But they have been clocked at roughly 7% faster than standard USB cables when it comes to phone charging, which helps put them up in the national leagues.
Triple-braided nylon fiber means they’ll last a good long while (maybe as much as ten times some cables on the market, with the names of which we will not sully our lips), and resist a good deal of rugged to-and-fro in domestic use.
A lifetime warranty helps Syncwire stride significantly ahead of the pack, too, giving you confidence when you buy.
- Kevlar-boosted dual-braided cord for extra durability
- Reduced interference, to improve charging speed
- Comes in a 10 feet option
- 18-month warranty
- Warranty is time-limited
Among the most rugged and durable micro USB cables on the market, the Anker Powerline+ has a Kevlar-boosted strength and a bend tolerance up to ten times that of some cables on the market. Available in a 10 feet option, as well as the standard 3 and 6 feet versions, it comes with a handy cable tie, so even the longest version can avoid being a tripping or snagging hazard.
All the stress points of the Powerline+ are reinforced to improve its durability still further, but in terms of speed, it has lowered resistance, to help boost the charging time available. So it can deliver on power and data transfer, while being one of the sturdiest cables on the market
Comes with an 18-month warranty, but unless you have a fairly complex and spectacular accident with it, you shouldn’t need to call on the company within that time frame.
- You get a range of lengths to suit your needs
- High data transfer speed puts them in the big leagues
- They also deliver high-speed charging
- Robust braiding for a long lifespan
- Warranty is time-limited
The JSAUX three-pack micro USB cables does all the things you want a three-pack of micro USB cables to do, just slightly better, and with a dash more style.
Data transfer speeds of 480Mbps are present and correct. They carry up to 2.4A, so high-speed charging is available to you through these cables.
Neatly, the three-pack of cables includes one at each of the most common lengths – a 3 feet, a 6 feet, and a 10 feet option. That means you can choose the perfect cable for the job, every time.
The tangle-free nylon braid of the cable boasts a 15,000 bend lifespan, and an 18-month warranty means you can afford to put the JSAUX cables through their paces.
- Works for both Androids and Apples
- Magnetic, so easy to make the connections you want
- High-speed charging and data transfer
- Only available in a 3.3 feet version
- Only 12-months of warranty cover
NetDot makes its mark with its versatility. Its Gen 7 2-in-1 allows you to charge both Apple and Android devices, at the drop of a head.
It allows rapid charging and fast data transfer, though it’s a little fiddly, using magnets to connect the right charging head. Handy to have, it’s hampered by only being available in a 3.3 feet version, and its warranty is only good for 12 months.
- 10 feet version
- Data transfer at 480Mbps
- Right-angled connector can be extremely convenient
- Impressive lifetime warranty
- Charging speed less than some others on the list
CableCreation does a lot right with its Micro USB cable. It includes a 10 feet version, allows for fast data transfer at 480Mbps, and gives a right-angled option to users who need one.
Its charging speed leaves a little to be desired compared to some cables on our list, though, and there’s a contentious issue over making sure you buy the version that faces the right way for your normal set-up.
You can’t fault the CableCreation warranty game though – like only the leader of our list, it features a lifetime warranty, which helps to put it onto our list. If you’re in the market for a right-angled micro USB cable, the CableCreation is the best one we found that will meet your needs.
Final Word
The micro USB cable that’s right for you will depend upon your specific needs, but there’s something here for almost every user.
While the Syncwire and the Anker are significantly ahead of the pack, the JSAUX does a lot of what you need and adds some style, while the DotNet and the CableCreation will be perfect for users with specific Micro USB cable needs.
WePC is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Prices subject to change. Learn more
