A mess of cables

When your phone is leashed to a power bank in your backpack while you try to corral your kids on vacation, you should only trust your phone to the best long USB-C cables. Whether you need to recharge your phone, power bank, headphones, or your Chromebook, we’ve got some lengthy USB-C cables in two varieties: USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A for whichever power bank or travel charger you use. Here are the cables you can trust year after year, trip after trip to charge without fail.

USB-C to USB-C cables

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The best long USB-C cables will serve you for years to come

Long USB-C cables that come with a carrying wrap like the Anker Powerline+ are ideal for travel, but when you’re looking for a long cable to snake from the wall plug to your bed, you’ll want the rugged reliability of Uni’s Type-C Charging Cable, which also has the benefit of coming in a 15-foot option if you need the absolute longest cable you can get without giving up charging speeds.

You should note I’m focusing on charging speed of data transfer speeds here, and that’s because if you need a USB 3.1 Gen 2 cable (aka a 10Gbps cable), you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a cable longer than three feet that is affordable and reliable. Most long USB-C cables focus on charging speed more than data speeds because long cables tend to be used for — you guessed it — charging. But we’re already seeing more high data speed USB 2.0 cables instead of just high charging speed cables in the 6-12 foot range.

USB-C to USB-A cables

The best USB-C cables for your older chargers

We’ve finally reached a point where we have a ton of selection for USB-C to USB-A cables, and while it’s hard to go wrong with the Anker Powerline+ or Amazon Basics cables. Most cables start to degrade and act up after spending months in my car in triple-digit heat, but good-quality braided cables remain strong and are worth the investment if you’re using them in a setting like that.

How long is too long?

When deciding on a length of cable for charging on the go, it’s very easy to slip into the mindset of, “Oh, I should get as long a cable as I can.” But you don’t want to be dealing with tons of excess cable tripping you up as you walk around, getting snagged on a pylon, or breaking something. For trips, I tend to like 6-foot cables for charging in places such as theme parks and airports. That gives you a decent length for snaking from your backpack to your phone or from the overcrowded outlets to the other side of the couch or bed, or in the airport lounge.

For charging in unfamiliar locations with potentially obstructed or out of the way outlets like hotel rooms, 10-foot cables ensure that no matter how well a port is hidden, you’ll be able to snake your charger in and get your tech powered back up. The longer a cable is, the slower it tends to charge and the more likely it is to get in the way. But 10-foot cables make for good emergency cables for unfamiliar environments. Ten-foot cables are also great if the whole family is tethered to a single, massive power bank in Mom’s backpack, as 10 feet will give everyone a tiny bit of breathing room.

Again, be mindful of your slack when using long cables in public. Breaking a cable mid-morning and running out of power by mid-afternoon can derail your day and your mood. Charging cables at vacation spots tend to be short, low-quality, and severely overpriced, so it never hurts to bring a spare from home! If you don’t need something six feet or longer, check out our picks of the best USB-C cables, overall, including options in shorter lengths.

When your phone is leashed to a power bank in your backpack while you try to corral your kids on vacation, you should only trust your phone to the best long USB-C cables. Whether you need to recharge your phone, power bank, headphones, or your Chromebook, we’ve got some lengthy USB-C cables in two varieties: USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A for whichever power bank or travel charger you use. Here are the cables you can trust year after year, trip after trip to charge without fail.

USB-C to USB-C cables

Why you can trust Android Central
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The best long USB-C cables will serve you for years to come

Long USB-C cables that come with a carrying wrap like the Anker Powerline+ are ideal for travel, but when you’re looking for a long cable to snake from the wall plug to your bed, you’ll want the rugged reliability of Uni’s Type-C Charging Cable, which also has the benefit of coming in a 15-foot option if you need the absolute longest cable you can get without giving up charging speeds.

You should note I’m focusing on charging speed of data transfer speeds here, and that’s because if you need a USB 3.1 Gen 2 cable (aka a 10Gbps cable), you’re going to be hard-pressed to find a cable longer than three feet that is affordable and reliable. Most long USB-C cables focus on charging speed more than data speeds because long cables tend to be used for — you guessed it — charging. But we’re already seeing more high data speed USB 2.0 cables instead of just high charging speed cables in the 6-12 foot range.

USB-C to USB-A cables

The best USB-C cables for your older chargers

We’ve finally reached a point where we have a ton of selection for USB-C to USB-A cables, and while it’s hard to go wrong with the Anker Powerline+ or Amazon Basics cables. Most cables start to degrade and act up after spending months in my car in triple-digit heat, but good-quality braided cables remain strong and are worth the investment if you’re using them in a setting like that.

How long is too long?

When deciding on a length of cable for charging on the go, it’s very easy to slip into the mindset of, “Oh, I should get as long a cable as I can.” But you don’t want to be dealing with tons of excess cable tripping you up as you walk around, getting snagged on a pylon, or breaking something. For trips, I tend to like 6-foot cables for charging in places such as theme parks and airports. That gives you a decent length for snaking from your backpack to your phone or from the overcrowded outlets to the other side of the couch or bed, or in the airport lounge.

For charging in unfamiliar locations with potentially obstructed or out of the way outlets like hotel rooms, 10-foot cables ensure that no matter how well a port is hidden, you’ll be able to snake your charger in and get your tech powered back up. The longer a cable is, the slower it tends to charge and the more likely it is to get in the way. But 10-foot cables make for good emergency cables for unfamiliar environments. Ten-foot cables are also great if the whole family is tethered to a single, massive power bank in Mom’s backpack, as 10 feet will give everyone a tiny bit of breathing room.

Again, be mindful of your slack when using long cables in public. Breaking a cable mid-morning and running out of power by mid-afternoon can derail your day and your mood. Charging cables at vacation spots tend to be short, low-quality, and severely overpriced, so it never hurts to bring a spare from home! If you don’t need something six feet or longer, check out our picks of the best USB-C cables, overall, including options in shorter lengths.

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