Buy Secure USB Type-C Cables by Checking Your Plug and Its Certifications
USB Type-C cables are great because they are reversible and support the latest and fastest USB specifications, but some cables are so poorly made that they can ruin your expensive hardware. Here are some tips for buying safe ones.
Google’s Benson Leung and Dieter Bon of The Verge reported earlier this month that a bad cable ruined their laptops. As we mentioned in our PSA, please read the reviews carefully, including Leung’s in- depth reviews , before purchasing.
Notebook Magazine offers more tips that can calm you down. First, take a look at the plug itself:
“A good cable uses a deep-drawing extrusion method to produce a Type C plug that is a solid piece of metal and has no visible seam on one side of the plug,” said Tim North, senior product manager for Monoprice (whose cable was recently approved Leung). The folded and stamped connector, North explained, is usually made from a zinc-tin alloy that breaks easily and may not meet the cable’s power requirements.
Alternatively, you can find a list of certified cables on the USB Developers Forum (USB-IF), which sets the standard for USB Type-C, in this frequently updated PDF .
To learn more about potential damage from bad cables and other ways to protect your laptop, see the link below.
How To Buy USB Type-C Cables That Won’t Spoil Your Gadgets | Notebook magazine