Vafoton PD 240W short USB-C cable ZDNET's key takeaways Vafoton's palm-sized cable is available for $6.80.
It's compatible with Thunderbolt 4, 240W power and 40Gbps data transfer.
The cable might be a little too short for some users. $6.8 at Amazon
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Your day can be derailed by not having the right cable. I know, because it happened to me last year. I found myself in a rental car that didn't support wireless Apple CarPlay, so my options were to listen to the radio for nine hours, or buy a crazy overpriced (but cheaply made) cable from a gas station.
Also: If your USB-C device isn't charging, I always consider this quick fix first
I was forced to do the second option. $30 later (yes, really) I was able to listen to my audiobook again. After this experience, I vowed to add a decent USC-C keychain cable to my carry. It had to be cheap (because of their tendency to get lost) but handle fast charging, high-speed data, and up to 8K video.
I tested a bunch of cables, and the Vafoton PD 240W short USB-C cable came out on top.
First off, this cable does everything it says it on the spec sheet. It actually carries 240W of power, which is saying something, as you'd be amazed how may I came across make that claim but in practice are limited to 100W, or even 60W. In my testing, however, I confirmed it can carry data at 40Gbps and video at 8K 60Hz, and is compatible with Thunderbolt 4 standards.
Also: I tested a solid-state portable battery for a week - now lithium-ion feels old school
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