There are a few key differences between the two. A USB-C to USB-A cable has a rectangular connector on side with 4- to 9-pins in it. As you know from trying to plug a mouse into your PC, it only fits in one way and you usually never get it right the first time. On the other end of a USB-C to USB-A cable, you will find the modern oval USB-C connector, which fits in both ways and packs far more pins and wires inside. The short story is that a Type A to Type C cable will typically charge at much slower speeds than a Type C to Type C cable as well as transfer data at far lower data rates. That isn't always the case as some phones that use special Type A to Type C chargers and cables will indeed charge very fast—but they're usually proprietary. With most new phone chargers going to USB Type C, you're probably going to usually want a Type C to Type C cable.

PCWorld likes the Belkin’s BoostCharge 240-watt charging cable. Besides meeting rigorous testing standards, the 6.6-foot cable offers the assurance of a well-known brand, supports the highest USB Power Delivery charge rate, and is affordable, if not cheap, at under $20.

There are a number of different types of USB-C to USB-C cables including: USB 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and Thunderbolt 4.

The main difference between all of these is their data transfer rates and their charge rates. Basic charge cables give you very slow data transfer speeds and typically only up to 60 watts. For a phone, tablet, and even most small laptops such as a Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Pro 13 that's fine. As you move up to larger laptops such as a Dell XPS 15 or MacBook Pro 16, 60 watts will limit how fast you can charge.

The other key differentiator is speed. USB 2.0 is a plodding 480Mbps. USB 3 cables range from 5Gbps to 20Gbps. While USB4, and Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 can support up to 40Gbps of throughput.

Thunderbolt, USB4, and many USB 3 cables also support display support using DisplayPort.