The right answer depends on what you want to plug the device and cable into. If you are charging your Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 15 into a charger using a USB-A port, then obviously, you’ll want to buy a USB-A to -C cable.

If you’re wondering what the capabilities are between a USB-A to -C versus a USB-C to -C cable, that largely depends on the cable.

In pure capabilities, a USB-C to -C can potentially charge up to 240 watts and transfer data at up to 40Gbps (and higher eventually with USB4). These are all things even the best USB-A to -C cable can only dream about.

The thing is, while a “full-featured” high-end USB-C to -C cable can do more, most phones can’t take advantage of its features. For example, you have to have an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or a high-end Android phone such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra or Google Pixel 8 Pro to be able to transfer data at 10Gbps. Most budget phones and tablets transfer data over USB at a plodding 480Mbps even if you have a USB-C to -C cable capable of 40Gbps transfer rates. And you guessed it, if a phone’s top transfer speed is only 10Gbps, pairing it with a 40Gbps-capable USB-C to -C cable still limits you to 10Gbps transfer speeds. The simple truth is that for data transfer, a USB-A to USB-C cable that supports USB 3.2 10Gbps or 20Gbps transfer rates is more than enough for most people.

Where it likely matters more to pay for a USB-C to -C cable is charging speed. Outside of proprietary fast-charging designs used by a few phone makers such as Huawei, Oppo, and One Plus, USB-A on even the newest iPhone and Galaxy generally top out in the 15-watt to 20-watt range. Using a USB-C to -C cable and an appropriate USB-C charger will let you reach 30-watt charge rates or more depending on the phone.

We would be remiss if we didn’t point out that despite USB-C charging generally outperforming USB-A -- in reality, you’re not giving up that much performance since most phones don’t charge at their maximum charge rates most of the time.

TLDR: A USB-A to -C cable with support for USB 10Gbps will work fine for the majority of fast phones for data transfer but won’t hit the higher charge rates you desire.

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.

PCWorld likes the Cable Matters 6-foot USB-C cable. In our tests, it performed admirably at everything from charging at up to 100 watts, transferring data from your USB 3.1 SSD, or running a monitor. Note that due to its 6-foot length, this cable is limited to 20Gbps performance; you'll need something shorter if you want to move data at 40Gbps Thunderbolt or USB4 speeds.