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.

USB-C cables today are used for transferring data, running monitors, and charging everything on the planet from $5 LED trinkets to $2,000 laptops and even power tools now. It is basically the most common type of cable for electronics today and thanks to its universal and open design it has rapidly replaced all other competitors including Apple's Lightning as well as older USB cables. It's appeal is the reversible nature so you no longer have to look for alignment. With its ability to handle 240 watts now, USB-C to USB-C cables will likely begin replacing other proprietary cables as well.

All cables have a limited life span. The connectors can wear out, get bent or clogged with debris. The wires inside of the cables themselves will eventually fail once it has been bent enough times too. Yes, you can get a cable to last much longer if you don’t abuse it, but eventually that cable will wear out with enough use.

That’s not to say a high-quality cable built with more wire conductors inside and thicker overmolding near the connector won’t last longer, but abuse that pricier, higher-quality cable enough and it will fail.

The key word is “abuse.” A well-built cable that isn’t abused will give you many, many years of service, but if you’re the kind of person who likes to yank the cable out by grabbing it in the middle while standing on the power strip the cable is plugged into or you tend to twist the cable until it’s a misshapen mess, it will fail.

And that’s if you buy a name-brand, well-built cable. Even cheaper cables are likely to fail far sooner when subjected to the same abuse.