At WIRED, we know a thing or two about cables. It is our name, after all. These unsung heroes of tech connect our gadgets, power our devices, and transmit our data. You might not immediately think of cables when you think of Prime Day deals, but we’ve untangled a few select discounts from Amazon’s random cable bin, and it turns out this is a great time to upgrade your cable game. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our Prime Day live blog for more news on WIRED-tested gear.
We test products throughout the year and carefully select these offerings.We will update this guide periodically throughout the sale event.
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This Intel-certified Thunderbolt 4 cable is the one cable that tops them all, and it’s our top pick for the best USB-C cables. It can deliver 100 watts (enough to charge a laptop) and transfer data at up to 40Gbps. It can connect an 8K display (or two 4K displays), supports both DisplayPort Alt Mode (DP Alt Mode) and USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) including PPS, and is backward compatible with all of the above standards. We don’t often see discounts on this cable, and the price for 3.3 feet has never been this low before. The 6.6ft cable is also discounted to $48 ($12 off).
This USB-C to USB-C cable can support fast charging and speedy data transfers. It’s rated at 100 watts, so it can be used to power the most powerful MacBook Pro. It also transmits data at up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). The USB-IF certification means it meets the standards set by the USB Implementers Forum. It even comes with a lifetime warranty.
It’s all well and good to have a bunch of cables, but do you always have the one you need on hand? Clip this Swiss-designed multi-cable to your keychain and you’ll have it. It offers six charging combinations, with USB-C and USB-A on one end of the short braided cable, and Lightning, MicroUSB, and USB-C on the other.
If you need a USB-A to USB-C cable, this one from UGreen will do the trick. It’s a USB-IF-certified braided nylon cable that offers reasonably fast charging (18 watts) and data transfer (5 Gbps). This is the first time I’ve seen a discount on this cable.
Clip the coupon code to see the full discount at checkout, bringing the price to $12. Forget about tangles with this clever flat retractable cable that comes in a variety of fun colors. Pull the USB-C ends and you can set it at preset lengths (30.5, 60.9 or 1 m). When you’re done, simply pull and release to have the cable coil back into the case.
WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu has been carrying this little device on his keychain for over a year now, and he’s found it very useful when he’s forgotten to bring a USB-C cable. The two ends attach magnetically, and you can pull them apart and plug one end into your phone or laptop to charge in a pinch if you have access to a wall charger. It supports up to 60 watts of power, which is plenty for many devices, and it’s fairly compact. The USB-C to Lightning version is also for sale on Nomad’s website if you have an older iPhone with the Lightning port.
Do you have a TV or gaming console that you need to plug in but they’re far apart? WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu used this 15-meter HDMI cable to connect his gaming PC in his office to the TV in the living room. It allowed him to play games Red Dead Redemption 2 on the big screen while his wife watched his antics. There are other sizes to choose from as well.
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Photography: Simon Hill