We get this question a lot from clients.  I don’t think you should get a first-party “Genuine” Apple Lighting cable. The quality is okay but they are prone to fraying in a few months of use and are not worth the premium price: Apple sells its cable for like $25 retail. Amazon and eBay will sell you plenty of $2 fake cables of course, but the quality of these is (obviously) very bad although they are way cheaper.

First off, I wouldn’t buy a Lighting cable until the bundled Apple cable wears out, or if you need another cable for another location. Both of these situations are very common of course, so what should you buy then?

My recommendation is a third-party cable with a price point between these two extremes. In particular, I suggest the Anker Nylon Braided 6ft Lighting USB Cable. The main feature of these that distinguishes them from standard Lighting cables is the wire material: it’s encased in braided nylon thread. This protects the inner wire making the whole cable way stronger.

For comparison, Apple’s cables are encased in thin plastic wrappers which slowly disintegrates in use. The Anker cable ends are also reinforced in thick plastic which prevents fraying at the weakest point. I’ve used the same Anker braided cable for a year and it’s as good as new.

That cable is also 6ft in length, longer than standard Lightning cables, which is a neat additional benefit. The convenience of being able to snake cables around desks or across rooms cannot be understated. Strength and versatility for half the price of Apple’s official Lightning cables.

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