As an avid Apple product user, I’ve done a fair amount of product research when it comes to the various components and extras that are needed to get your MacBook Pro, iPad, iPhone, and any other Apple gadget working as needed. The key is doing so without completely emptying your wallet in the process.
So when I needed a slightly longer Thunderbolt 3 USB-C cable to connect my external USB Hub (due to an ergonomic improvement that raised my MacBook laptop to eye-level), I did what any fool would do – I just bought a USB-C cable.
Wrong. Standard USB-C cables will only deliver a limited amount of data and power. With nearly all of my peripherals connected to the external USB Hub (including external monitors, webcams, ethernet, and more), a standard USB-C cable barely got power to my laptop, let alone any data or video. So a $5 lesson learned – I needed a full-fledged Thunderbolt-3 USB-C cable.
My first visit was to the online Apple store, to find out what the OEM version had spec-wise, and what it would cost. I was a little taken back when a barely 12-inch Thunderbolt 3 USB-C cable was… $40.00 USD! So I used the specs listed to find a proper alternative, and came across Amazon’s Thunderbolt 3 USB-C Cable for Mac. It was almost half the price (I paid $25.00 USD) and a hair longer, not that the length was a deciding factor, but it’s worth mentioning.
My biggest concern was that the cable would handle some tasks, but not all tasks coming from the USB Hub, leaving me to chew on a $40 cable purchase. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case – the Amazon Thunderbolt 3 USC-C cable handily ported all data and power from my accessories to my MacBook Pro! That includes an external monitor (HD, not 4K), ethernet, webcam, an iPhone set up as a webcam, a MicroSD Card, and a couple of minor USB accessories. I’ve had zero issues with the cable so far, it works just as well, if not better, than the cable that came with the hub itself. It’s pleasantly flexible, which is nice for packing and traveling, and doesn’t hold too much of a twist when unwound (I can’t stand when I unwind a cable only to have it try to reflexively go back into it’s coiled state…).
I can’t speak to its durability yet, but there’s no indication of poor quality or construction. Everything feels solid from plug to cord, and there’s been no ‘glitching’ or any other indication that the cabling inside would be a future cause for concern.
Overall, this has been a perfect, and far less expensive, alternative to Apple’s Thunderbolt 3 USB-C cable. I even ordered a second one to have for another hub I have, since I like having the additional length and flex. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a full-data Thunderbolt 3 USB-C cable to connect a hub or other dongle to their Mac!