15 Best Thunderbolt Cables in 2023 – [Reviews & Buying Guide]

Thunderbolt 3 is (sort of) the new connectivity standard developed by Intel. They have worked closely with Apple on this technology.

This is why every new Mac only has Thunderbolt 3 ports. Thunderbolt 3 is capable of achieving amazing data transfer speeds, recharging very quickly, and can power multiple devices. But it’s more complicated than it seems at first glance.

If you don’t know what to look for, check out the Buying Guide and FAQ section at the bottom of this article. Here are the best Thunderbolt 3 cables.

Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Cable – Best Overall

The Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Cable is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to upgrade their existing Thunderbolt 3 cable. 

It comes in a wide range of lengths, ranging from 1.6 feet to a handy 6.5 feet, which means you can connect it to other devices across the room without stretching the pieces. nor damage your USB-C port.

With it, you can enjoy fast transfer speeds of 40 Gbps or 20 Gbps depending on the length you choose, which can transfer large files from one device to another in seconds, which means you never have to wait for the progress bar to light up again. 

The male-to-male connector makes it compatible with any device that uses USB-C ports, allowing for a variety of possibilities. As this is an item you will find in the majority of current generation devices, there is no need to carry multiple cables.

The high quality connectors ensure long life, giving you the confidence that this cable will serve you as long as you need it. The two-year warranty builds confidence and gives you something you can depend on, wherever you are.

Apple Thunderbolt 3 Cable – Best Type C

If you already own a lot of Apple products, you’ve probably come across an Apple Thunderbolt cable, or at least the port itself. 

Now you no longer have to wonder what it is for exactly, and you can enjoy all the benefits it brings without feeling left out. 

At 0.5 meters, it offers a short but secure connection, which means there is no storage issue and you can always find the other end.

As for super fast data transfer, it has it in abundance. The two independent channels can generate up to 10 Gbps of fast media and information transfer between devices to simplify your day and speed up your tasks to help you finish sooner. 

Even if you only use it to move photos from one device to another, you can do it with such speed that you might not even realize it.

It’s compatible with a wide range of Apple products, making it a great value cable, especially if you’re an end-to-end Apple consumer. 

It is also capable of daily daisy-chaining with other devices, while the high-quality internal controller ensures guaranteed longevity and performance. 

Although some products may claim to be Thunderbolt 3, this one is certified and completely legitimate.

Thunderbolt 3 anchor Cable – Best Compatible

The Anker Thunderbolt 3.0 cable is an Intel certified product that already evokes the ideas of high-quality performance that tech enthusiasts need for their devices and accessories. 

Anyone who has experienced Anker before knows how good it is, but if you are new to it, you are going to have a very special surprise.

As you might expect, it enables high-speed charging and data transfer that leaves regular (and even older) USB-C cables in the dust. 

This is made possible by the 100W charging current that will charge your device faster than you ever imagined, meaning those days of worrying about a battery percentage of less than 20% belong to the pass. For that, we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

Data transfer hits a remarkable 40Gpbs, and you can also use it to stream 5K (yes, FIVEK) videos with the crystal clear clarity you’re usually only used to in the real world. 

It’s compatible with all USB-C devices, so you don’t have to panic if you leave your smartphone or tablet behind. At 1.6 meters long.

It’s small enough to stow in your backpack when you go out for the day, but also long enough that you can relax in bed while charging your phone without getting a sore neck.

Nekteck Active Thunderbolt 3 cable – Best Connector

After reading our Apple Thunderbolt 3 cable review, you might be wondering -; why would I buy a cable from another brand? 

There are two main reasons -; cable length and cost -; But there are also some lesser-known reasons that we’ll cover in this buying guide.

The Nekteck Active Thunderbolt 3 cable has a definite advantage over the Apple cable -; it is over 2 meters long. 

It is therefore ideal if you need some flexibility to move your Apple MacBook laptop when it is connected to an external device. 

For example, if you are using a compatible display and want to connect it remotely, this cable gives you that flexibility.

There is a downside to having a long active cable like this (for more information, see our explanation of the difference between active and passive cables at the bottom of this article). 

Active cables are not compatible with USB 3.1 Type C ports. This means that this cable is useless if you are trying to connect a Mac (or other Thunderbolt 3 device) to a device that has a USB 3.1 Type C port. vs.

Basically, if you’re connecting a Thunderbolt 3 device to a Thunderbolt 3 device, this is the cable you want. 

It is also worth mentioning that this cable is Thunderbolt certified by Intel, which means that it has undergone quality checks to ensure its durability, reliability and security.

Blackjet Thunderbolt 3 cable – Best Transfer Rate

The Blackjet Thunderbolt 3 Cable is a compact yet powerful 0.7 meter cable that would be a welcome addition for anyone who needs a convenient but easily portable Thunderbolt 3 cable on the go. 

Its passive design makes it suitable for daisy-chaining, which is also possible thanks to the support for TBT mode by the dual protocol, which further enhances its capacity and versatility, making it a remarkable choice for anyone. who are still wondering which cable is right for them.

The iconic reversible design is exactly what people love about the USB-C style, but in addition to saving you precious seconds by changing the cable head back and forth, it also offers excellent transfer speeds. 

With up to 40 Gbps possible, you are no longer at the mercy of blind data transfers. Instead, you can quickly send in your favorite vacation photos and get out of the house on time, for a change.

The 5K single display stand and 4K dual display stand are also things that should impress anyone familiar with Thunderbolt 3 cables.

This makes a great addition that is as versatile as it is impressive, and given the enormous size. power delivered, it is practically confirmed that this is a product you should not do without.

The cable has 20 Gbps Thunderbolt 3 – Best Adjustable

Wide compatibility is a huge thing when it comes to choosing electronic accessories. It seems that too many accessories are only suitable for devices of the same brand. 

The Cable Matters Certified 20 Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Cable acknowledged this and decided there had to be a better way to go. The result of this process can be found here.

From Dell to Mac, Zenbook and many more, it’s a cable that works great for any device, no matter what brand or affiliation you choose. 

With such a user-friendly approach, it stands out in an ocean of other brands that might have some appeal, but wouldn’t you prefer to have the best of all worlds? 

In addition, you can also benefit from support for 4K data and video and power, as well as potential speeds of up to 40Gbps. 

In addition, its 100W power allows for fast charging without any hassle, so you never need to orient your device in a certain way again.

There are two colors to choose from if you want to match (or even contrast) your current device, while the two cable length options are 3.3 feet and 6.6 feet. 

Combined with everything else, it’s easy to see why this Thunderbolt 3 cable is becoming more and more popular.

BrexLink Thunderbolt 3 cable – Best Fast Charging

If you want to save money, the BrexLink Thunderbolt 3 cable is one of the cheapest products on this list. But before we jump into the review.

We have to deny a claim made in the product description. It states that this cable can be used to transfer data at speeds of up to 40Gb / s. 

But, since this is a passive Thunderbolt 3 cable longer than 18 inches in length, it does not contain transceivers to regulate the data transfer over the cable. 

This means that it is probably only capable of transferring data at speeds of around 20Gb / s, like a Thunderbolt 2 cable.

So why buy this Thunderbolt 3 cable if it can’t transfer data at 40Gb / s? Mainly because it is compatible with USB 3.1, which allows you to connect your Mac to a USB 3.1 (type C) device. 

The other plus is that it’s about $ 20 cheaper than the Apple Thunderbolt 3 cable. So if you want to save money and don’t need 40Gb / s data transfer speeds, this cable should be fine. 

It’s also longer (0.7m) than the standard Thunderbolt 3 cables you would receive in a Thunderbolt 3 docking station, hard drive, and display.

NEWCARE Thunderbolt 3 cable – Best 4K Dual

Then we have another passive Thunderbolt 3 cable, this time from a company called NEWCARE. The NEWCARE Thunderbolt 3.0 cable is roughly the same length (0.7m) as the BrexLink cable we just featured. 

It also has all the same features. The only difference is that it costs around $ 10 more. The reason for this price increase bothered us for a while -; why spend $ 10 more for a product that is essentially the same. 

The answer, in our opinion, is that you get a lifetime warranty with this cable.

During the first year following your purchase, NEWCARE offers a money back guarantee -; if you have any issues with the cable or just don’t need it.

they’ll refund your purchase. After that, your cable is protected against faults that may occur in the long term. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the extra $ 10.

It’s worth mentioning that like the Brexlink cable we last reviewed, this cable is unlikely to support data transfer speeds of 40Gb / s. 

Passive cables longer than 18 inches cannot withstand this speed. At around two meters, a passive Thunderbolt cable can reach around 20Gbps.

So the actual data transfer speed is probably closer to that value. We recommend this cable for any application that does not require very high transfer speeds. 

It charges quickly, is compatible with USB 3.1, and you can buy it worry-free. You may also be interested in some of the best USB C cables on our list, so check them out.

Thunderbolt 3 Power Cable A for HP – Best Genuine HP

We decided to include the Thunderbolt 3 Power Cable A for HP as they are very difficult to find. Before we begin, this is not a Thunderbolt 3 cable -; if you own an HP ZBook, this review is for you. 

All others move on to the next product. Basically, this cable is for connecting an HP ZBook to an HP Thunderbolt 3 ZBook docking station, so it’s pretty specific.

If you had the misfortune of losing the cable that came with your HP Thunderbolt 3 Zbook Dock, you may have been looking for this product for some time. 

Fortunately, you can get them on Amazon now. The other reason you might want one is that it’s longer than the standard cable that comes with an HP Thunderbolt 3 ZBook Dock. 

This means you can connect up to 10 devices to your HP ZBook, but you don’t need to clutter them up at your home office.

StarTech 0.8m / 2.7ft Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 3 Cable

This StarTech Thunderbolt 3 cable is the perfect option if you want to save a bit of money by not purchasing a cable directly from Apple. At $ 33.47 (as of this writing).

This cable is around $ 7 cheaper than Apple’s official cable. So what’s the difference, and is that $ 7 worth saving? The answer depends on how much importance you place on aesthetics. 

If you’re one of those people who like to have all of the Apple-branded tech, the extra money is probably worth it. For everyone else, you might as well keep that money in your pocket.

It has all the same features as the Apple Thunderbolt 3 cable -; Thunderbolt 3 data transfer up to 40Gb / s (gigabytes per second), USB 3.1 data transfer up to 10Gb / s, load up to 100W, and DisplayPort (HBR3) video output.

And, since it’s an active cable, it’s equipped with transceivers to regulate the speed of data transfer and make sure you get the maximum speed possible.

Don’t think that because you don’t recognize the brand, it’s not a high quality cable. StarTech has been around since the mid-1980s and is highly respected in the IT world. 

It’s a Thunderbolt certified cable, so it’s been tested extensively to make sure it’s up to par. Plus, it’s backed by an impressive two-year warranty and lifetime technical support. 

For more great products like this, check out our selection of the best surge arresters cables.

Cable Matters certified active 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Cable – Best Supporting

The following product is the ultimate Thunderbolt 3 cable. The first thing to mention is that this is the longest cable on this list. 

At 2 meters in length, the Cable Matters Certified Active 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 Cable gives you an enormous length to play with. You can avoid cluttering your desk by keeping connected peripherals out of the way.

This is an active Thunderbolt 3 cable, which means it can deliver 40Gbps. It is very important when purchasing a long cable like this.

It is an active cable as it can provide data transfer speeds of 40Gb / s. So when using a single 5K display (or two 4K displays), the cable is still able to keep up.

Cable length does not affect performance. You can transfer data up to 40Gb / s, USB 3.1 data up to 10Gb / s, DisplayPort (HBR3) video output, and load up to 100W. 

Plus, you can use it to connect your Mac to Thunderbolt 3 docking stations, hard drives, and displays. Please keep in mind that since this is an active cable, it is not compatible with USB 3.1.

The only thing that could make this cable better is that it comes with a lifetime warranty. It does indeed come with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a one-year warranty, but we had to spend some time researching it. 

You might also be interested in some of the best RCA cables on our list, so check them out.

Monoprice Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) USB-C Cable – Best Video Dual

The Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb / s) USB-C cable is one of the more expensive products on this list. At $ 60.30 (at the time of writing), it’s about $ 20 more expensive than standard Apple Thunderbolt 3 cables. 

The reason it is more expensive is that it is twice as long. At 1.5 meters, you shouldn’t have any problems with this too short cable.

Before purchasing this Thunderbolt 3 cable, you should take into consideration that it is passive. Fortunately, Monoprice is very clear that this is a passive cable (which is quite rare in the world of cable manufacturers). 

This means that it offers data transfer speeds of around 20Gb / s. The speeds may be higher, but if you are only looking for high data transfer speeds, choose an active cable.

The advantage of this Thunderbolt 3 cable is that it is compatible with USB 3.1 devices. 

Unlike active Thunderbolt 3 cables, you can use it to connect a Mac to a USB 3.1 device. For example, you can connect your Macbook Pro to a dock that uses USB 3.1.

The Monoprice Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb / s) USB-C cable is also backed by a lifetime warranty. You can buy this cable with confidence, as the company will replace or refund any item that does not work. 

Our guide to the best HDMI cables features other products that might interest you, so be sure to check them out.

NIMASO Thunderbolt 3 Cable 1M 100W 5A / 20V 40 Gbps – Best Docking

The NIMASO Thunderbolt 3 cable is the best product on this list. It’s a lot cheaper than most Thunderbolt 3 cables, so when we saw it we knew it had to be checked out. 

We only really recommend purchasing this cable if you need a Thunderbolt 3 cable, and don’t care about peak performance.

We tried to research NIMASO, the company that makes this cable, but it’s pretty hard to find anything. All we’ll say is that the website is full of spelling mistakes, and they contradict each other in the Question &; Answers on Amazon (they say it’s both active and passive cable). 

So we preferred to look at customer reviews on Amazon. Fortunately, this allowed us to see it a little more clearly.

We’re pretty sure it’s a passive cable. So at 1m it will provide data transfer speeds of around 40 Gb / s. It can also charge Thunderbolt 3 devices up to 100W and is compatible with USB 3.1 devices. 

Most of the reviews from Amazon customers are positive, but it looks like the cables are not being used to their full potential. In summary, we recommend this cable if you are looking to save money. 

But beware, it doesn’t transfer data at 40 Gbps and probably won’t last as long as a more expensive cable. Be sure to also check out our reviews on the best AUX cables.

SIIG Thunderbolt 3 certified 40Gbps active cable – Best Reliable

The last cable on this list is the SIIG Thunderbolt 3 Certified Active Cable. This is the more expensive side of Thunderbolt 3 cables, but we think it’s worth considering. 

The advantages of this cable are that it is 1 meter long, that it is active and can therefore support speeds of 40 Gb / s, and that it does not cost as much as the Cable Matters and Thunderbolt cables that we have presented.

It’s a bit shorter than these cables, so you need to measure how much cable you need if you want to save money.

This cable is backed by a one year warranty, so you can buy it without worrying that it will break immediately. 

The other benefit of buying from SIIG is that they have a California-based customer support team, so getting advice and information on your purchase is easy.

SIIG Thunderbolt 3 Certified Active Cable Has Impressive Stats -; It offers 40Gb / s data transfer speeds, DisplayPort (HBR3) video output, up to 100W load.

It can connect to a Mac on Thunderbolt 3 docking stations, hard drives and the screens. One downside is that it is not backward compatible with USB 3.1. 

If this is a feature you need, you should choose one of the passive cables we featured earlier. The only other downside is that there are only 11 reviews on Amazon. 

This means we don’t know how this cable will stand the test of time. It looks sturdy, but we’re not sure it will still perform perfectly in a few years.

Conclusion

If you need a Thunderbolt 3 cable to be compatible with USB 3.1 (Type-C), buy a passive cable. For everything else, buy an active cable.