Anker Continues To Fail Me

What was once a trusted brand is… Not.

At one time, Anker was the go to brand for USB cables. Their braided cables and reinforced plugs were sturdy and reliable. I still have one of the Powerline USB-A to USB-C cables in my car for Android Auto.

When I had a USB-C cable go out earlier this year, Anker replaced it with a two pack. I guess that’s because they knew there’s a 50% failure rate. I thought they were just being generous.

That’s right. One of the two cables they sent me was DOA.

Dead on arrival.

Fast Forward

The cable in question today went out at least a month ago. With the busy holiday season I didn’t start dealing with warranty stuff until now.

I previously believed that Anker carried a strong even lifetime warranty on many of its cables.  I am apparently wrong.

I tested the cable with three different chargers and I tried using it for data from my laptop. It did not charge anything. It did not communicate with the laptop. It would not talk to my phone. The cable is as good as a rope.

Anker refused my warranty claim. A cable that is less than two years old should not quit functioning.

Recommendations

I rely on SuperVOOC chargers exclusively for my OnePlus 13, but I still need USB C for other phones and laptops around the house. So what else would I purchase?

If I am buying domestically in the United States, I purchase UGreen. I have used their car chargers for phones and laptops even on long trips and the tables and chargers have held up well.

I also order from AliExpress sometimes. If I go that route I like Essager and Toocki.

Do they carry a strong warranty? Honestly, I don’t know. But a quality Chinese cable is only a couple dollars each. Even ordering UGreen from Amazon comes in at least 25% cheaper than anchor.