The Anker 2-in-1 USB-C to USB-C Cable is a split charging cable. This means that instead of plugging in two cables for each device, you can use one cable for both. It has a 6-foot main cable that shortens to 12 inches at each end. It also has a sliding mechanism that lets you adjust how much or how little of the end you want. When connected to only one item, it supports a maximum charge rate of 140W. The exterior is braided nylon that Anker tested through more than 10,000 bends, so it can take quite a bit of punishment.
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A hearty USB-C to USB-C cable that you can use to charge your devices
Plugging in two items at once usually means either a second cable or a charger that can accommodate two cables through two separate ports. Hotel rooms and airplane seats are unlikely to provide either. The advantage of this cable is that it combines both connector ends into one cable, letting you charge both your laptop and your phone with just one port. Because there’s only one cable in your bag instead of two, packing becomes easier.
If you charge one item, it can draw the full 140W, enough to recharge a 16-inch MacBook Pro from empty to 50% in about 20 minutes. However, when you connect two items, the power splits based on each item’s demand, and the first item plugged in gets the larger share of available power. The maximum possible output of this cable is 130W, but that will only occur if one connected item requires more than 100W by itself. Otherwise, the total stays under 100W.
The cable supports PD, PPS, and PIQ 2.0 when you connect a single device, though PPS drops out when you use both ends. Anker also recommends against pairing this with a charger below 45W, since splitting a small amount of power between two devices slows both. Both devices also need to support PD charging.
The length is adjustable rather than fixed, which is genuinely uncommon. A slider on the cable lets you pull each of the two short sections down to whatever you need, so a phone sitting close to the outlet and a laptop farther away can both be reached without slack piling up on the floor.
Braided nylon covers the outside, and Anker rates the cable at past 10,000 bends, which is the failure point on most cheap cords. Data transfers happen at 480 Mbps, which is USB 2.0 speed and fine for moving photos, though slow for video files. The Anker 2-in-1 USB-C to USB-C Cable comes in black and white, and it doesn’t carry video, so it won’t drive a monitor.