I never use public chargers without this $15 USB-C cable – here’s why it’s so critical

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Just the right lengths

There are three sizes of cables: the 1m/3.3ft cable that I find just the right length for use with a laptop, and a 5-pack of 15cm/6in cables

No data lines

These cables all feature an E-Marker chip

Distinguishable

The cables are well built and distinguishable from your other cables by the red strain relief (remember the mantra — red means power only!) and the tag that gives the specs and highlights that they are data blockers.

because it’s easy to overlook those (although they do allow you the option of using your cables for data if you need to, so they might work better for some people).

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you only ever charge at home, the office, or your car, then you don’t need a data-blocking cable. The people who need one are those who regularly charge at airports, on trains and buses, and random charging kiosks. These are the people at risk of juice jacking.

Also: The weirdest $14 gadget on Amazon I’ve found turned out to be beyond useful

These Plugable cables are very reasonably priced. The 1m/3.3ft version is only $15, while the 5-pack of small cables is $25