We purchased the Syncwire Lightning Cable so that our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and review it. Read on for our full product review.

The Syncwire Lightning Cable is an impressive option for those who put durability at the top of their Lightning cable specs list. It checks a lot of boxes – sleek design, reliable charging, two color options – but the fit and finish of the cable really stood out to us. We spent about a week with it around New York City, charging our phone overnight, transferring backups, lugging it around in our backpack, and more. Read on to see how it compares.

We tested a black version of the Syncwire cable, but you can also buy a more Apple-friendly white version. We’d go with the black color, as it’s less likely to collect dirt and actually looks a bit more professional. The official Apple cable opts to have two hard-edged plastic pieces attached to each end of the cable. The Syncwire cable rounds off those edges considerably to give it a more modern, even futuristic look. Some of the rubberized edges are there to protect the cable’s internals—a category we’ll get into later—but they do make for a nice look.

Finally, the USB and Syncwire logos are shallowly pressed into each end, just below the steel connectors, meaning they’re only visible if you’re looking for them. We would have liked to see more color options, but the name of the game here was clearly subtlety and sleekness.