The review

The UGREEN 240W USB-C cable is the value pick in the 240W class. It charges at the full 240W, it is well built, and it adds two things the pricier cables do not: a 2 year warranty and the option to buy direct from UGREEN. The same caveat applies as to every cable in this group, and it is the line that matters most: it moves data at USB 2.0 speed, 480Mbps. So it is a fast charger and a slow data cable, and our USB-C cables explained guide covers why that difference matters. If you want a tough lead to charge a laptop, phone or Steam Deck and survive years in a bag, read on. If you need to shift large files, this is the wrong cable.

How we test and choose

We choose what to recommend by cross-checking each cable’s claims against the manufacturer’s published figures, the USB Power Delivery standard, and independent test data, and we draw on hands-on use of the gear we own. SmartGadgetKit is a growing UK site, so where we have not long-term-tested a specific unit ourselves, we say so and lean on verified specs and named sources rather than guesswork. You can read the full method on our how we test page.

Design and build

UGREEN has put the money where it counts. The nylon braid is tight and resists fraying, the aluminium housings at each end are solid rather than hollow, and UGREEN adds triple shielding inside the jacket. At 30,000 bends it is rated tougher than the current Anker Zolo, the buyable Anker 240W cable, and the UGREEN comes with a longer warranty to back it up. The trade-off, as with any thick braided cable, is a little stiffness: it holds a gentle coil rather than going limp. On a desk that is a non-issue.

From Darleene, the warranty is the bit I like

I do not read spec sheets. What I care about is that when a cable gives up, and they always do eventually, I am not just out of pocket. A 2 year warranty on something that lives in my bag with keys and a water bottle is genuinely reassuring.

It has held up so far and the braid still looks new, but knowing UGREEN will sort it if it does not is what tips me towards this over a cheaper one.

Charging performance

On charging the UGREEN gives nothing away to the more expensive cables. It carries the full 240W Extended Power Range under USB Power Delivery 3.1, with the e-marker chip the standard requires above 60W, so it delivers 48V at 5A, enough to fast-charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro, a USB-C gaming laptop or a Steam Deck at full speed rather than a throttled trickle. UGREEN’s own testing puts a MacBook Air M3 at 88% in about 35 minutes with a suitable charger, which lines up with what a true 240W cable should do. The catch, and the most important line here, is data: at USB 2.0 it is nowhere near fast enough for moving large files or running an external SSD. As a charging cable it is excellent. As a data cable it is not one.

How durable is it, really?

UGREEN rates the braid to 30,000 bends and backs the build with triple internal shielding and aluminium housings. That comfortably out-rates the current Anker Zolo (10,000 bends), and the 2 year warranty backs it further: if it does fail, you are covered for longer.

Everyday use

The UGREEN behaves like a good charging cable should. The braid does not tangle in a bag, the housings shrug off angled tugs, and it just keeps working. It is a cable you leave plugged in at a desk, not a pocket one. For something tiny to travel with, a retractable suits better, but this one is hard to wear out.

Sources: UGREEN official product page; USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) for the USB Power Delivery 3.1 standard.