The 7 Best USB-C Video Cables and Adapters for 2025

Unless specified below, almost all of the cables and adapters we tested worked the way they were supposed to, and in many cases the difference between a pick and a non-pick came down to a few Amazon reviews, a price difference, or better shipping options.

USB-C–to–HDMI

The portable version of Cable Matters’s USB-C to HDMI 2.1 adapter failed to reliably carry a signal above 60 Hz, though the non-portable version worked fine.

Nonda’s USB-C to HDMI Cable works well, but the company’s website shows that it has pivoted to car accessories, and our emails to confirm whether this cable would continue to be sold and supported went unanswered.

Anker’s Nylon USB-C to HDMI 4K Cable is available only in a 6-foot length but otherwise works great.

The Anker PowerExpand+ USB-C to HDMI Adapter and the Cable Matters Aluminum USB-C to HDMI Adapter both worked well in our tests, but they’re typically a bit more expensive than our pick despite offering no specific benefits. It’s the same case with HDMI 2.1 adapters, as the offerings from Anker and Belkin both cost nearly $20 more than our picks for similar functionality.

The Plugable USB-C to HDMI 2.0 Adapter has a warning that explicitly says “NOT compatible with late 2016 MacBook Pro.”

Although the Accell U187B-002B USB-C to HDMI 2.0 Adapter and StarTech USB-C to HDMI Adapter worked well, both cost more than our pick at the time of our tests, offering no advantages in exchange for their higher price.

The Kimwood USB C to HDMI Adapter performed well and tended to be a little cheaper than our pick at the time of our tests, but it also felt cheaper in terms of materials and build quality.

The adapters we tested from Amazon Basics, Monoprice, and Kanex were plastic, though they still seemed well made. We prefer our pick, but if it’s out of stock any of these adapters would do.

Nonda’s USB-C to HDMI Adapter performed fine and had a cute fold-up design, but we found it hard to unfasten (a drawback that outweighed the cuteness of said design).

Satechi’s Aluminum Type-C to HDMI Adapter looks expensive (and it is), but it felt flimsy and failed to outperform our pick.

We liked USB-C–to–HDMI cables from Cable Matters, but none compared to our pick in build quality.

USB-C–to–DisplayPort

Nekteck’s Thunderbolt 3 to DisplayPort Adapter was the only cable we tested that simply failed to work. We tried two units, and neither established a connection between our computer and monitor over repeated attempts.

The Amazon Basics Bi-Directional USB-C to DisplayPort Cable is rubber rather than braided nylon, yet it costs about the same as our pick.

Cable Matters’s USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter is, just like our pick, an 8K-capable adapter. The only difference we found in our testing is that the plastic housing on this one is a bit bigger.

In our tests, Plugable’s USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter didn’t always connect, and when it did, it maxed out at 1080 resolution, rather than full 4K.

The Accell U188B-006B USB-C to DisplayPort Cable, the Plugable USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter Cable, and the StarTech USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter Cable are identical to one another and work just as well as our top pick—they simply lack the clip that locks the DisplayPort plug in place. Don’t hesitate to get one of these if the price is particularly good or if our pick is out of stock.

Monoprice’s Select Series USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter works as effectively as our pick, but Monoprice’s shipping isn’t quite as convenient as purchasing from Amazon, especially not if you’re an Amazon Prime member.

Kanex’s USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter is also a strong contender, but it is typically more expensive than our pick by a fair margin, with no particular benefits.

We noticed that Cable Matters’s USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter is a bit shorter than our pick, but it works just as well.

USB-C–to–DVI

StarTech’s USB-C to DVI Cable usually costs more than our pick but doesn’t perform any differently, and it has a large plastic collar that makes it less convenient to take with you.

USB-C–to–VGA

The Belkin USB-C to VGA Adapter and the Cable Matters USB-C to VGA Adapter are functionally equivalent to our pick, but they cost more and offer no advantages.

Even though the CableCreation USB-C to VGA Adapter worked well in our testing, we’ve seen enough customer reviews citing failure over time that we don’t feel comfortable recommending this adapter.

The Cable Matters USB-C to VGA Cable costs the same as our pick and works just as well but doesn’t have as many owner reviews to back it up.

This guide was edited by Arthur Gies and Signe Brewster.