Get Charged Up—
Meet Plugable’s 1m (3.3ft) 240W USB-C to USB-C cable designed exclusively for charging. With no data lines for safer use in public spaces and protection against juice jacking. Delivers clean, reliable power to laptops, tablets, and phones. Includes a cable tag so you always know the specs, plus a strap for easy cable management
Extended Power Range to 240W—
This USB C cable fast charging supports up to 240W power (48V/5A), ideal for gaming laptops, pro workstations, and large tablets. The cable communicates with your device to ensure safe, consistent, and efficient charging
Safer by Design—
Standard USB-C cables carry data. This true USB C charging cable only physically carries power. That means real protection in airports, cafes, schools, and any public charging port. No adapters needed, just direct, secure charging
Universal USB-C Charging—
Works with any device that supports USB Power Delivery up to 240W, including MacBook Pro/Air, Dell XPS, Lenovo ThinkPad, iPad Pro, and Samsung Galaxy. This USBC to USBC design fits USB-C chargers, hubs, docks, and other PD-compliant gear
Lifetime Support—
This USB C fast charging cable has been designed with reliability at its core and was built to meet the deployment demands of IT departments and the ease of use necessary for home offices. Includes lifetime support from our North American team of connectivity experts
A: No. This is a true charge-only cable. It physically omits all USB data lines, preventing any data transfer for enhanced security against juice jacking and other threats.
A: Supports any USB-C device with PD charging, including laptops like MacBook Pro/Air, Dell XPS, Lenovo ThinkPad, plus tablets, smartphones, gaming devices, and USB-C accessories.
A: Up to 240W (48V/5A) with USB Power Delivery 3.1 Extended Power Range (EPR)
A: The integrated E-marker chip ensures accurate power negotiation between your charger and device, enabling safe and efficient high-wattage charging.
A: Many cables marketed as “charging cables” still have USB 2.0 data lines, which leaves you vulnerable to data theft. This cable physically omits them, making it one of the most secure solutions available.
Tech Specs
Cable Type
USB-C to USB-C
Cable Length
1m (3.3ft)
Power Delivery 3.1
Extended Power Range up to 240W (48V/5A) PD
Charge Only
Charges devices without data transfer for improved security
Please note that this charge cable should work with any USB-C device that supports Power Delivery.
Laptops and Ultrabooks: Compatible with USB-C charging laptops, including MacBook Pro/Air, Dell XPS, HP Spectre, Lenovo Yoga, and ThinkPad series.
Tablets: Supports charging for USB-C tablets, including the iPad Pro, iPad Air (4th generation and later), Microsoft Surface Pro 7/8, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S series.
Smartphones: Ideal for USB-C smartphones, including Apple iPhone 16/Pro, Samsung Galaxy S and Note series, Google Pixel, and other Android devices.
Gaming Devices: Suitable for charging USB-C gaming devices, such as the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck.
Accessories: Works with USB-C (PD) power banks, headphones, gaming controllers (PS5, Switch Pro controller), and other peripherals requiring USB-C charging.
Get Started
Plug one end into a USB-C power adapter (up to 240 W PD supported).
Connect the other end to your device’s USB-C charging port.
Key Benefits:
Safe charging only, no risk of data theft (“juice jacking”). (Charge-only cables do not support data)
Supports the latest USB PD 3.1 EPR standard, up to 240 W.
Works with laptops, tablets, phones, and gaming devices.
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Yes! Our 240W cables can transfer up to 240 watts of power, which means that it can also transfer lower wattages such as 45W, 60W, 85W, 100W, 140W, and anything in between.
Many users assume that USB-C devices can work with older Thunderbolt 2 Macs if they use a Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, such as the one made by Apple. However, this is not the case. These adapters are specifically designed to support Thunderbolt devices only -not standard USB-C peripherals.
While Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C share the same connector type, they use different underlying data protocols. Non-Thunderbolt USB-C devices, rely on USB standards for data and power. The Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter does not carry USB signals; it only passes Thunderbolt data. Because of this, plugging a USB-C device into a Thunderbolt 2 Mac using this adapter will not work - the computer will not detect or communicate with the device.
If you need to connect peripherals to a Thunderbolt 2 system, we recommend using a USB-A dock or hub (if available on your system). This ensures compatibility without relying on unsupported adapter chains.
In short, even though the connectors may fit, USB-C devices are not compatible with Thunderbolt 2 Macs via Thunderbolt adapters - only Thunderbolt devices will work in that setup.
Yes, but only if your laptop, charger, and cable all support the same USB Power Delivery (PD) level.
Fast charging overview
Laptop: Check the maximum charging wattage (many cap at 65 W or 100 W).
Charger: Confirm it supports the needed PD voltage and current.
Cable: Make sure it is rated for the wattage (EPR cable required above 100 W).
Power Level
What you need
Typical laptop support
Up to 100 W
- USB-C charger with PD up to 20 V, 5 A - A compatible USB-C cable like our charge only USBC-CC1M, USBC-CC2M, or USBC-C100 which supports up to 100W
Most laptops (65 W or 100 W max)
Above 100 W (140 W, 180 W, 240 W)
- Laptop that supports USB PD 3.1 Extended Power Range (EPR) - Charger that provides 28 V, 36 V, or 48 V at 5 A - USB-C cable that supports up to 240W 5A, 48V, like our USBC-CC1M or USBC-CC2M
Charge-only USB-C cables help protect against juice jacking, a type of attack where a malicious USB charging port tries to steal your data or install malware.
How a charge-only cable works
Feature
Regular USB-C cable
Charge-only USB-C cable
Data transfer
✅ Yes
❌ No (data lines removed)
Charging power
✅ Yes
✅ Yes
Device recognition
✅ Host can detect your phone/laptop
❌ Host cannot see your device
By removing the data lines, the cable allows power delivery while blocking data access.
Why this matters in public places
Public USB charging stations may be tampered with to install malware or copy data.
Best practices:
Avoid unknown USB charging ports when using a standard data-capable cable.
Use your own power adapter or battery pack.
Use a Plugable charge-only USB-C cable (USBC-CC1M, USBC-CC2M) for safe charging in untrusted environments.
Both options prevent data transfer while allowing power to flow, but charge-only cables are usually the better long-term solution.
Quick comparison
Feature
Charge-only cable
Data blocker dongle
Simplicity
One piece, nothing extra to carry
Extra dongle to remember
Security
No data pins at all, cannot transfer data
Blocks data, but relies on existing cable
Reliability
Fewer failure points
Adds a weak link, may reduce reliability
Charging performance
Full power support with quality cables
Some dongles limit current or slow charging
Best use case
Everyday charging, travel kits, and classrooms
Short-term fix with mixed legacy cables
When to choose each
Travel kits, classrooms, and shared spaces Use charge-only cables to reduce mistakes and avoid extra parts. We offer three charge-only solutions at varying lengths that are an excellent all-in-one option: USBC-CC1M (1m), USBC-CC2M (2m), USBC-CCS5X (6-inch)
Mixed legacy cabling Dongles can serve as a stopgap if you already have a variety of older cables, but plan to phase in charge-only cables over time.
General recommendation Charge-only cables are the optimal choice as they integrate security directly into the cable, making them simpler, safer, and more reliable than dongles.
No. A charge-only USB-C cable physically omits the data lines, so it cannot support features that require data transfer, including CarPlay and Android Auto.
What will not work with a charge-only cable?
File transfers and tethering: No data lines means your device cannot send or receive files or share its internet connection.
Display output over USB-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode): Video output relies on USB SuperSpeed data lanes, which are missing in a charge-only cable.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: Both require an active USB data connection. A charge-only cable will prevent setup and operation.
Why
Charge-only cables are designed only to provide power. They block data transfer for security and reliability, which helps charge in untrusted locations but is incompatible with data-dependent features.
With most modern smartphones you may have likely noticed a notification message while charging your phone indicating that your phone has entered "Optimized Battery Charging", this is how Apple refers to its smart charging messaging. With Android devices they will also show this notification message while charging although they refer to it "Adaptive Charging". Through these intelligent charging methods your phone will artificially reduce its charging speeds so that in the long run it will lengthen its overall battery life.
When setting up a new smart phone it may take a few weeks of machine learning to recognize your usage behavior and charging habits. Batteries go through wear and tear to which the more charge cycles it goes through the less healthier the overall battery becomes leading to it holding a lesser charge and other issues.
Your phone will alert you with a notification when it enters into a battery preserving charging state. At night you may notice your phone charging significantly slower along with a message saying “Battery full by 7:00 AM”. Even though it has the ability to fully charge in a much shorter time. If you set an alarm for an even earlier time your phone can adjust to finish charging at your alarm time. This is your phone prolonging the time it takes to charge to 100% in order to preserve battery health.
The reason why your phone will artificially slow its charging rate is to spend less time at 100% battery, and the less time your phone spends at 100% the more it helps with your overall battery health.
It is possible to disable Optimized/Adaptive Charging in your device's battery and charging settings although it is ideal for the majority of users to leave this setting enabled.
All Thunderbolt docking stations include the appropriate Thunderbolt cable in order to connect the docking station to the host computer. As of this writing, all Plugable Thunderbolt host cables that are included with Plugable Thunderbolt docking stations are 1.0 meter (approximately 3.3) feet in overall length.
For reference, the specifications of all Plugable Thunderbolt cables are printed on a small white cable flag attached to the cable itself.
If the original 1.0 meter long Thunderbolt host cable is not sufficient for a specific use case, longer cables of up to 2.0 meters (approximately 6.6 feet) in overall length can be purchased separately from Plugable. An example of such a cable is the Plugable TBT4-40G2M cable
Plugable does NOT support using Thunderbolt host connection cables that are over 2.0 meters in overall length with any Plugable brand product.
Plugable does NOT support the use of any type of Thunderbolt extension cable or any type of signal repeater in conjunction with our products.
Please note, Plugable can only guarantee the performance and compatibility of Plugable brand cables.
All Plugable USB-C docking stations include the appropriate USB-C cable in order to connect the docking station to the host computer. As of this writing, all Plugable USB-C host cables that are included with Plugable USB-C docking stations are 1.0 meter (approximately 3.3) feet in overall length.
For reference, the specifications of all Plugable brand USB-C cables are printed on a small white cable flag attached to the cable itself.
If the original 1.0 meter long USB-C host cable is not sufficient for a specific use case, longer cables of up to 2.0 meters (approximately 6.6 feet) in overall length can be purchased separately from a 3rd-party.
We recommend purchasing a cable that matches or exceeds the specifications of the original Plugable cable and purchasing said cable from both a well known and reliable brand.
Plugable does offer a 1.0 meter long USB-C extension cable (USBC-METER3-1MF) that can be used in conjunction with our USB-C docking stations. This extension cable can be combined with the original 1.0 meter long Plugable USB-C cable included in the box with the docking station to extend the overall cable length to 2.0 meters.
Plugable does NOT support using USB-C host connection cables that are over 2.0 meters in overall length with any Plugable brand product. Additionally, Plugable does NOT support the use of any type of 3rd-party USB-C extension cable or signal repeater in conjunction with our products.
For most modern Windows and Mac systems, Thunderbolt devices are automatically approved and will ‘just work’ once connected.
The main exception is Apple Mac laptops with Apple CPUs running macOS Ventura (13) or newer, where you’ll be prompted to manually approve the device the first time you connect it.
The summary table below provides the specific details at a glance, and the text that follows explains the table in more detail.
To expand further, Thunderbolt 3, 4 and 5 are in essence external connections to the host computer’s internal PCI Express bus. This type of low-level and high speed connection warranted security protocols to prevent unauthorized access to user data.
Windows: From Intel Software to Native OS Support
When Thunderbolt 3 Windows systems were first introduced in late 2015 it was necessary to use Intel Thunderbolt software to manually authenticate and approve external Thunderbolt devices.
With the introduction of Thunderbolt 4 Windows systems in 2020, it was still necessary to have Intel Thunderbolt software installed on the host computer. However, in most cases the authentication and approval process would happen automatically greatly simplifying the process.
Starting with Windows 11 version 21H2 released in October of 2021, Microsoft integrated support for both USB4 and Thunderbolt into the Windows operating system → LINK
This means that with most modern Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 5 computers running the latest version of Windows 11 it is no longer necessary to install Intel Thunderbolt software on the host computer in order to manage Thunderbolt devices. In most cases, the authentication and approval process will still happen automatically.
macOS: From Intel CPUs to Apple CPUs
When Thunderbolt 3 Mac systems with Intel CPUs were first introduced in 2016, the authentication and approval mechanism was built-in to macOS and was transparent to the end user.
Apple introduced Mac computers based on Apple CPUs in 2020. Macs based on Apple CPUs running macoS 11 Big Sur or macOS 12 Monterey would automatically approve and authenticate Thunderbolt devices when connected.
macOS 13 Ventura was released in 2022 and for portable Macs with Apple CPUs Apple introduced a feature known as ‘Accessory Security’ (also known as ‘Restricted Mode’) → LINK
By default, portable Macs (i.e. laptops) with an Apple CPU running macOS 13 Ventura or newer version of macOS will require the end user to authenticate and approve a Thunderbolt device when initially connected.
Stationary Macs (i.e. desktops) with an Apple CPU running macOS 13 Ventura or newer version of macOS do NOT implement the ‘Accessory Security’ feature. As a result, Thunderbolt devices will be automatically approved and authenticated when initially connected.
Apple Macs with Intel CPUs (both laptop and desktops) running macOS 13 Ventura or newer do NOT implement the ‘Accessory Security’ feature. As a result, Thunderbolt devices will be automatically approved and authenticated when initially connected.