With how short USB cables tend to be these days, having a USB extension cable is practically a necessity. Without one, you end up crawling underneath the desk or hunching in a corner just to keep the connection secure.

Ultimately, it makes work even more difficult and relaxing nearly impossible in such a cramped space. Luckily, USB extension cables provide exactly what you need, though no two cables are the same. When you're considering a cable, keep in mind its length, durability, and most importantly, its signal strength.

Here are the best USB extension cables available today.

Our Favorite USB Extension Cables in 2023

It’s hard to beat the Ainope USB Extender for its hard-wearing body and ultra-fast performance. Unlike USB 2.0 connectors with a speed of 480MB/s, this one delivers up to 625MB/s for quick charging and data transfer. The gold-plated connectors retain their conductivity since they don’t react to chemicals found in the environment. They form an excellent barrier to corrosion, ensuring speedy and continuous transfer of data.

The included sticky buckles are an easy way to prevent the cable from tangling on the floor. It’s also a great way to keep them organized when on the move. Besides being flexible, the braided nylon exterior withstands fraying and tearing, ensuring long-lasting performance. As an added bonus, the two-pack design is an affordable solution for anyone with lots of peripherals to charge. It saves you the need to plug and unplug one cable from your gamepad to connect it to your printer.

This package includes two 6.6ft cables, but you can choose one with two 10ft cords to suit your unique needs.

Extend your existing USB cable without spending a fortune with the Amazon Basics USB-A Extension Cable. The signal quality is excellent as the gold-plated connectors have exceptional conductive properties. In addition, they aren’t susceptible to fraying despite frequent rubbing and friction, making this cable a worthy long-term investment.

At 6.5 feet in length, the Amazon Basics USB-A Extension Cable provides amble length to any gadget you connect. The longevity of this cord is top-tier since it has a tough PVC jacket that stands up to weathering, impact, chemical rotting, and corrosion. It’s also easy to grip for a quick connection with the current USB cable.

Performance-wise, the Amazon Basics Extension Cable offers a data transfer rate of up to 625MB/s, ensuring speedy operations when using USB 3.0 compatible devices. This USB 3.0 cable also provides increased power delivery while reducing energy consumption. You can even connect it to USB 2.0 gadgets, so older electronics won’t become obsolete after a short period.

If you want a well-built and speedy extension cable, consider the UGREEN. With a transfer speed of up to 5Gbps, it’s ten times faster than standard USB 2.0 cables. You’ll continue enjoying fast data transfer when backing up files and syncing photos, just like before. There aren’t any irregular connections as the UGREEN has a 24K gold-plated connector that doesn’t corrode. It provides a powerful defense against oxidation even after continuous exposure to corrosive agents.

The PVC exterior has decent mechanical strength, making it resistant to abrasion, chemical rotting, and weathering. There’s also a reinforced joint that stands up to the frequent pulling, ensuring maximum longevity on the inner wires. This extension cord comes in varying lengths, so you can pick either the three, six, or ten feet.

The longer size makes an ideal choice for gamers who want enough space to move around. The cable is universally compatible with controllers, webcams, desktops, wired keyboards, and hard drives.

We can't tell you how many times we couldn't make a new PC setup work because our keyboard or mouse wasn't quite long enough. Luckily, you can avoid that problem altogether with the Sabrent 22AWG USB Extension Cable.

For starters, the Sabrent 22AWG USB Extension Cable has a male-to-female connection, making it an excellent choice for extending the length of keyboards, a mouse, and even older devices like printers or a set of USB speakers. It's still pretty common for those peripherals and devices to use A-male USB connections. It also gets bonus points for having a good selection of lengths, from 3ft to 10ft.

Best of all, you're never in jeopardy of losing performance. This isn't your average, old USB 2.0 cable, but a USB 3.0 cord capable of transferring data at 5GB per second, giving those old devices all the room they need to perform at their best. All the while your data is going back and forth, a PVC jacket, inner and outer shield, and thick power cable are keeping everything safe and sound.

Durability and reliability are the key features that define the CableCreation. It is 16.5 feet long, making it an excellent choice for anyone who wants to save themselves from the hassle of blindly looking for a USB port behind the TV. You can also connect your controller to reach your couch for enhanced gaming comfort.

The transfer speed when connecting to USB 3.0 peripherals is 625MB/s, so it takes a few seconds to transfer extensive files and HD movies. The PVC exterior allows flexible installations while protecting the inner wires from damage despite frequent pulling. Suited for many devices, you can use this cable on your CCTV camera, gamepad, PlayStation VR, Xbox, and printer.

The CableCreation has a gold-plated connector which increases the insertion and extraction times because of its resistance to wear and ductility. The signal and conductivity transfer are excellent even after multiple plugs and unplugs.

Here’s a convenient and long-lasting cable that will free you from the trouble of dealing with short cords. The Okray is compatible with your mouse, hard drive, printer, webcam, keyboard, and a wide range of gaming consoles. Clumsy users can use this cable without it fraying after a short period, thanks to the nylon-braided exterior.

The structural strength also prevents the internal wires from tearing apart. The gold finishing on the connectors enhances functionality by resisting corrosion despite exposure to corrosive environments. They retain their conductivity for a long time, providing you with a consistent and fast circuit connection.

The Okray allows you to extend your existing cable in style as it’s available in many eye-catching colors. Besides the standard black, you can either settle for green, purple, blue, gray, or pink. The two-pack design makes a cost-effective solution for extending your office and home cables, but you can choose the five-pack combo if you have many frequently-used peripherals.

Long and offering a fast transmission rate, the VCZHS is an exceptional USB extension cable. With a 3.0 male to a 22/28AWG (American Wire Gauge) female design, the cable can be used to connect USB flash drives, card readers, hard drives, keyboards, and PlayStation, among others.

The 20 feet USB cable transmits data at 4.8Gbps when used with a USB 3.0 host to save time. This is ten times more speed than that offered by USB 2.0. Besides, the VCZHS is backward compatible with USB 2.0, 1.1, and 1.0, allowing you to use it on a wide array of devices such as smartphones, cameras, computers, scanners, and printers.

The double foil shield on the cable prevents the transmission signal from being interrupted. It, therefore, eliminates the chances of data loss, keeping your files safe. The gold-plated connectors and tin-plated bare copper conductors make the cable corrosion-resistant for maximum durability.

How many times have you thought, "I wish my laptop just had one or two more USB ports," as you decide on which peripheral to use? These days, you're lucky if you have any more than two to start, but that's going to change with the CableCreation 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub.

When joined with the CableCreation 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub, your laptop becomes the master of devices, capable of wielding four extra peripherals at the same time. You can finally kick your flimsy laptop keyboard to the curb and pick up one of the best mechanical keyboards to use for work and play.

With so many devices sharing a hub, the CableCreation 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub has to be slow, right? It's actually quite the opposite. It is a USB 3.0 hub, after all, which means you can take advantage of transfer speeds of up to 5GB per second. It's even backward compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1, so it's just as useful for older devices, too.

The JSAUX is a durable and reliable two-pack USB 3.0 extension cable that is compatible with computers and USB peripherals such as printers, card readers, hubs, Bluetooth adapters, PlayStation, Xbox, and hard drives, just to mention a few. With a male and female design, the cable can be used with hard-to-reach USB ports like the back of your TV. This saves you from the hassle of squeezing yourself to reach such locations.

The cable transfers data at a speed of 5Gbps, which is ten times faster than USB 2.0 cables. In addition, the internal shield provides an anti-interference feature that prevents data loss and errors during transmission.

It is backward compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1, meaning you can use it on any standard device. Constructed with gold-plated connectors, the cable is corrosion-resistant, making it more durable. This also provides optimal signal clarity.

Finding the Best USB Cable Extender for You

Picking the best USB cable extension is governed by only a few factors: the length, durability, and performance. How much extra cable do you need? Are you hoping the USB extension lasts throughout the years? Do you plan on transferring large amounts of data?

Keeping those aspects in mind, the Ainope USB Extender becomes the most obvious choice. You have a good selection of lengths, from 3.3 to 20 feet, gold-plated connectors to protect against corrosion, and transfer speeds of up to 5GB per second.

If that sounds like overkill to you, the Amazon Basics USB-A Extension Cable is always a solid fallback. It has few length options, but it still rocks gold-plated connections for a lengthier lifespan. You can also get large packs of them if you have multiple devices that just need some extra length to them.