# CableMatters Thunderbolt 5 cable

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-thunderbolt-5-cable/

10 people recommended CableMatters Thunderbolt 5 cable in Hacker News comments, 4 had mixed feelings and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 6 of 12 months, in 7 threads. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a high quality Thunderbolt 5 cable that delivers 80 Gbps with no extra equipment. Its main caveat is that active Thunderbolt cables lack true galvanic isolation.

Summary written by Claude from 14 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- All-purpose cable for every USB standard (3 comments in the sample): "this is the do everything cable" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47562605)) "every USB standard is compatible and then some" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47906068)) "you’ll be buying a cable that makes no compromises" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49205847))
- Fast links without extra equipment (2 comments in the sample): "With nothing other than an admittedly pricey cable, you get 10, 20, or 40gbps links depending on the endpoints." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48682254)) "It gets 80 Gbps and doesn't need any extra equipment." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49129742))
- Trusted brand, high quality build (2 comments in the sample): "consider TB5 cables from CalDigit, StarTech, CableMatters, or Apple." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49204086)) "a nice, high quality thunderbolt cable from a reputable manufacturer" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47562514))

## What people warn about

- Lacks electrical isolation (2 comments in the sample): "Active thunderbolt cable still often have copper for some low speed signals, they don't offer true galvanic isolation" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47799347)) "You didnt need the corning one, though, that's an electrically isolated cable" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48688196))

## What people recommend instead

- [Apple USB-C cable](https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-usb-c-cable/): 5 recommend, 0 mixed, 1 criticize

## Where to get it

- [Official site](https://www.cablematters.com/)
- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=CableMatters+Thunderbolt+5+cable)

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "CableMatters Thunderbolt 5 cable", https://hackerapproved.com/p/apple-thunderbolt-5-cable/ (10 recommend, 4 mixed, 2 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.