Has anybody found a third-party (read: “less expensive”) watch cable that’s reliable / works well?
I know that technically an MFI certification means that Apple has given their blessing to the product, but I have this sneaking suspicion that a lot of the stuff available that claims to be MFI certified is dodgy.
When I was building my tech travel bag, I went down the rabbit hole of third party Apple Watch chargers. I tried four different ones. All four had multiple reviews that said they stopped working quickly. Two of the ones I tried failed my first test which was consistent charging upon placement. Sometimes they wouldn’t charge and I would have to re-drop. The other two failed within a week of using it as a primary charger, just to ensure it would be fine after a few cycles.
In the end, I ended up buying an official Apple one and then I have the peace of mind knowing that my travel bag has a quality charger ready for use.