Better yet, Anker has a reputation for being reliable. Wirecutter editor Mark Smirniotis explained that if you’re looking for an accessory that’s less expensive than the official ones, but more reliable than the dirt cheap, no-name brands, Anker is one of your best bets.

“The middle ground is held by companies like Anker or RAVPower — less expensive than official accessories, but well-made and well-supported,” he said. “Anker has been around for well over five years now, and Wirecutter has tested and reviewed dozens — maybe hundreds — of their products. We see that both companies put a lot of thought into their designs and update them regularly. In our own long-term testing and reviews of reader experiences, we’ve also found that they’re well-made and generally reliable.”

When Wirecutter has reviewed categories that Anker has an entry for, the brand regularly at least gets a runner-up slot, if not the top choice. While it doesn’t hurt to check around for the specific product you need if you want the absolute best, if you’re buying Anker there’s a higher than average chance you’re getting a product that works well.

Monoprice

Like Anker, Monoprice sells more than just cables. The company sells home theater equipment, smart home accessories, networking gear and a lot more. It’s also been around and selling off-brand accessories since 2002, giving it a strong leg up on some of the competition. Some of their gear is high quality at a low price, from these subwoofers to these banana plugs, both of which earned top marks from Wirecutter. They also found that Monoprice’s HDMI cables were just as good as AmazonBasics, but slightly cheaper.

Mr. Morrison, author of the site’s guide to cheap HDMI cables, lauded the cable selection. “Monoprice has been around for many years and nearly every cable in my theater is from them,” he said.

However, Monoprice has been around long enough and has a big enough product library that there are bound to be some stinkers. When Wirecutter reviewed earbuds under $50, several Monoprice headphones came up short. Wirecutter staff editor Nick Guy also suggests paying close attention to what you’re buying from Monoprice.

“Stock levels can be inconsistent, to start. It’s not uncommon to see a product listed as out of stock with a return date several weeks in the future,” he said. “Monoprice also has a habit of quietly swapping out commodity accessories like cables with newer models. While that new model still might be a good buy, it may not be the same model that was listed last week.”