Two things,
- with lightening cables you generally get what you paid for and cheap is just that — cheap. Look for lightning cables that are Apple MFI certified. They may cost a bit more but I have found them to be worth the extra cost.
I'll qualify that with a "purpose" caveat that works for me.
Were I buying a cable or other device for frequent or permanent use I'd certainly go the quality route, but for one shot items, cheap has always worked just fine, albeit not necessarily as quickly. (Speaking of which, I think I can safely spit in the eye of fate and toss my $4.99 FireWire 400/800 adapter.)
