If you’re looking for a cable to listen to your iPhone’s music or charge it while you’re driving in a car, you’re in the right place. We’re going to go down the list of some of the best iPhone cables for cars in this roundup. Note: some of these iPhone car aux cables have the ability to charge your phone, others don’t, so be sure you pay close attention to what you’re choosing if charging is an important feature to you.
The Best Lightning Connector iPhone Car Audio Cables
Belkin 3.5 mm Audio Cable with Lightning Connector
This basic Lightning to headphone adapter for car stereos features a standard 1/8th inch headphone jack on the end that you plug into your car’s aux audio port and a Lightning connector on the end that you plug into your iPhone. It will work with any iPhone that has a Lightning connector (iPhone 5 and higher) and it reaches either 3 feet or 6 feet, which is plenty long enough for most car setups. You can also use it to connect to your home stereo.
Comes in black.
USB Phone Car Charger Adapter
The previous iPhone cable for cars doesn’t charge your phone, but here’s a separate Lightning charger for cars that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter. It provides you with two USB ports which you can use to charge your iPhone, iPad or other phone or tablet devices while you’re driving. One nice thing about this model is that it has a small blue LED light which glows, plus a bright red circle around the face which makes it easy to find the port even in the dark. Many other car phone chargers don’t have these features or offer only a single USB charging port instead of two. Note that if you choose this USB car phone charger you’ll need to supply your own Lightning cable because it provides you with the ports only.
Comes in black or white color options.
Frequently asked questions about iPhone Lightning cables for cars:
Why can’t I charge my iPhone using a normal Lightning to headphone adapter Aux cable?
The reason why a simple Lightning to 3.5mm headphone converter cable (like this one) won’t charge your iPhone is because it can’t carry nearly enough power through it. So you’ll be able to listen to music, but you won’t be able to charge your phone at the same time. If you want to listen to music and charge your iPhone at the same time, you’ll need to use one of the other solutions on this list that end in a Y-splitter with a Lightning or USB port to plug into your car or an external battery charging pack.
Is there an aux cable for cars that works with both iPhones and Android devices? I’m sick of having to swap out one cable for another depending on who’s driving.
Yes! You’re in luck. Check out this aux cable that provides you with the choice of either a standard headphone jack (for Android phones) or a Lightning cable (for iPhones).
I have an old car with a cassette tape deck but no aux input. I used a tape deck adapter to plug into my old phone. Can I get a solution to work with an iPhone that has no headphone jack?
Yes! All you need is a Lightning port to headphone adapter to make your old tape deck to headphone jack adapter work with your new phone which has only a Lightning port.