The most famous of the cheap HDMI brands, Monoprice, has dozens of options to choose from. The linked cable is well beyond the needs of just about any TV on the market today, but they’re so cheap there’s no reason not to get them. They’re capable of 48 gigabits per second, which means it can easily do the 4K60 that’s common for streaming, games and everything else. There’s also enough headroom to be capable of 8K video, not that we’re expecting that anytime soon. 

We’ve used Monoprice cables in the CNET labs and our own homes for years. If you want something a little thinner and more easily bent around corners, check out the slightly more expensive 8K Ultra High Speed Slim.

Cables labeled “Premium Certified” are rated to handle the highest resolutions and frame rates. A cable doesn’t need this label, but having it ensures a certain level of compatibility. So if you want to be sure your cable can handle 4K at 120 frames per second from your new PS5 or Xbox Series X, this is the easiest way to do that. Fortunately, there isn’t much of a price premium for Premium Certified cables. These Cable Matters cables, for instance, are basically the same price as most uncertified cables from other manufacturers.

CNET’s Ty Pendlebury has been using these cables for a few years without problems. If you get them in a two- or three-pack, they’re helpfully color-coded to help organize your gear.

Why are these brands considered the best HDMI cable? Because they’re the cheapest ones we trust and they have great warranties. The Amazon Basics HDMI Cable is also worth considering and is available for around $10.

We don’t specifically review HDMI cables here at CNET, but in our TV test lab, we’ve used inexpensive cables from Amazon and Monoprice for years. All of them have flawlessly carried hundreds of hours of 4K and HDR video, with way more plugging and unplugging than typical cables are subject to. None have failed with compatible devices.

There are cheaper options, but beyond our experience, our recommendations have great buyer reviews and have sold HDMI cables for years. They’re also rated to have the bandwidth to handle 4K and HDR content. This is often listed as 18Gbps, referring to the amount of bandwidth possible in gigabits per second. The HDMI 2.2 standard does require new cables, but you probably don’t need to worry about that. We discuss why below.

Maybe you don’t want a Monoprice or Cable Matters HDMI cord. We checked a few other large retailers and found cables we liked from each one.

Walmart’s marketplace has dozens of HDMI cables. Of the ones the company seems to sell itself, evidenced by the “Free Pickup” tag, the GE linked here claims “Premium Certified HDMI cable supports at least 18Gbps, 4K@60Hz.” If you dig down through the details you can find that it does have a limited lifetime warranty. It’s a little on the expensive side, around $10 for 4 feet. I can’t see any reason to get this cable over Amazon or Monoprice, but it’s an option.

Target’s in-store selection of HDMI cables isn’t great. These Philips cables are OK. They’re Premium Certified and capable of 18Gbps, so 4K60 should be fine. It’s available in 4-, 6- and 10-foot lengths. They’re a little more expensive per foot than the better-performing Monoprice, but if you have a gift certificate or need a cable right now and Target is close by, you could do worse than these.

As I mentioned above, just because you’re getting a new TV doesn’t necessarily mean you need new HDMI cables, even if you’re upgrading to something with 4K and HDR. Over short distances, say under 6 feet, just about any recent “high-speed HDMI cable” should work fine. “High Speed” and “Ultra High Speed” are the ratings used by HDMI companies to indicate cables that have the bandwidth to handle at least 1080p and 4K resolutions, respectively.

You can think of bandwidth like a pipe. You need to be able to get a lot of “water” through the pipe with 4K and HDR content. A high-speed cable must be “big” enough to handle it all.

The good thing is, if it works, it works. For example, if you’re sending a 4K HDR signal from your 4K Blu-ray player to your 4K HDR TV and the TV shows a 4K HDR signal, you’re set. It’s not possible to get a better image using a different 4K HDMI cable. That’s not how the technology works.

There are only two “fails” with an HDMI cable. The most likely is you won’t get any signal at all: A blank or flashing screen. First, check that everything’s connected correctly and all your HDMI device settings are correct.

The only other “fail” mode of HDMI cables is sparkles. This looks like snow on the screen. It can be heavy enough to look like static, like an old TV tuned to a dead channel, or it can be random-but-regular flashes of white pixels. This means you’ll need new cables.

If the TV is receiving the same resolution you’re sending it (e.g., the TV says it’s 4K HDR when you’re sending 4K HDR), you’re all set. A different cable won’t make that image sharper, brighter or anything else.

Also, remember, if one step in your chain isn’t 4K HDR, nothing is. If you connect a 4K Blu-ray disc player to an old soundbar and then to a 4K TV, you won’t be able to get a 4K signal to the TV. Also, some TVs only have one or two HDMI inputs that are HDMI 2.1 (or newer) compatible. Check your owner’s manual for that, too.

The latest version of HDMI is called 2.2. This is a huge leap forward in terms of bandwidth, capable of 96 Gbps, more than double HDMI 2.1 and over five times the 18Gbps “High Speed” cables. However, these are far beyond the capabilities of any TV now or near future. Even HDMI 2.1, which has been out for years, could handle 8K resolutions, and so far, there are basically no 8K sources where you’d need it. You’ll need new cables to handle that extra bandwidth, called Ultra96 cables, but again, don’t waste your money on something your TV can’t use. By the time in the far, far future you might need that extra bandwidth, the cables will be as cheap or cheaper than cheap cables now. There will also certainly be a new standard by then, so who knows if Ultra96 cables would even be compatible.

For more about why you shouldn’t worry about this new standard, check out What Is HDMI 2.2? New Cables, Extended Bandwidth for Gaming and More.

Most of you will just need an HDMI cable of a few feet/meters to connect your TV to your nearby cable/satellite box, video streamer, 4K Blu-ray player or game console. Some of you, though, are looking for something with a longer cable length. There are a lot of variables to consider, so I don’t have a simple pick.

In broad strokes, build and material quality are much more important in a long HDMI cable than in a short one. Over 15 feet, there is a much higher chance that a mediocre cable won’t work or won’t work at the resolution you want. This still doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune on a long cable; there are plenty of options for roughly the same price per foot as the ones mentioned above. It does mean that no-name cables might be less likely to work.

To put it another way, a poorly made 3-foot cable will probably work fine for most people, but a poorly made 15-foot cable probably won’t. With any long-run solution you’re considering, make sure it can handle 4K60, HDR and so on. Many options can’t. There are three technologies to consider.

Active: An active HDMI cable has a small chip built into the cable that takes a little power from the device’s HDMI connector and uses it to boost the HDMI signal. These cables cost a little extra but are far more likely to work. A long passive cable might work for you, but it might not. It depends on your devices. Since they’re not significantly more expensive, they’re worth considering for any long run.

Optical: Though a technology similar to the old-school audio interface, HDMI-over-optical can have far greater bandwidth. It’s also capable of far greater distances. It’s easy to find options that are over 330 feet. Prices have dropped radically in the last few years, with options available for similar prices per-foot as traditional copper cables. Most don’t even need external power. They work and look just like a thin HDMI cable. There are Monoprice options, as well as an Amazon Basics option.

Wireless: You could also skip cables completely and just go wireless. This isn’t quite as simple as it sounds, though. There are far too many considerations to get into here, but a few things to keep in mind: 1) They’re going to cost more than cables; 2) 4K options often only work in-room and can be blocked by anything, including cabinet doors and even people. Though wireless seems like it should be easy for multiple devices in this era of near-ubiquitous Wi-Fi, it’s not. If you’re considering this, definitely do your research before you buy.

There are many other cable options out there. If you want to keep hunting for the best deal, make sure the cable you’re considering is either Premium Certified, says it can do 4K60 or can handle at least 18Gbps bandwidth. And it’s an added bonus if it has a great warranty like the Monoprice cables.

Keep in mind that there are no HDMI cable “versions.” As in, there is no such thing as an “HDMI 2.2” cable. The version numbers refer to the physical connections in your TV, receiver or soundbar. So your TV and 4K Blu-ray player need to both have HDMI 2.0 to watch HDR content, but the cable connecting them couldn’t care less. It’s just a dumb pipe.

As long as that pipe is “big” enough, which is to say it has enough bandwidth, you should be good to go. The 18Gbps bandwidth mentioned above came about with the HDMI 2.0 spec, so if a cable says it, it’s likely built to handle the additional data that HDMI 2.0 connections can provide. The new Ultra96 cables are capable of 96Gbps, but that’s far beyond what any current source can send.

Lastly, if you want to run the cables through a wall, be sure you get HDMI cables specifically made for that. Check your local building codes for the HDMI specification you need.

As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, epic 10,000-mile road trips, and more.

Also, check out Budget Travel for Dummies, his travel book, and his bestselling sci-fi novel about city-sized submarines. You can follow him on Instagram and YouTube.