Improved Charging Cable?

Never had an issue with mine over many many years currently using 965 before that 745, 955 (well started with 201 many decades ago). The current ones are better in my mind than the "clip type ones" that some earlier ones had ...but that was a while ago.

I have a Forerunner 55 and wife has one of the Fenix versions that use the same charger and we've had all sorts of issues.  Replaced two cables already and now neither one of them will charge.  I love our Garmin's but I'm not going to buy anymore until I know they have fixed this issue.   You're apparently lucky, if you search the site, you can see all sorts of threads on the charging issue due to the faulty cables and connections.

The order of connecting the cable is important, it is best to first plug it into the watch and then into the charger.

Otherwise there may be problems with the contacts in the connector on the watch. I have no problems with either the FR55 or the FR245, the first is 2.5 years old, the second is 1.5. I use one cable for both.

I have been using the same charging cable on my FR55 since I bought it about 3 years ago. I can post photos of the cable, but it still looks like a new one and no signs of any physical defects. When I disconnect the cable, I ONLY remove it by gripping the connector part on either side and not by yanking it out/loose holding onto the cable.

I have read about people complaining about similar problems with the iPhone lightning adapter cables, and with those I also have not experienced any problems with by removing the connector from the device by gripping the connector and not the cable.

I bought my first Garmin watch (fr245) in 2021. I've upgraded it twice since (fenix6, fr965) and passed the 245 to my big son. Bought a fr55 to my smaller son and a VenuSq to my daughter. She uses her own charging cable because she doesn't live with us most of the time, but the 3 of us we all use the same charging cable that came with the fr245 in 2021. It's connected to a USB charger on my desk, and whoever needs charging comes there and plugs their watch in.

I also use USB cables for years, but I do see how my kids and even my wife throw them all over the place, drop them, sit on them, and abuse them in all kinds of interesting ways. My cables live for years, and we spend a fortune on replacing their cables many times a year.

I wrote all this to demonstrate that different people care (or not) differently about their cables, and this affects the lifetime of the cables. I'm pretty sure that in 99% of the cases people complain about the charging port or cable, it's from people who don't know how to use them properly. Or what not to do with a cable, or how to pack it for travelling.

Never heard about this, and my 1 cable 3 of use use since 2021 with 3vdevices every couple days is plugged in the USB side 99% of the time, I only unplug it when I travel (and I do unplug it then do it doesn't break near the USB port side!)