I haven't paid for all that many lightning cables period, since they tended to be included with most devices that needed them, and aside from some strain reliefs that I've added myself in the form of heat shrink, they've been largely reliable too.

The issue I have with Lightning is that over time they tend to develop side to side wobble, to the point the connection becomes unreliable.

This was usually due to lint clogging up the port on the device. You could easily remove it with a toothpick and then everything was back in working order. Took just a few seconds at most.

Sadly such remedy is not possible with USB-C due to the thin piece inside. :(

Try a paperclip or bobby-pin. Had to do that recently due to my cable not charging my phone reliably.

Nope, it’s not that. I’ve seen this behavior with a worn cable and a brand new device.