Aren't there high quality cables available? Eg from companies like Apple or Anker?

I struggle to understand why an Apple lightning cable would be more robust than an Apple thunderbolt cable...

Well at least the metal part of any type-C plug will inherently be more fragile due to the hollow design and manufacturing by stamping out of sheet metal. Whereas for Lightning, it’s a solid machined part.

But as soon as you get to the chip housing and the rest of the cable, it’s anyone’s game I suppose.