I trust the wirecutter on question like this, and ever since they recommended Anker, I've gone with those. Since I started using those, no more frayed ends, and quick failing cables. nytimes.com/wirecutter/revi...
Same here! We bought a bunch of those awesome Anker cables and never looked back. The braided nylon makes a big difference. Like everything in my crazy house, they break down over time but the Anker cables seem to last for ages. Is it weird to say I love the red color?
Home Depot sells cord protector things- I don’t recall the name. Basically, you put this little tube over the place where the cord next to the plug part or phrase and then you heat shrink (hairdryer) it to the cord. It basically fortifies that connecting place between the plug and the cord where the fraying happens. You can buy a whole kit for relatively low cost.