StarTech.com 3m Blue CAT8 Ethernet Cable, Snagless RJ45, 25G/40G, 2000MHz, 100W PoE++, S/FTP, 26AWG Pure Bare Copper Wire, LSZH, Shielded Network Patch Cord w/Strain Reliefs, Individually Tested

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

For £20.87 ex-VAT, this is a sensible buy if you actually need a short, shielded, heavy-duty Cat8 patch lead—especially in offices with lots of cabling density or where you’ve had noise/interference issues. The key advantage isn’t “Cat8 hype”; it’s the fact it’s shielded and built with solid conductors and proper strain relief, so it tends to behave well in the real world (moves less, holds up better at patch panels, and is less likely to be the weak link when you’re running faster gear or PoE setups). StarTech is also usually pretty good for consistency, and “individually tested” is exactly the kind of boring assurance that saves time during installs.

That said, I wouldn’t buy it if you’re doing standard office Ethernet and you’re not chasing high throughput or PoE++ in a way that demands a premium cable. In many typical deployments, spending this much on “just a patch lead” is overkill—you’d generally get similar practical results with a reputable Cat6/6A depending on your link length and switching. Also note the product type category you mentioned looks mismatched (HDMI cables/adapters), so I’d double-check the exact line item you’re looking at to make sure you’re truly getting Cat8 Ethernet. If you confirm it’s the right cable and you’re fitting it into a properly designed network run, this is a good, no-nonsense choice; if not, you’ll likely be paying for capability you won’t use.