Contents

Desk of contents Best possible USB-C hubs for 2025 What to search for in a USB-C hub Hub vs docking station Ports Energy supply Design How we take a look at USB-C hubs Different hubs we examined HyperDrive Subsequent 10 Port USB-C Hub Anker 341 USB-C Hub (7-in-1)Anker 555 8-in-1 Startech 4-Port USB-C Hub (information most effective)Fresh updates

It’s spectacular what capsules and ultraportable laptops can do. However to get essentially the most capability out of them, you might have considered trying a couple of extra ports at your disposal, which is the place a USB-C hub comes into play. By way of connecting to only one port, those to hand units provide you with further USB connections, HDMI slots, SD card readers and Ethernet jacks. Plus maximum be offering pass-through charging so you’ll be able to stay your pill powered whilst you paintings with your whole peripherals attached. We examined greater than a dozen fashions to get a hold of a couple of large choices for various eventualities and customers. Listed below are the most productive USB-C hubs in keeping with our trying out.

Desk of contents

Best possible USB-C hubs for 2025

Picture by means of Amy Skorheim / Engadget

The “109” in UGreen’s Revodok Professional 109 USB-C hub most probably stands for the nine-in-one declare in its advertising and marketing fabrics, however since a type of ports is energy most effective, the choice of downstream connectors makes it extra of an eight-in-one. Nevertheless it’s a great-performing hub however. It has all of the hookups that may well be lacking from a contemporary pc, together with SD slots, USB-A ports, an Ethernet connection and a 4K HDMI hookup.

The 4K solution and 60Hz refresh charge regarded large on my take a look at observe and the knowledge switch charges have been forward of different hubs in its payment vary. The velocity take a look at on an Ethernet cable was once on par with that of a dearer USB-C dock, and I preferred the design of the microSD slot. Maximum readers have you ever insert the cardboard all of the approach in, depending on a spring mechanism to push it again out while you’re executed. Right here, the tip stands proud simply sufficient that you’ll be able to merely pull the cardboard out. The ones spring-loaded ejectors by no means paintings at the first check out for me, so it is a extra sublime resolution.

There’s only one usable downstream USB-C port; the opposite is most effective able to turning in energy for your instrument. I want there was once simply one extra USB-C so it would care for each, say, a USB-C keyboard and webcam. However the 3 USB-A ports, with one supporting as much as 10Gbps charges, most commonly make up for that oversight. General, the hub plays effectively and provides a well-rounded number of connectors. When you’d want a DisplayPort connection and are not looking for the knowledge card slots, take a look at UGreen’s 8-in-1 Revodok hub.

It was once in truth a tricky name between this and the Anker 555 8-in-1 for the highest advice. They’ve a sexy equivalent port array and the Anker USB-C hub is $15 less expensive. However the UGreen hub has a extra top class construct and a wire that is about two inches longer, plus there’s one further USB-A port that might indisputably turn out to be useful.

Execs

Just right array of ports
HDMI 2.0 helps 4K displays at 60Hz
Beneficiant 10-inch cable
3 USB-A ports

Cons

Only one downstream USB-C port

$38 at Amazon

Picture by means of Amy Skorheim / Engadget

This was once my first revel in with a Wavlink product, as I used to be in the past most effective conversant in them as a Wi-Fi router and extender logo. My preliminary influence of the Wavlink USB-C 4K@60Hz was once unhappiness at its generic identify, however the performance-to-price ratio is so spectacular, it will get a move for the loss of branding pizazz.

It’s slimmer than maximum hubs at about an inch-and-a-half large, but the cable itself is a pair inches longer than the norm. The unit and the cables simply tuck at the back of a pc, in particular for the reason that ports run alongside only one edge, with the HDMI connection on the finish.

The cable may be braided, making it really feel extra top class than its $30 price ticket would counsel — which is the overall theme right here. The HDMI 2.0 port can care for a 4K exterior observe at 60Hz, which will have to be lots zippy sufficient for a mean workday, and I discovered the solution and loss of lag to be simply as marketed.

Probably the most two USB-A ports helps fast 10Gbps transfers and the only USB-C jack is able to the similar charge. The webcam carried out effectively, even with a USB-A streaming mild at complete brightness (one thing different hubs had bother with), and I discovered information switch speeds to exterior drives to be on par with and even quicker than dearer hubs.

After all, having only one downstream USB-C connection places a restrict in your setup: You’ll have, for instance, a USB-C webcam or a USB-C keyboard plugged in, now not each. But when you wish to have one thing with excellent observe output, a few top quality USB ports and a compact design, it is a excellent pick out.

I additionally suggest Plugable’s in a similar fashion cleverly named USB-C 4-in-1 hub. It’s a greenback less expensive than the Wavlink choice with a equivalent array of ports that each one carried out effectively in my assessments. In the long run, its shorter tethered cable and unmarried USB-C port that both delivers energy or runs a peripheral led me to want Wavlink’s style. However should you don’t want to price your instrument in the course of the port, you get a excellent hub for the cash with Plugable’s instrument.

Execs

Slender and compact
Beneficiant 10-inch cable
Nice payment

Cons

Only one downstream USB-C port

$20 at Wavlink

Picture by means of Amy Skorheim / Engadget

One factor with maximum USB-C hubs is an ironic loss of to be had downstream USB-C ports. Many most sensible out at two, and a type of regularly delivers energy most effective and will’t run peripherals. Throughout 3 keyboard guides, our suggestions overwhelmingly require USB-C connectivity, all however one among our beneficial webcams use USB-C and plenty of exterior garage drives depend on that port as effectively. That suggests if you need a hub that connects your keys, digital camera and a pressure on the identical time, it’s important to hunt for one thing appropriate.

The EZQuest Slender Gen 2 hub will give you now not only one or two usable Sort-C ports, however 5 of them. It’s additionally probably the most few hubs that has a removable cable (and the provided one is a beneficiant 20 inches lengthy). One port is for video output with a claimed 4K output at 60Hz — simply word that this connector doesn’t strengthen audio or pressure different peripherals. The rest 4 ports adhere to the USB 3.1 Gen 2 same old, turning in as much as 10Gbps. As with all hub, the extra pieces you’ve got plugged in, the decrease the speeds each and every port will be capable to ship, in order that max 10-gigabit charge is for one port at a time.

The connections have been lots for my setup, dealing with a keyboard, mouse, webcam and streaming mild all on the identical time. (Since I wouldn’t have a USB-C observe, I plugged the HDMI cable immediately into my pc). Even totally loaded, the unit stayed slightly cool. Whilst the incorporated cable is lengthy, the hub itself is tremendous compact and concerning the dimension of a Skor bar. The entire ports pop out of 1 aspect, so just like the finances pick out above, it’s simple to prepare your whole connections to appear neat in your table.

Execs

Quite a lot of USB-C ports
Removable and lengthy 20-inch cable

Cons

No USB-A ports
No HDMI port (helps USB-C video)

$80 at Amazon

Picture by means of Amy Skorheim / Engadget

At $140, the cost of Belkin’s Attach Common hub is edging into docking-station territory. Nevertheless it doesn’t require a devoted energy provide and it has a compact construct, so it’s nonetheless decidedly a hub. That payment bump does get you a couple of options that the majority hubs don’t have, particularly the choice of 3 USB-C ports (one port can be utilized for both energy supply or accent strengthen) and twin prolonged presentations with an Apple MacBook (after you obtain the SiliconMotion driving force).

Quite a lot of the hubs I examined had twin HDMI ports, however the second one exterior show was once most effective able to mirroring the primary observe and invariably dropped the solution of each supplemental monitors. SiliconMotion’s InstantView device will get round that by means of necessarily “sharing” a view of a tertiary display with the second one observe. That 2nd observe has a most refresh charge of 30Hz for 4K resolutions, however the first exterior show helps to keep its 4K@60Hz visuals. I haven’t examined each and every choice in the market, however from what I’ve observed, that’s beautiful excellent for a USB-C hub — anything else extra and also you’re most probably taking a look at a docking station.

The Attach Common 8-in-1 is at the better finish of the spectrum for this class, measuring about the similar as an iPhone however about two times as thick. The multitude of plugs supposed I may just run a webcam, keyboard, mouse, Litra mild, two displays and fasten an Ethernet cable. There was once nonetheless one USB-C port left over for an exterior pressure or energy (regardless that I simply used my MacBook’s MagSafe port). And because they’re all on one aspect, the association on a table seems to be tidy, warding off the spidery look of a hub with ports on both sides.

Shunting all of this connectivity does make the unit get beautiful sizzling: it perceived to get warmer than the entire different gadgets I attempted. Whilst I by no means spotted any sick results in consequence, I most effective used it over the process a pair days and ponder whether there’d be any heat-related problems with prolonged use.

Execs

A whole lot of ports
Just right number of ports
Motive force permits for 2 prolonged exterior presentations

Cons

Pricey
Will get extremely popular right through use

$140 at Belkin

What to search for in a USB-C hub

Hub vs docking station

The very first thing to make a decision is whether or not you wish to have a USB-C hub or a USB-C docking station. There’s no set same old for what differentiates the 2, however docking stations have a tendency to have extra ports, be offering a separate DC energy adapter and price extra, with some achieving upwards of $400. We now have a separate information to the very best docking stations to try should you’re searching for one thing larger than what we’re discussing right here. USB-C hubs, by contrast, have between 4 and 10 ports, can strengthen pass-through charging and in most cases price between $30 and $150.

Hubs, every so often often known as dongles and even multiport adapters, make extra sense for smaller setups with only a few peripherals, reminiscent of a observe, a stressed keyboard and mouse, and the occasional exterior pressure. They’re additionally extra moveable, since they’re small and require no devoted energy. Which may be helpful should you alternate paintings places however wish to deliver your equipment with you, or if you wish to change your pc with a extra robust pill. A docking station or Thunderbolt dock makes extra sense for any person who wishes a strong setup for his or her pc, together with a couple of exterior displays, webcams, circulate decks, microphones and so forth.

Each docks and hubs make it simple to seize your pc off your table for a gathering or different temporary relocation and while you get again, you most effective want to plug in a single cable to get your whole equipment reconnected. After all, should you simply want to plug in a single peripheral, you would possibly not want a hub or a dock, a easy USB-C adapter, like HDMI to USB-C or USB-A to USB-C, might do the trick.

Ports

For a USB-C hub to paintings, it wishes to hook up with a port in your pc or pill that helps video, information and gear — all of which is roofed by means of anything else indexed as USB 3.0 or higher, together with USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4. The port, after all, must be Sort-C as effectively. The ocean of laptops in the market is huge, so it’s arduous to make generalizations, however fashionable laptops, together with Home windows and Apple fashions, will have to have no less than one USB-C port that may suffice, and certainly, each and every one among our most sensible choices for the very best laptops do — together with our most sensible pick out, the M4 MacBook Air.

Subsequent, it’s a question of discovering a excellent USB-C hub that has the fitting connections to your wishes. Maximum hubs be offering some combo of HDMI, USB, SD card reader, Ethernet and three.5 mm ports. When you’ve got a 4K observe and would love no less than a 60Hz refresh charge, you’ll want a hub with an HDMI 2.0 port — HDMI 1.4 most effective is going as much as 30Hz. HDMI 2.1 will care for 4K at as much as 120Hz, however hubs that experience followed that normal aren’t as not unusual simply but. Take into account that a low refresh charge could cause your display to really feel laggy, making your mouse seem glitchy and your webcam actions to appear behind schedule.

Further USB ports on those equipment are normally USB Sort-A or USB Sort-C. They may be able to strengthen information with other switch charges, in most cases 5Gbps or 10Gbps. Some ports most effective care for passthrough energy and no information, and a few can do information, energy and video, so it’s very best to test the spec checklist to be sure you’re getting the strengthen you wish to have. Take into account that a hub might invoice itself as a 7-in-1, however a type of ports might not be usable for anything else rather than charging.

Usual SD and microSD playing cards are helpful for moving information from cameras and the like or for offloading recordsdata out of your arduous pressure, and plenty of hubs have the ones slots. Ethernet ports might ship quicker web speeds than your Wi-Fi and a hub with a three.5mm jack can deliver again the stressed headphone connection that some laptops have ditched.

Energy supply

Just about the entire USB-C hubs I examined strengthen passthrough charging. That suggests in case your pc or pill most effective fees by way of USB, you don’t need to take in any other port in your pc to stay the entirety crowned up. Not like a docking station, powering a hub is not obligatory. The only exception is if you wish to shut the lid in your pc whilst you paintings on an exterior observe. Maximum computer systems will pass into sleep mode if the lid is closed with out energy, so both the pc or the hub will want to be plugged into the wall to stop that from taking place.

Most of the more moderen hubs come with a 100W USB-C energy supply (PD) port, with a wholesome 80 to 85 watts going for your Mac, PC, iPad or Android pill (the hubs take just a little of the juice for themselves, therefore the 15-watt or so distinction). In my assessments, a powered USB hub ran warmer than when it wasn’t passing the price by way of, so I like to energy the pc immediately the use of its personal charger. However for capsules or different units and not using a further ports, that PD choice is essential.

Some PD ports also are information ports — which is each excellent and unhealthy. On one hand, it feels wasteful to make use of a superbly excellent information port only for uninteresting previous electrical energy. However then again, USB-C connections that most effective lift a price are much less flexible, and it makes it appear love it has extra accent hookups than it in reality does.

Design

There’s strangely little design variation amongst hubs. Maximum seem like a flat slab, just a little smaller than a smartphone, and feature an hooked up Sort-C host cable. The hues vary from a silvery black to a silvery grey. Some are thinner than others, some have all ports on one edge and a few have ports on each side. All of that is simply to mention that aesthetics most probably gained’t make or damage your purchasing choice.

One variation that might tip the scales is the period of the cable. An extended one provides you with extra freedom as you prepare the hub in your table, probably even letting you conceal it at the back of your pc. Or you could want a shorter one to stay the hub smartly set beside your pc.

How we take a look at USB-C hubs

Sooner than we take a look at anything else, we check out what’s to be had and the way they’ve been won by means of customers, forum-goers and different publications. I become conversant in a couple of respected manufacturers when I used to be trying out docking stations, so I regarded into hubs from the ones corporations as effectively. I all in favour of pieces that will lend a hand with a mean day of productiveness — now not high-end setups or difficult gaming eventualities. After I settled on a dozen or in order that would make excellent applicants, I had them shipped to my humble administrative center within the wilderness and began trying out them out over the process a couple of weeks.

I used an M1 MacBook Professional working MacOS Sonoma because the host laptop and plugged in equipment that come with a 4K Dell observe, a ZSA USB-C ergo keyboard, a Logitech USB-A gaming mouse, an Elgato USB-C 4K webcam, a Logitech streaming mild, a USB-A three.0 Sandisk thumb pressure, a USB-C Samsung T7 Defend exterior pressure and a couple of stressed headphones I were given free of charge on an plane (I will have to most probably spend money on some stressed headphones, however the wire dangling on my chest drives me nutty so all my earbuds are wi-fi). I used high-end HDMI and USB-C cables to make certain that any information or connectivity problems weren’t associated with my apparatus.

Then I put each and every USB-C hub by way of a gamut of elementary assessments. I checked out what might be plugged in directly, the solution at the observe, information switch speeds, the entire construct high quality of the hub and basic usability elements, like the position of the ports and the period of the cords. And, in spite of everything, the price-to-value ratio helped decide the most productive ones for a couple of other use instances.

Different hubs we examined

HyperDrive Subsequent 10 Port USB-C Hub

There’s so much to love about HyperDrive’s Subsequent 10 Port USB-C Hub. The tethered cable is a lavish 13 inches lengthy, the HDMI 2.0 port outputs transparent and crisp 4K visuals at 60Hz and the high-speed information transfers are large. It has the coveted two USB-C information ports plus a PD port, and there’s even a headphone jack. The one factor that holds again a full-throated endorsement is the best way our unit treated a streaming mild. Having it on at complete brightness made the webcam flicker each and every time. The problem went away at 75 p.c brightness, however the similar downside didn’t occur on every other hub I examined.

Anker 341 USB-C Hub (7-in-1)

There’s not anything flawed with the Anker 341 USB-C hub. In reality it’s a present advice in our iPad equipment information and it comes at an excellent $35 payment. It will give you two USB-A ports in addition to SD slots. However at this level, a 1.4 HDMI connection, which most effective helps 4K solution at 30Hz feels just a little unfashionable. There’s additionally only a unmarried USB-C downstream port and the knowledge switch assessments proved to be a marginally slower than the opposite hubs. However should you’ve were given a decrease solution observe and don’t want multiple USB-C, you gained’t be disillusioned with it.

Anker 555 8-in-1

It was once a tricky name between the UGreen Revodoc Professional 109 and the Anker 555 8-in-1 for our most sensible advice. Each have a equivalent port array with an HDMI, Ethernet, two USB Sort A, a PD USB-C and a USB-C 3.2 at the 555. And the Anker USB-C hub is $15 less expensive. We went with the UGreen hub for its extra top class construct, further USB-A port and longer wire that will give you two further inches to paintings with. However if you wish to save a couple of dollars this hub is a profitable pick out.

Startech 4-Port USB-C Hub (information most effective)

I most effective become acutely aware of Startech once I began researching for this information. The standard is first rate and the yellow accents are a welcome little bit of colour within the in a different way very grey international of hubs. The functionality is forged, and not using a hiccups that I encountered. The logo’s 4-Port USB-C Hub has a protracted wire that wraps across the hub itself, which is exclusive. It doesn’t hassle with energy supply, which isn’t a subject matter if you’ll be able to energy your laptop immediately. However the 4 USB ports (3 Sort-A and one Sort-C) max out at 5Gbps and there’s no HDMI connector. It is going for $46, and sadly for it, there are less expensive tactics to get a couple of extra USB ports to your setup.

Fresh updates

August 2025: Up to date to make sure our most sensible choices are nonetheless present and correct.

April 2025: Added our revel in with the Anker 555 8-in-1 hub to the Different hubs we examined segment.

The most productive USB-C hub for 2025 by means of NewsFlicks

Desk of contents

Best possible USB-C hubs for 2025