It’s spectacular what tablets and ultraportable laptops can do. However to get essentially the most performance out of them, you might have considered trying just a few extra ports at your disposal, which is the place a USB-C hub comes into play. By connecting to only one port, these helpful units provide you with further USB connections, HDMI slots, SD card readers and Ethernet jacks. Plus most provide pass-through charging so you’ll be able to hold your pill powered whilst you work with all of your peripherals connected. We examined greater than a dozen fashions to provide you with just a few nice picks for various conditions and customers. Listed here are the very best USB-C hubs based mostly on our testing.
Desk of contents
Greatest USB-C hubs for 2025
Complete downstream ports: 8 | Cable size: 10” | Energy supply: 100W in, 90W to host | USB-C: 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x 3.1 | USB-A: 2 x 5Gbps, 1 x 10Gbps| Monitor: HDMI 2.0 | SD Card: microSD and customary SD | Different ports: Ethernet
The “109” in UGreen’s Revodok Pro 109 USB-C hub probably stands for the nine-in-one declare in its advertising supplies, however since a type of ports is energy solely, the variety of downstream connectors makes it extra of an eight-in-one. However it’s a great-performing hub nonetheless. It has all of the hookups that is likely to be lacking from a contemporary laptop computer, together with SD slots, USB-A ports, an Ethernet connection and a 4K HDMI hookup.
The 4K decision and 60Hz refresh fee regarded nice on my take a look at monitor and the info switch charges have been forward of different hubs in its value vary. The velocity take a look at on an Ethernet cable was on par with that of a dearer USB-C dock, and I appreciated the design of the microSD slot. Most readers have you ever insert the cardboard all the best way in, counting on a spring mechanism to push it again out whenever you’re executed. Right here, the tip stands out simply sufficient that you may merely pull the cardboard out. These spring-loaded ejectors by no means work on the primary attempt for me, so it is a extra elegant resolution.
There’s only one usable downstream USB-C port; the opposite is simply able to delivering energy to your system. I want there was simply one extra USB-C so it might deal with each, say, a USB-C keyboard and webcam. However the three USB-A ports, with one supporting as much as 10Gbps charges, largely make up for that oversight. Total, the hub performs nicely and affords a well-rounded collection of connectors. Should you’d favor a DisplayPort connection and do not want the info card slots, try UGreen’s 8-in-1 Revodok hub.
It was truthfully a troublesome name between this and the Anker 555 8-in-1 for the highest suggestion. They’ve a fairly related port array and the Anker USB-C hub is $15 cheaper. However the UGreen hub has a extra premium construct and a twine that is about two inches longer, plus there’s one further USB-A port that would actually turn out to be useful.
- Good array of ports
- HDMI 2.0 helps 4K displays at 60Hz
- Beneficiant 10-inch cable
- Three USB-A ports
- Only one downstream USB-C port
Picture by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Complete downstream ports: 4 | Cable size: 10” | Energy supply: 100W in, 85W to host | USB-C: 1 x USB 10Gbps, 1 x energy supply solely | USB-A: 1 x 10Gbps, 1 x 480Mbps | Monitor: HDMI 2.0 | SD Card: No | Different ports: No
This was my first expertise with a Wavlink product, as I used to be beforehand solely accustomed to them as a Wi-Fi router and extender model. My preliminary impression of the Wavlink USB-C 4K@60Hz was disappointment at its generic title, however the performance-to-price ratio is so spectacular, it will get a cross for the shortage of branding pizazz.
It’s slimmer than most hubs at about an inch-and-a-half vast, but the cable itself is a pair inches longer than the norm. The unit and the cables simply tuck behind a laptop computer, significantly because the ports run alongside only one edge, with the HDMI connection on the finish.
The cable can also be braided, making it really feel extra premium than its $30 price ticket would counsel — which is the overall theme right here. The HDMI 2.0 port can deal with a 4K exterior monitor at 60Hz, which needs to be lots zippy sufficient for a mean workday, and I discovered the decision and lack of lag to be simply as marketed.
One of many two USB-A ports helps speedy 10Gbps transfers and the only USB-C jack is able to the identical fee. The webcam carried out nicely, even with a USB-A streaming mild at full brightness (one thing different hubs had hassle 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 possibly can have, for instance, a USB-C webcam or a USB-C keyboard plugged in, not each. However in case you want one thing with good monitor output, a few high-quality USB ports and a compact design, it is a good choose.
I additionally advocate Plugable’s equally cleverly named USB-C 4-in-1 hub. It’s a greenback cheaper than the Wavlink possibility with an analogous array of ports that each one carried out nicely in my assessments. Finally, its shorter tethered cable and single USB-C port that both delivers energy or runs a peripheral led me to favor Wavlink’s mannequin. However in case you don’t have to cost your system by way of the port, you get a great hub for the cash with Plugable’s system.
- Slim and compact
- Beneficiant 10-inch cable
- Nice value
- Only one downstream USB-C port
Picture by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Complete downstream ports: 5 | Cable size: 20” | Energy supply: 100W in, 80W to host | USB-C: 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 2, 1 x 4K @60Hz video solely | USB-A: 0 | Monitor: USB-C | SD Card: No | Different ports: No
One concern with most USB-C hubs is an ironic lack of accessible downstream USB-C ports. Many high out at two, and a type of typically delivers energy solely and might’t run peripherals. Throughout three keyboard guides, our suggestions overwhelmingly require USB-C connectivity, all however one in all our recommended webcams use USB-C and lots of exterior storage drives depend on that port as nicely. Which means if you would like a hub that connects your keys, digital camera and a drive on the identical time, it’s a must to hunt for one thing appropriate.
The EZQuest Slim Gen 2 hub offers you not only one or two usable Sort-C ports, however 5 of them. It’s additionally one of many 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 be aware that this connector doesn’t assist audio or drive different peripherals. The remaining 4 ports adhere to the USB 3.1 Gen 2 customary, delivering as much as 10Gbps. As with every hub, the extra gadgets you have got plugged in, the decrease the speeds every port will have the ability to ship, in order that max 10-gigabit fee 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 haven’t got a USB-C monitor, I plugged the HDMI cable immediately into my laptop computer). Even totally loaded, the unit stayed comparatively cool. Whereas the included cable is lengthy, the hub itself is tremendous compact and in regards to the dimension of a Skor bar. All of the ports come out of 1 facet, so just like the price range choose above, it’s simple to rearrange all of your connections to look neat in your desk.
- Loads of USB-C ports
- Removable and lengthy 20-inch cable
- No USB-A ports
- No HDMI port (helps USB-C video)
Picture by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Complete downstream ports: 8 | Cable size: 9” | Energy supply: 100W in, 85W to host | USB-C: 2 x USB 10Gbps, 1 x energy supply and 10 Gbps | USB-A: 2 x 5Gbps | Monitor: 1x HDMI 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0 | SD Card: No | Different ports: Ethernet
At $140, the worth of Belkin’s Connect Universal hub is edging into docking-station territory. However it doesn’t require a devoted energy provide and it has a compact construct, so it’s nonetheless decidedly a hub. That value bump does get you just a few options that almost all hubs don’t have, specifically the choice of three USB-C ports (one port can be utilized for both energy supply or accent assist) and twin prolonged shows with an Apple MacBook (after you obtain the SiliconMotion driver).
Quite a few the hubs I examined had twin HDMI ports, however the second exterior show was solely able to mirroring the primary monitor and invariably dropped the decision of each supplemental screens. SiliconMotion’s InstantView software program will get round that by basically “sharing” a view of a tertiary display with the second monitor. That second monitor has a most refresh fee of 30Hz for 4K resolutions, however the first exterior show retains its 4K@60Hz visuals. I haven’t examined each possibility on the market, however from what I’ve seen, that’s fairly good for a USB-C hub — something extra and also you’re probably taking a look at a docking station.
The Join Common 8-in-1 is on the bigger finish of the spectrum for this class, measuring about the identical as an iPhone however about twice as thick. The multitude of plugs meant I might run a webcam, keyboard, mouse, Litra mild, two displays and join an Ethernet cable. There was nonetheless one USB-C port left over for an exterior drive or energy (although I simply used my MacBook’s MagSafe port). And since they’re all on one facet, the association on a desk appears to be like tidy, avoiding the spidery look of a hub with ports on all sides.
Shunting all of this connectivity does make the unit get fairly sizzling: it appeared to get hotter than the entire different items I attempted. Whereas I by no means observed any ailing results because of this, I solely used it over the course of a pair days and ponder whether there’d be any heat-related points with prolonged use.
- Plenty of ports
- Good number of ports
- Driver permits for 2 prolonged exterior shows
- Costly
- Will get very popular throughout use
What to search for in a USB-C hub
Hub vs docking station
The very first thing to determine is whether or not you want a USB-C hub or a USB-C docking station. There’s no set customary for what differentiates the 2, however docking stations are inclined to have extra ports, provide a separate DC energy adapter and value extra, with some reaching upwards of $400. We now have a separate information to the best docking stations to take a look at in case you’re searching for one thing larger than what we’re discussing right here. USB-C hubs, in distinction, have between 4 and 10 ports, can assist pass-through charging and sometimes value between $30 and $150.
Hubs, generally additionally known as dongles and even multiport adapters, make extra sense for smaller setups with just some peripherals, resembling a monitor, a wired keyboard and mouse, and the occasional exterior drive. They’re additionally extra moveable, since they’re small and require no devoted energy. That may very well be helpful in case you change work areas however wish to carry your equipment with you, or if you wish to exchange your laptop computer with a more powerful tablet. A docking station or Thunderbolt dock makes extra sense for somebody who wants a sturdy setup for his or her laptop computer, together with a number of exterior displays, webcams, stream decks, microphones and so forth.
Each docks and hubs make it simple to seize your laptop computer off your desk for a gathering or different transient relocation and whenever you get again, you solely have to plug in a single cable to get all of your equipment reconnected. After all, in case you simply have to plug in a single peripheral, you might 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 work, it wants to connect with a port in your laptop computer or pill that helps video, information and energy — all of which is roofed by something listed as USB 3.0 or higher, together with USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4. The port, after all, must be Sort-C as nicely. The ocean of laptops out there may be huge, so it’s exhausting to make generalizations, however trendy laptops, together with Home windows and Apple fashions, ought to have no less than one USB-C port that may suffice, and certainly, each one in all our high picks for the best laptops do — together with our high choose, the M4 MacBook Air.
Subsequent, it’s a matter of discovering a great USB-C hub that has the best connections to your wants. Most hubs provide some combo of HDMI, USB, SD card reader, Ethernet and three.5 mm ports. You probably have a 4K monitor and would really like no less than a 60Hz refresh fee, you’ll want a hub with an HDMI 2.0 port — HDMI 1.4 solely goes as much as 30Hz. HDMI 2.1 will deal with 4K at as much as 120Hz, however hubs which have adopted that customary aren’t as frequent simply but. Remember that a low refresh fee could cause your display to really feel laggy, making your mouse seem glitchy and your webcam actions to look delayed.
Extra USB ports on these equipment are often USB Sort-A or USB Sort-C. They will assist information with completely different switch charges, sometimes 5Gbps or 10Gbps. Some ports solely deal with passthrough energy and no information, and a few can do information, energy and video, so it’s greatest to examine the spec checklist to ensure you’re getting the assist you want. Remember that a hub might invoice itself as a 7-in-1, however a type of ports is probably not usable for something aside from charging.
Commonplace SD and microSD playing cards are helpful for transferring information from cameras and the like or for offloading recordsdata out of your exhausting drive, and lots of hubs have these slots. Ethernet ports might ship quicker web speeds than your Wi-Fi and a hub with a 3.5mm jack can carry again the wired headphone connection that some laptops have ditched.
Energy supply
Almost the entire USB-C hubs I examined assist passthrough charging. Which means in case your laptop computer or pill solely fees through USB, you don’t need to take up one other port in your laptop computer to maintain every little thing topped up. In contrast to a docking station, powering a hub is optionally available. The one exception is if you wish to shut the lid in your laptop computer whilst you work on an exterior monitor. Most computer systems will go into sleep mode if the lid is closed with out energy, so both the laptop computer or the hub will have to be plugged into the wall to forestall that from occurring.
Lots of the newer hubs embrace a 100W USB-C energy supply (PD) port, with a wholesome 80 to 85 watts going to 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 hotter than when it wasn’t passing the cost by way of, so I favor to energy the pc immediately utilizing its personal charger. However for tablets or different units with no further ports, that PD possibility is necessary.
Some PD ports are additionally information ports — which is each good and unhealthy. On one hand, it feels wasteful to make use of a superbly good information port only for boring previous electrical energy. However then again, USB-C connections that solely carry a cost are much less versatile, and it makes it seem to be it has extra accent hookups than it really does.
Design
There’s surprisingly little design variation amongst hubs. Most appear to be a flat slab, just a little smaller than a smartphone, and have an connected 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 say that aesthetics in all probability gained’t make or break your shopping for choice.
One variation that would tip the scales is the size of the cable. An extended one provides you with extra freedom as you organize the hub in your desk, probably even letting you cover it behind your laptop computer. Or you might favor a shorter one to maintain the hub neatly set beside your laptop computer.
How we take a look at USB-C hubs
Earlier than we take a look at something, we check out what’s accessible and the way they’ve been acquired by customers, forum-goers and different publications. I turned accustomed to just a few respected manufacturers after I was testing docking stations, so I regarded into hubs from these firms as nicely. I targeted on gadgets that may assist with a mean day of productiveness — not high-end setups or demanding gaming conditions. As soon as I settled on a dozen or so that may make good candidates, I had them shipped to my humble workplace within the desert and began testing them out over the course of some weeks.
I used an M1 MacBook Professional working MacOS Sonoma because the host laptop and plugged in equipment that embrace a 4K Dell monitor, 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 3.0 Sandisk thumb drive, a USB-C Samsung T7 Protect exterior drive and a pair of wired headphones I acquired without spending a dime on an airplane (I ought to in all probability put money into some wired headphones, however the twine 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 sure that any information or connectivity points weren’t associated to my tools.
Then I put every USB-C hub by way of a gamut of primary assessments. I checked out what may very well be plugged in without delay, the decision on the monitor, information switch speeds, the general construct high quality of the hub and common usability components, like the position of the ports and the size of the cords. And, lastly, the price-to-value ratio helped decide the very best ones for just a few completely different use instances.
Different hubs we examined
HyperDrive Subsequent 10 Port USB-C Hub
There’s loads to love about HyperDrive’s Next 10 Port USB-C Hub. The tethered cable is a lavish 13 inches lengthy, the HDMI 2.0 port outputs clear and crisp 4K visuals at 60Hz and the high-speed information transfers are nice. 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 dealt with a streaming mild. Having it on at full brightness made the webcam flicker each time. The difficulty went away at 75 % brightness, however the identical drawback didn’t occur on every other hub I examined.
Anker 341 USB-C Hub (7-in-1)
There’s nothing flawed with the Anker 341 USB-C hub. In actual fact it’s a present suggestion in our iPad accessories guide and it comes at an excellent $35 value. It offers you two USB-A ports in addition to SD slots. However at this level, a 1.4 HDMI connection, which solely helps 4K decision at 30Hz feels just a little retro. There’s additionally only a single USB-C downstream port and the info switch assessments proved to be a contact slower than the opposite hubs. However in case you’ve acquired a decrease decision monitor and don’t want multiple USB-C, you gained’t be disenchanted with it.
Anker 555 8-in-1
It was a troublesome name between the UGreen Revodoc Professional 109 and the Anker 555 8-in-1 for our high suggestion. Each have an analogous port array with an HDMI, Ethernet, two USB Sort A, a PD USB-C and a USB-C 3.2 on the 555. And the Anker USB-C hub is $15 cheaper. We went with the UGreen hub for its extra premium construct, further USB-A port and longer twine that provides you two further inches to work with. However if you wish to save a couple of dollars this hub is a worthwhile choose.
Startech 4-Port USB-C Hub (information solely)
I solely turned conscious of Startech after I began researching for this information. The standard is respectable and the yellow accents are a welcome little bit of coloration within the in any other case very grey world of hubs. The efficiency is stable, with no hiccups that I encountered. The model’s 4-Port USB-C Hub has a protracted twine that wraps across the hub itself, which is exclusive. It doesn’t hassle with energy supply, which isn’t a difficulty in case you can energy your laptop immediately. However the 4 USB ports (three Sort-A and one Sort-C) max out at 5Gbps and there’s no HDMI connector. It goes for $46, and sadly for it, there are cheaper methods to get just a few extra USB ports to your setup.
Latest updates
August 2025: Up to date to make sure our high picks are nonetheless present and correct.
April 2025: Added our expertise with the Anker 555 8-in-1 hub to the Different hubs we examined part.
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