The very best USB-C hubs for the laptop or tablet

Can a USB-C hub feel elegant? That one does. Ankers 7-in-1 USB-C hub feels surprisingly weighty (3.5 ounces), with reduced metallic (aluminum and polycarbonate) sheen. Its also a little more expensive than its rivals. Ankers hub was on the list of coolest weve tested under load, at about 87 degrees.

Overall, Ankers hub is smartly designed, with adequate spacing between your two 5Gbps USB-A ports. Theres also a 5Gbps USB-C connection for data, and also a second USB-C port for power input at around 85W rated. (The charger allows around 100W in, but supplies 85W.) An HDMI port permits 4K/30Hz video or 1080p/60Hz video to an individual external display, standard for the category. Ethernet is excluded, however, so youll have to use Wi-Fi instead. Cord length is approximately 8.5 inches, above the typical 6-inch length.

Ankers hub was on the list of fastest we tested to provide data under load, including simultaneous data transfer between USB-A ports as the SD ports were active. The hub provides an 18-month warranty, also it even ships with a carrying pouch.

We recommend not purchasing the more costly $79.99 Anker 8-in-1 Hub on Amazon unless youre happy connecting to two 1080p (rather than 4K) displayswhich is perfectly fine. Otherwise, both HDMI ports is only going to support two 4K displays at an eye-wearying 30Hz, not 60Hz.

Yeolibo might not be a name you recognize, but this USB-C hub is impressively detailed, with a little but extremely informative manual, clearly labeled ports, and well-rounded functionality.

This hub offers three USB 3.0 (5Gb/s) Type A ports, one USB 2.0 Type A port, a USB-C (5Gb/s) port, a USB-C PD charging port rated at 100W of input power, and an HDMI port. Additionally, there are microSD and SD slots with the capacity of SDXC cards around 2TB and SDR25 (25MB/s) data rates. Theres no ethernet connection. The USB-C cable measures a cushty six inches, although connector by the end was just a little stiff and took some fiddling to insert.

We didnt have a 100W USB-C charger readily available to check, however the hub accepted 62.5W from our 65W USB-C charger. It stayed cool throughout. The hub played back protected content via its HDMI port, needlessly to say, but dropped more frames than we wished for when playing back 4K content over YouTube. (Only 4K30 resolutions are supported, but thats not unusual.)

The QGeeM 7-in-1 Hub I received tried to get me off having an in-box promotion that promised a $10 Amazon card easily left a confident review. But I didnt have to be bought off to understand this compact, lightweight little hub that covers all of the basics, save ethernet.

The three USB 3.0 ports are adequately spaced. An HDMI port by the end of the dock supports an individual 4K display at 30Hz (or 1080p at 60Hz)par for the course with an average USB-C hub. QGeeMs hub includes support for both SD and microSD slots, utilizing the older, prevalent UHS-I Sdcard standard. Both cards share exactly the same controller, permitting them to be utilized one card at the same time. QGeeMs documentation varies on what much power it could provide; Amazons page says it could accept 100W (3A) and offer 85W, although in-box documentation says 60W. The latter is correct. Nevertheless, a USB-C charger linked to the port reported that it had been charging adequately.

Under load the hub warmed to about 94 degrees, a cushty temperature.(Some customers have complained that the hub gets too hot and can turn off, but we didnt see this.)

QGeeM doesnt appear to offer warranty support, and the packaging skimps on niceties just like a carrying bag. But this lightweight hub offers the rest an average user will require, and for an excellent price.

Lentions CB-C35sH feels just a little cheap out from the box, with a rattle that indicates a large part or two were cut in the construction. It worked flawlessly, however. This USB-C hub is slightly wider than most, with an electrical input rated at 60W close to a HDMI 1.2 input (allowing 4K resolution on an external display, at 60Hz) which allows protected content to be played back without problems. (Power input only reached 55W inside our tests.) The complete hub remained cool, despite having a charger attached.

As well as the USB-C input port and HDMI output, you can find four 5Gb/s USB Type A ports, and thats itno microSD slots, ethernet, or audio connections. We’d have liked to start to see the latter being an option for individuals who require it. But connecting a mouse and keyboard, and also transferring data on the ports, worked well within the constraints of the USB-C connection.

Both our current overall top pick, the Anker A83460A2, and the Yeolibo 9-in-1 a are better overall options, with one exception: their HDMI output is at 30Hz, that may fatigue the eyes over long stretches. Lention delivers a far more comfortable 60Hz at exactly the same resolution. And when you have issues, Lention supplies a 12-month warranty with a 24-hour support turnaround.

Lasuneys 10-in-1 hub (two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, two HDMI 1.2 ports (4K@30Hz), DisplayPort gigabit ethernet, microSD/SD, USB-C power input) supplies a lot for the money, including a unique mix of not just one, but two HDMI ports, and also a DisplayPort. Because of ethernet support, the hub can replace a lot of your wired connections. Power input is rated at 100W in, with about 87W open to the laptop.

However the USB-C bus the hub runs along with simply wont support all of the ports used at once, that is a tiny gotcha. While we enjoy the couple of HDMI ports for dual-display configurations, the truth is, youll probably have to limit you to ultimately a set of 1080p displays in order to avoid saturating the bus and slowing the bond.Customers on Amazon have reported they only got someone to work, probably as the bus itself was saturated. Another problem we found is that the Sdcard slot is much too slow. It took doubly long to transfer data in comparison to other hubs we tested. In every fairness, our other disk-to-disk tests took a comparable period of time.

Lasuneys hub is well-crafted, with good port spacing. It doesnt get uncomfortably warm, either.You need to be realistic: We enjoy the flexibleness that the Lasuney hub offers, but dont buy it thinking youll have the ability to use everything simultaneously.

The AmazonBasicsL6LUD001-CS-R provides three USB 3.1 Type A ports plus gigabit ethernet to your laptops existing USB-C port. You can find no HDMI or charging inputs; that is merely an incremental intensify from the AmazonBasicsL6LUD012-CS-R, which forgoes the ethernet capabilities.

This hub is handy for individuals who dont have or dont trust Wi-Fi on the run. The lengthy 14-inch cord adds some flexibility to your desktop layout. The hub performed comparably to others weve tested, and there werent any problems with temperature or power.

At press time, the purchase price was only $3 roughly above the price tag on these AmazonBasics L6LUD012-CS-R, making this a no-brainer in the event that you just want a simple hub. Although hub ships in both monochrome, we noticed Amazon will occasionally discount one or another by way of a few dollars. Honestly, though, the heated competition in the USB-C market implies that the worthiness this hub offers isnt as strong since it was previously.

This is actually the Big Kahuna of USB-C docksand, given what it can, you almost wonder why it wasnt made a Thunderbolt dock instead. At2.9 x 11.02 x 0.5 inches, its a thin, long, slanted wedge that props up your laptop with a grippy rubber strip. Its a genuine dock, with several rear-facing ports optimized for dual displays, with a foot-long USB-C cable on top of that.

Specifically, theres three USB 3.0 (Type A ports), one HDMI 1.4 port for 4K30 video, one DisplayPort 1.2 port, gigabit ethernet, one SD/SDHC port and a microSD slot (both USH-I), VGA, a 3.5mm jack, and a USB-C port for 100W of external charging. A few of the additional ports include some caveats: The VGA connection can be used solo, for instance, and not together with either DisplayPort or HDMI. Remember, all that data passed across the USB-C cable can hinder each other, but IOgear plays it a little conservative; the manual says that two hard disks cant get in touch simultaneously, but thats incorrect.

Be advised that the BC 1.2 port provides around 1.5A of power for quick-charging phones, although port isnt appropriate for the specialized quick-charging schemes of OnePlus or Samsung. (Phones from both manufacturers reported charging when connected, instead of Fast charging.) Thermal issues werent an issue, and performance was surprisingly good, despite having HDMI and ethernet connected. The doc supports Power Delivery 3.0 around 85W, and consumes 15W alone; basically, for those who have a 100W laptop charger feeding capacity to the hub, 85W will undoubtedly be left over for the laptop to utilize.

A cost around $125 roughly is a lot more than youd be prepared to purchase a USB-C hub, but its still significantly less than a higher-speed Thunderbolt dock. Still, this USB-C hub is more of a USB-C dock; its not necessarily portable, and the proper execution factor lends itself to a permanent i’m all over this your desk.

This powered USB-C dock measures 3.25 x 9.5 x 1.25 inches, with a 3-foot USB-C to USB-C cable (or USB-C to USB-A), with four USB 3.0 (5Gbps) ports on leading and two more on the trunk. Display ports are plentiful: two HDMI 2.0 ports and two DisplayPort 1.2 ports, allowing the single 4K display at 60Hz or two at 30Hz. Theres gigabit ethernet and a headphone jack, too.

Youll have to use a DisplayLink driver, that is a slightly different interface that runs over USB-C. The dock doesnt supply any capacity to the laptop itself, another black mark. However the inclusion of DisplayPort and its own HDCP capabilities means you can view Netflix, and in 4K if youd like. But all that data streaming over a USB-C connection does mean that video playback will probably be stuttery. Nearly $180 is really a ton of money to invest on a dock, too, though it includes a two-year warranty.

Once we explain below inside our buying advice, the USB-C connection will undoubtedly be what limits this dock, not the dock itself. For a smoother connection, choose Thunderbolt dock if your personal computer supports it.

LenovosGX90M61235 USB-C travel hub retains exactly the same black, boxy aesthetic as generations of ThinkPad laptops. The odd pairing of connectorsVGA, HDMI (4K at 30Hz), an individual USB 3.0 port, and gigabit ethernetmeans youll be making use of your laptops keyboard, possibly a mouse, and either display connector. Wed rather see Lenovo pick either VGAor HDMI and add another USB port.

To be fair though, all the ports performed needlessly to say and there is no perceptible heat increase whenever we tried to saturate the ethernet link and USB-C port simultaneously.

You can find better deals elsewhere, with regards to price and ports. But if you want a VGA connector, that is mostly of the possibilities.

This Rshtech RS-516 USB-C port splitter uses an unusually long 2-foot cable to split a 5Gbps USB 3.0 input (over USB-C) and divide it among four USB 3.0 Type A ports. Its also uncommon to see those ports controlled by LED-lit button switches, and an optional5V/2A adapter powering the complete affair.

The port splitter takes the 5Gbps input and splits it on the list of ports, which are just active if the corresponding LED-lit button is depressed. This pertains to both power (the hub will charge, though not fast-charge phones) and data. Port spacing isnt a concern, and the ABS/aluminum construct handles heat well.

The Rshtech hub wouldnt always identify and hook up to a bus-powered SSD, nonetheless it found almost every other device we linked to it. The performance of a powered external hard disk drive plunged to about 20 percent when all ports were occupied, but surged to about 67 percent once the optional power cable was plugged inwhich Rshtech recommends when linked to external storage.

That cable (with a proprietary plug) is really a pain, and the problems finding our SSD gave us pause. But we really liked the way the hub allowed us usage of and control of external hard disks, which spin along loudly and randomly.

You can find much cheaper options to simply add support for just two 1080p displays to your laptop, like the (awfully named) $40 Selore&S USB-C adapter, with a couple of HDMI ports and nothing else. Why buy this $119 OWC device instead? Its really mostly of the ways to hook up to a minumum of one 4K display utilizing a USB-C cable.

To begin with, its cheaper compared to the Plugable UD-6950H above, which contains dual HDMI and DisplayPort ports and several additional I/O. OWCs adapter simply provides two HDMI ports and a passthrough USB-C port, that allows one to plug in a 90W USB-C charger and charge your laptop. OWCs adapter requires one to download DisplayLink drivers, then adjust your Windows display settings to re-enable 60Hz refresh rates one one display. (only 30Hz is allowed on another.) Appear to be a pain? It really is, but thats what goes on when you make an effort to force a couple of high-definition displays across a bus that wasnt really created for them.

At2.8 x 0.31 x 1.22 inches, IOgears Travel Pro Mini Dock can be an odd duck: a cheap, relatively tiny USB-C dock that plugs straight into your laptop, with out a connecting cord.

Theres no chance this can work, you may thinkbut it can, with sufficient room for the laptops USB-C charger to sneak in a single side of the dock, close to an HDMI cord, a USB key or cord, and a 3.5mm jack. (The Mini Dock supports around 60W of power in from an external charger.)

Thats fine, needless to say, if your laptops USB-C port is simply by its lonesome. Otherwise, the Travel Pro Mini Dock will block ports since it tries to provide expansion capabilitiesand thats an issue for laptops just like the Asus ZenBook, which forego a 3.5mm headphone jack but cram their USB-C ports too close together to create IOgears dock feasible.

We just like the idea, but you can find cheaper, better docks on the market with an increase of flexibility.