The perfect USB-C hub for 2025

It’s spectacular what tablets and ultraportable laptops can do. However to get probably 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 useful units provide you with further USB connections, HDMI slots, SD card readers and Ethernet jacks. Plus most provide pass-through charging so you may hold your pill powered when you work with all of your peripherals attached. 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 primarily based on our testing.

Desk of contents

Finest USB-C hubs for 2025

Picture by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

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 kind of ports is energy solely, the variety of downstream connectors makes it extra of an eight-in-one. But it surely’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 charge regarded nice on my check monitor and the info switch charges had been forward of different hubs in its value vary. The velocity check 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 way in which in, counting on a spring mechanism to push it again out whenever you’re achieved. Right here, the tip stands proud simply sufficient which you can merely pull the cardboard out. These spring-loaded ejectors by no means work on the primary strive for me, so it is a extra elegant resolution.

There’s only one usable downstream USB-C port; the opposite is barely 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 gives a well-rounded collection of connectors. Should you’d choose 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 reasonably comparable port array and the Anker USB-C hub is $15 cheaper. However the UGreen hub has a extra premium construct and a wire that is about two inches longer, plus there’s one further USB-A port that might actually come in useful.

Execs

Good array of ports
HDMI 2.0 helps 4K displays at 60Hz
Beneficiant 10-inch cable
Three USB-A ports

Cons

Only one downstream USB-C port

$38 at Amazon

Picture by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

This was my first expertise with a Wavlink product, as I used to be beforehand solely conversant in 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 go for the shortage of branding pizazz.

It’s slimmer than most 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 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 ought to be lots zippy sufficient for a median 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 one USB-C jack is able to the identical charge. 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 sooner than dearer hubs.

In fact, having only one downstream USB-C connection places a restrict in your setup: You’ll be able to 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 choice with the same array of ports that each one carried out nicely in my checks. Finally, its shorter tethered cable and single USB-C port that both delivers energy or runs a peripheral led me to choose Wavlink’s mannequin. However in case you don’t must cost your system via the port, you get an excellent hub for the cash with Plugable’s system.

Execs

Slim and compact
Beneficiant 10-inch cable
Nice value

Cons

Only one downstream USB-C port

$20 at Wavlink

Picture by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

One subject with most USB-C hubs is an ironic lack of obtainable downstream USB-C ports. Many prime out at two, and a kind of typically delivers energy solely and might’t run peripherals. Throughout three keyboard guides, our suggestions overwhelmingly require USB-C connectivity, all however certainly one of our recommended webcams use USB-C and lots of exterior storage drives depend on that port as nicely. Which means if you’d like a hub that connects your keys, digital camera and a drive on the similar time, you need to hunt for one thing suitable.

The EZQuest Slim Gen 2 hub offers you not only one or two usable Kind-C ports, however 5 of them. It’s additionally one of many few hubs that has a removable cable (and the equipped one is a beneficiant 20 inches lengthy). One port is for video output with a claimed 4K output at 60Hz — simply notice 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 all hub, the extra gadgets you have got plugged in, the decrease the speeds every port will be capable of ship, in order that max 10-gigabit charge is for one port at a time.

The connections had been lots for my setup, dealing with a keyboard, mouse, webcam and streaming mild all on the similar time. (Since I haven’t got a USB-C monitor, I plugged the HDMI cable straight 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 measurement of a Skor bar. All of the ports come out of 1 aspect, so just like the finances choose above, it’s simple to rearrange all of your connections to look neat in your desk.

Execs

Loads 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 Amy Skorheim / Engadget

At $140, the value of Belkin’s Connect Universal hub is edging into docking-station territory. But it surely 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, particularly 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).

Plenty of 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 screen with the second monitor. That second monitor has a most refresh charge of 30Hz for 4K resolutions, however the first exterior show retains its 4K@60Hz visuals. I haven’t examined each choice 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 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 aspect, the association on a desk seems to be tidy, avoiding the spidery look of a hub with ports on all sides.

Shunting all of this connectivity does make the unit get fairly scorching: it appeared to get hotter than the entire different items I attempted. Whereas I by no means observed any unwell 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.

Execs

A number of ports
Good number of ports
Driver permits for 2 prolonged exterior shows

Cons

Costly
Will get extremely popular throughout use

$140 at Belkin

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 have now a separate information to the best docking stations to take a look at in case you’re on the lookout 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 usually price between $30 and $150.

Hubs, typically additionally known as dongles and even multiport adapters, make extra sense for smaller setups with just some peripherals, similar to a monitor, a wired keyboard and mouse, and the occasional exterior drive. They’re additionally extra transportable, since they’re small and require no devoted energy. That may very well be helpful in case you change work areas however wish to deliver your equipment with you, or if you wish to change 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 temporary relocation and whenever you get again, you solely must plug in a single cable to get all of your equipment reconnected. In fact, in case you simply must 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, in fact, must be Kind-C as nicely. The ocean of laptops out there may be huge, so it’s arduous to make generalizations, however trendy laptops, together with Home windows and Apple fashions, ought to have at the least one USB-C port that may suffice, and certainly, each certainly one of our prime picks for the best laptops do — together with our prime choose, the M4 MacBook Air.

Subsequent, it’s a matter of discovering an excellent USB-C hub that has the suitable connections on your wants. Most hubs provide some combo of HDMI, USB, SD card reader, Ethernet and three.5 mm ports. If in case you have a 4K monitor and would love at the least a 60Hz refresh charge, 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 widespread simply but. Understand that a low refresh charge could cause your display screen to really feel laggy, making your mouse seem glitchy and your webcam actions to look delayed.

Further USB ports on these equipment are often USB Kind-A or USB Kind-C. They’ll assist information with completely different switch charges, usually 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 verify the spec checklist to be sure to’re getting the assist you want. Understand that a hub might invoice itself as a 7-in-1, however a kind of ports might not be usable for something aside from charging.

Customary SD and microSD playing cards are helpful for transferring information from cameras and the like or for offloading information out of your arduous drive, and lots of hubs have these slots. Ethernet ports might ship sooner web speeds than your Wi-Fi and a hub with a 3.5mm jack can deliver 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 prices through USB, you don’t must take up one other port in your laptop computer to maintain every thing topped up. In contrast to a docking station, powering a hub is non-compulsory. The one exception is if you wish to shut the lid in your laptop computer when 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 embody 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 checks, a powered USB hub ran hotter than when it wasn’t passing the cost via, so I choose to energy the pc straight utilizing its personal charger. However for tablets or different units with no further ports, that PD choice is necessary.

Some PD ports are additionally information ports — which is each good and dangerous. On one hand, it feels wasteful to make use of a superbly good information port only for boring outdated electrical energy. However however, 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 truly does.

Design

There’s surprisingly little design variation amongst hubs. Most seem like a flat slab, just a little smaller than a smartphone, and have an connected Kind-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 most likely gained’t make or break your shopping for choice.

One variation that might tip the scales is the size of the cable. An extended one offers you extra freedom as you organize the hub in your desk, probably even letting you conceal it behind your laptop computer. Or you might choose a shorter one to maintain the hub neatly set beside your laptop computer.

How we check USB-C hubs

Earlier than we check something, we check out what’s out there and the way they’ve been obtained by buyers, forum-goers and different publications. I turned conversant in just a few respected manufacturers once I was testing docking stations, so I regarded into hubs from these corporations as nicely. I targeted on gadgets that will assist with a median day of productiveness — not high-end setups or demanding gaming conditions. As soon as I settled on a dozen or so that will 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 operating MacOS Sonoma because the host laptop and plugged in equipment that embody 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 cost on an airplane (I ought to most likely spend money on some wired 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 sure that any information or connectivity points weren’t associated to my gear.

Then I put every USB-C hub via a gamut of primary checks. I checked out what may very well be plugged in directly, the decision on the monitor, information switch speeds, the general construct high quality of the hub and normal 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 circumstances.

Different hubs we examined

HyperDrive Subsequent 10 Port USB-C Hub

There’s quite a bit 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 way in which 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 p.c brightness, however the identical downside didn’t occur on some other hub I examined.

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

There’s nothing fallacious with the Anker 341 USB-C hub. The truth is it’s a present suggestion in our iPad accessories guide and it comes at an amazing $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 checks proved to be a contact slower than the opposite hubs. However in case you’ve acquired a decrease decision monitor and don’t want a couple of USB-C, you gained’t be upset 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 prime suggestion. Each have the same port array with an HDMI, Ethernet, two USB Kind 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 wire 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 once I began researching for this information. The standard is first rate 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 an extended wire that wraps across the hub itself, which is exclusive. It doesn’t trouble with energy supply, which isn’t a problem in case you can energy your laptop straight. However the 4 USB ports (three Kind-A and one Kind-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 on your setup.