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A USB hub is a great way to get more ports on your laptop, especially if you have a laptop that only has a few USB-C ports to start with (here's looking at you, MacBook Pro).
There are a few things to consider when you're buying a USB-C hub. For starters, you'll want to think about exactly how many ports you need and what kind of ports you'll use most. For example, you might simply want more USB-C ports. Or, you might want an HDMI port, an SD card reader, USB-A ports, and so on.
You'll also want to think about the size and style of the hub since it'll be plugged into your laptop quite often. USB-C hubs can also be expensive, but you want to make sure that the hub will work perfectly and easily.
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If you’re looking for a great USB-C hub and want one of the best out there, then the Satechi Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter V2 is the way to go. It may be a little bulky, but the trade-off is that it features a ton of ports.
You’ll get three USB-A 3.0 ports, as well as one HDMI port, one USB-C port, and one Ethernet port. You’ll also get an SD card slot and a microSD card slot, so those of you who are looking for something to easily transfer data from your camera or phone will appreciate this hub. The HDMI port supports 4K monitors and the Ethernet port can handle Gigabit speeds of 10/100/1000Mbps.
Thankfully, for those with only a single USB-C port on their laptop, this hub supports pass-through charging, so you can plug your computer’s charger into the hub’s USB-C port to charge your computer. It may not charge quite as quick as it does when you plug the charger directly into your computer, but rest assured that you can still charge your laptop with this hub.
We tried it out on a MacBook Pro so we could transfer photos from an SD card and it worked like a charm. Plenty of reviewers loved the Satechi Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter V2 as well. It sits with a 4.1-star average on Amazon, and MacWorld gave it a hefty 5-star rating in its review.
The only downsides? It’s a bit pricey, and it only has one USB-C port, so if you’re looking for added USB-C connectivity, this may not be the way to go.
Why you'll love it: The Anker 4-port USB-C to USB 3.0 hub brings back some of the USB-A ports your laptop might be missing at an affordable price.
If you’re looking to add some USB-A ports to your computer, then the Anker 4-port USB-C to USB 3.0 hub is the way to go. The simple hub only offers four USB 3.0 ports with a USB-A shape and no video ports, but for some people, that might be all you need.
Thankfully, the hub is well-designed, so it should fit right at home on any desk, whether it be in your home or at the office. With the hub, you’ll be able to connect peripherals like mice, keyboards, hard drives, and so on.
Another great thing about this hub is that it’s not too expensive. While we have another section for a budget USB-C hub with a wider selection of ports, this is the cheapest USB-C hub on our list.
Why you'll love it: The HooToo USB-C adapter is a great way to get more ports from your computer at an inexpensive price.
Not everyone wants to spend a ton of cash on a USB hub for their computer. That, however, is where the HooToo USB-C Adapter hub comes in. It increases the number of ports on your laptop without a super high price tag.
The hub comes with a range of ports, including three USB-A 3.0 ports, one SD card slot, and one HDMI port that supports 4K monitors. Although it doesn’t have a USB-C port, it has pretty much everything else you might need.
There are some trade-offs to buying an inexpensive hub like this. For example, the hub doesn’t have a USB-C port, so you won’t be able to charge your computer while using the hub if you only have one USB-C port that also acts as a charger.
Why you'll love it: The HyperDrive DUO USB-C hub has plenty of ports to expand on your computer’s connectivity, plus it fits the design of recent MacBook Pro laptops.
Perhaps you’re looking for something to nicely complement your 2016 or 2017 MacBook Pro without doing away with the computer’s sleek form-factor. If that’s the case, then the HyperDrive DUO USB-C hub is a great way to go.
The hub slots into the two USB-C ports on the side of your MacBook Pro, and replaces the two simple ports with two USB-C ports, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, a MicroSD card slot, and two USB-A ports. The HDMI port can connect to a 4K monitor at 30Hz.
Perhaps the best thing about the HyperDrive DUO USB-C hub is that it’s sleek and stylish, featuring the same aluminum build-quality as your actual computer. While it’s designed to be plugged into the left side of the computer, it can easily be plugged into the right side instead, if that’s what you prefer.
So what are the downsides? Well, the main one is probably the price. The hub comes in at $90 on Amazon.
Pros: Nice design, lots of ports, properly fits MacBook Pro
Why you'll love it: The Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub for iMac is well-designed and fits aesthetically with the iMac, plus it offers a pretty good port selection.
The iMac is a great computer, but it can be a little tricky to access all the ports on the computer because they’re located on the back. The Satechi Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub for iMac solves that problem by putting your ports front and center.
The monitor stand is the perfect size for the iMac, so you can place your iMac on top of it and gain access to a ton of extra ports. The hub also fits perfectly with Apple’s design sensibilities, and you can choose between silver and space gray.
When it comes to ports, the hub offers three USB 3.0 ports, a USB-C port, an SD card slot, MicroSD card slot, and a headphone jack. It’s a solid selection, and should make day-to-day access to your computer’s ports a whole lot more convenient.
The hub isn’t totally perfect. For example, a few more USB-C ports would have been nice, and it is a little expensive, coming in at $89.99. Still, we’ve been using the hub for some time now, and find it to be well worth the price. It’s not strictly for the iMac, either. We’ve been using it with the Mac Mini, and it works excellently.
We've tested and researched dozens of cables to find the best ones for your devices. Whether you need a long cable, a short one, a cheap one, one that has USB-C on both ends, or one that has USB-C to USB-A; we've got a cable for you in our buying guide.
