Best USB-C Hub for 2025
Tablets and laptops are only getting More powerfulBut there are rare ports to use that probability. Although the Bluetooth accessories definitely have their location, you may like the speed and accuracy of wired peripherals – not to mention the wireless opponents.
You have two main options to add more connectivity to your tablet or laptop: a Docking station Or hub. Both provide additional USB, HDMI, SD card slot, ethernet and/or 3.5 mm ports, so you can connect peripherals such as monitors or wired rats and keyboards. Docking stations are large, needed AC power and are usually stable. On the other hand, the USB-C hub does not require more portable and its own power source. We have tested over a dozen options to come up with the best USB-C hub to raise your ports and we have added advice on what you should see before buying.
The table of things
Best USB-C Hubs for 2025
What to see in the USB-C hub
Hub vs docking station
The first thing to decide is that you need a USB-C Hub or USB-C docking station. There is no set of standard for both separation, but docking stations have more ports, offer a special DC power adapter and cost more, some reach $ 400. We have a special guide Best docking stations To check whether you are looking for something bigger than we are discussing here. USB-C hubs, in contrast, can support pass-throw charging between four and 10 ports and usually cost between $ 30 and $ 150.
Hubs, sometimes known as dongles or multiport adapters, make it more sense for small setups with monitor, wired keyboard and occasional external drive. They are also more portable, because they do not require small and dedicated energy. If you want to bring your tools with you or replace your laptop with A A more powerful tablet. The docking station is more meaningful for a person who needs a strong setup for their laptop, including multiple external monitors, webcams, stream decks, microphones and so on.
Both docks and hubs make it easy to hold your laptop from your desk for meeting or other brief re -OC establishment and when you return, you should only plug a cable to rebuild all your tools.
Ports
The first port to be considered is in your laptop or tablet. To work the USB-C Hub, it must be connected to the port supported by video, data and power-all are listed including USB 3.0 or more USB4 and Thunder Bolt 3 and 4. There should also be port, Type-C. There is a lot of laptops there, so stereotypes are difficult to do, but modern laptops must have at least one USB-C port, it fits The best laptops Do it.
Next, it is to find a good USB-C hub that has the right connections to your needs. Most hubs provide some combo of HDMI, USB, SD card reader, Ethernet and 3.5 mm ports. If you have a 4K monitor and want at least 60 Hertz refresh rate, you need a hub with an HDMI 2.0 port – up to 30Hz up to 30Hz. HDMI maintains 4K up to 2.1 120Hz, but hubs that have adopted that standard are not yet common. Keep in mind that the lower refreshing rate is experiencing your screen logging, your mouse looks glitch and your webcam movements will be delayed.
Additional USB Ports on these tools are usually a type-A or type-C. They can support data with different transfer rates, usually 5Gbps or 10Gbps. Some ports only handle the passtro power and do not have data, and can do some data, power and videos, so it is advisable to check the spec list to make sure you get the necessary support. Keep in mind that a hub can bill itself as a 7 -in -1, but one of those ports is not used except charging.
Standard SD and microSD slots are useful for transferring data from cameras. Ethernet ports can provide Internet speed faster than your Wi-Fi and a hub with 3.5 mm jack can bring back a wired headphone connection to some laptops.
Power delivery
Almost all USB-C hubs I have tested the support passtro charging. This means that if your laptop or tablet is only charged by the USB, you don’t have to take another port on your laptop to keep everything at the top. Unlike the docking station, it is optional to power the hub. An exception is if you want to close the lid on your laptop when working in an external monitor. Most computers go into a sleep mode if the lid is closed without power, so the laptop or hub will need to be plugged to the wall.
Most new hubs include 100W USB-C Power Delivery (PD) Port, Healthy 80 to 85 Watts go to your Mac, PC or tablet (hubs take a little in the juice, hence 15-watt or more). . But for tablets or other devices that have no additional ports, the choice of PD is important.
Some PD ports are also data ports – this is both good and bad. On the one hand, it seems to be a waste to use a perfect good data port for boring old electricity. On the other hand, USB-C connections, which only have a fare, are less versatile, and it seems to have more accessory hookups than actually.
Design
There is a surprisingly low design variation in hubs. Most looks like a flat slab, slightly smaller than a smartphone, and have a type of type-C host cable. The colors range from silver black to silver gray. Some are thinner than others, some have all the ports on the same edge and have ports on two sides. All this will probably not make or break your purchase decision.
The length of the cable is a variation that can tip the scales. When you set up a hub on your desk, you will give you more freedom for a long time, allowing you to hide behind your laptop. Or you can like the less to keep the hub next to your laptop.
How do we test USB-C hubs
Before we test anything, we will look at how they are received by the available ones and shopkeepers, forum-weavers and other publications. I got acquainted with some famous brands when I was testing docking stations, so I also examined hubs from those companies. I focus on topics that help with the average productivity day-not hi-end setups or demand gaming conditions. Once I make a dozen or more good candidates, I shipped them to my humble office in the desert and testing them in a few weeks.
I used the M1 MacBook Pro as host computer and plugged in tools that contain 4K Dell Monitor, ZSA USB-C ergo keyboardLogitech USB-A Gaming MouseElgato USB-C 4K Webcam. I have used high-end HDMI and USB-C cables to ensure that any data or connectivity issues are related to my devices.
Then I put each USB-C hub by the gamut of preliminary exams. If I can plugged at once, the resolution in the monitor, data transfer speed, the total structural quality of the hub and the ports placement and the length of the cords. In the end, the price-to-value ratio helped to determine the best for some different consumer cases.
Other centers we tested
HyperDrive Next 10 Port USB-C Hub
Like much about The Next 10 Port of HyperDrive is the USB-C Hub. Tethord cable is 13 inches long, HDMI 2.0 portputs are cleared at 60Hz and crisp 4K visuals and data transfers are rapidly shouting. It has two respected USB-C data ports and PD port and has a headphone jack. The only thing that contains a full-ramping endorsement is the way our unit has maintained streaming light. Having at full illumination plays webcam every time. The problem was gone at 75 percent of the brightness, but the same problem was not happened in the other hub I tested.
Anker 341 USB-C Hub (7-in-1)
Not wrong with Digit 341 USB-C. Hub. Of course it is recommended that the current in Milo IPad Accessories Guide And it comes at a great $ 35 price. It gives you two USB-A ports as well as SD slots. But at this time, the 1.4 HDMI connection, which only supports 4K resolution at 30Hz, feels a little retro. There is also a single USB-C bottom port and data transfer tests have proven to be slowly touching than other hubs. If you get a low resolution monitor and do not need more than one USB-C, you will not be disappointed with it.
Start 4-port USB-C Hub (data only)
I only learned about Startech when I started research for this guide. Quality is good and yellow accents are a welcome color in the gray world of hubs. Performance view is solid, there are no hiccups I have faced. Brand 4-port USB-C hub There is a long cord, it is wrapped around the hub, which is unique. This is not a problem if you can power your computer directly. But four USB ports (three type-A and a type-C) are out at 5Gbps and there is no HDMI connector. It goes for $ 46 and unfortunately for it, there are cheap ways to get some more USB ports for your setup.
This article first appeared at Engadget https://www.engadget.com/Computing/accessories/best-usb-hub-hub-hub-Hhub-Hub-Hub-Hub-Hub-Hub-Hub-Html?src=Rss
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