The very best USB-C hub for 2025

If you wish to get probably the most out of your pill or laptop computer, a USB-C hub may also help. Utilizing a single USB-C slot in your moveable laptop, a hub offers you again lacking connections like HDMI, USB Kind A and C, Ethernet, reminiscence card slots and extra. After testing greater than a dozen fashions, we expect the UGreen Revodok Pro 109 is the perfect USB-C hub for most individuals. However we now have a beneficial finances mannequin and a premium decide to offer you extra choices. We additionally break down port varieties, energy supply capabilities and design issues that will help you make the suitable selection before you purchase.

Desk of contents

Greatest USB-C hubs for 2025

Picture by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

The “109” in UGreen’s Revodok Pro 109 USB-C hub seemingly 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 could be lacking from a contemporary laptop computer, together with SD slots, USB-A ports, an Ethernet connection and an HDMI hookup.

The 4K decision and 60Hz refresh price regarded nice on my check monitor and the information switch charges have been forward of different hubs in its worth vary. The velocity check on an Ethernet cable was on par with that of a dearer docking station, 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 if you’re completed. Right here, the tip stands out simply sufficient you can merely pull the cardboard out. These spring-loaded ejectors by no means work on the primary attempt for me, so this can be a extra elegant answer.

There’s only one usable downstream USB-C port; the opposite is simply able to delivering energy to your gadget. I want there was simply one extra USB-C so it may 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. General, the hub performs effectively and gives a well-rounded number of connectors. Should you’d choose a DisplayPort connection and do not want the information 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 additional USB-A port that might definitely turn out to be 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 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 huge, but the cable itself is a pair inches longer than the norm. The unit and the cables simply tuck behind a laptop computer, notably because the ports run alongside only one edge, with the HDMI connection on the finish.

The cable can be braided, making it really feel extra premium than its $30 price ticket would recommend — 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 loads 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 price. The webcam carried out effectively, even with a USB-A streaming gentle at full brightness (one thing different hubs had hassle with), and I discovered knowledge 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 may have, for instance, a USB-C webcam or a USB-C keyboard plugged in, not each. However in the event you want one thing with good monitor output, a few high-quality USB ports and a compact design, this can be a good decide.

I additionally suggest Plugable’s equally cleverly named USB-C 4-in-1 hub. It’s a greenback cheaper than the Wavlink choice with an identical array of ports that each one carried out effectively in my exams. 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 the event you don’t must cost your gadget by the port, you get hub for the cash with Plugable’s gadget.

Execs

Slim and compact
Beneficiant 10-inch cable
Nice worth

Cons

Only one downstream USB-C port

$13 at Amazon

Picture by Amy Skorheim / Engadget

One problem with most USB-C hubs is an ironic lack of obtainable downstream USB-C ports. Many high out at two, and a type of usually delivers energy solely and might’t run peripherals. Throughout three keyboard guides, our suggestions overwhelmingly require USB-C connectivity, all however considered one of our recommended webcams use USB-C and lots of exterior storage drives depend on that port as effectively. Meaning if you would like a hub that connects your keys, digicam 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 Kind-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 help 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 objects you’ve plugged in, the decrease the speeds every port will be capable of ship, in order that max 10-gigabit price is for one port at a time.

The connections have been loads for my setup, dealing with a keyboard, mouse, webcam and streaming gentle 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 absolutely 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 finances decide above, it’s straightforward 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. However it doesn’t require a devoted energy provide and it has a compact construct, so it’s nonetheless decidedly a hub. That worth bump does get you a number of options that the majority hubs don’t have, specifically the choice of three USB-C ports (one port can be utilized for both energy supply or accent help) 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 primarily “sharing” a view of a tertiary display screen with the second monitor. That second monitor has a most refresh price 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 seemingly 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 may run a webcam, keyboard, mouse, Litra gentle, 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 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 sizzling: it appeared to get hotter than the entire different items I attempted. Whereas I by no means seen any in poor health results consequently, 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

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

Cons

Costly
Will get highly regarded 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 likely to have extra ports, provide a separate DC energy adapter and price extra, with some reaching upwards of $400. We now have a separate information to the best docking stations to take a look at in the event 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 help pass-through charging and usually price between $30 and $150.

Hubs, generally additionally referred to as dongles and even multiport adapters, make extra sense for smaller setups with only a few peripherals, corresponding to 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 the event you change work places however need 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 strong 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 straightforward to seize your laptop computer off your desk for a gathering or different transient relocation and if you get again, you solely must plug in a single cable to get all of your equipment reconnected.

Ports

For a USB-C hub to work, it wants to connect with a port in your laptop computer or pill that helps video, knowledge and energy — all of which is roofed by something listed as USB 3.0 or higher, together with USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 and 4. The port, after all, must be Kind-C as effectively. The ocean of laptops out there may be huge, so it’s laborious 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 considered one of our high picks for the best laptops do.

Subsequent, it’s a matter of discovering USB-C hub that has the suitable connections to 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 no less than a 60Hz refresh price, 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. Remember the fact that a low refresh price may 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 Kind-A or Kind-C. They will help knowledge with totally different switch charges, usually 5Gbps or 10Gbps. Some ports solely deal with passthrough energy and no knowledge, and a few can do knowledge, energy and video, so it’s finest to verify the spec checklist to be sure you’re getting the help you want. Remember the fact that a hub could invoice itself as a 7-in-1, however a type of ports might not be usable for something apart from charging.

Customary SD and microSD slots are helpful for transferring knowledge from cameras and the like or for offloading information out of your laborious drive. Ethernet ports could 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

Practically the entire USB-C hubs I examined help passthrough charging. Meaning in case your laptop computer or pill solely costs by way of USB, you don’t must take up one other port in your laptop computer to maintain every little thing topped up. Not like a docking station, powering a hub is elective. 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 should be plugged into the wall to stop that from taking place.

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 or pill (the hubs take a bit of of the juice for themselves, therefore the 15-watt or so distinction). In my exams, a powered USB hub ran hotter than when it wasn’t passing the cost by, so I choose to energy the pc immediately utilizing its personal charger. However for tablets or different units with no additional ports, that PD choice is necessary.

Some PD ports are additionally knowledge ports — which is each good and unhealthy. On one hand, it feels wasteful to make use of a wonderfully good knowledge port only for boring previous electrical energy. However alternatively, USB-C connections that solely carry a cost are much less versatile, and it makes it look like it has extra accent hookups than it truly does.

Design

There’s surprisingly little design variation amongst hubs. Most appear to be a flat slab, a bit of smaller than a smartphone, and have an hooked up 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 either 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 will provide you with extra freedom as you prepare the hub in your desk, probably even letting you cover it behind your laptop computer. Or it’s possible you’ll 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 acquired by consumers, forum-goers and different publications. I turned accustomed to a number of respected manufacturers after I was testing docking stations, so I regarded into hubs from these corporations as effectively. I centered on objects that may 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 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 operating 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 gentle, 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 put money into 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 knowledge or connectivity points weren’t associated to my tools.

Then I put every USB-C hub by a gamut of primary exams. I checked out what may very well be plugged in directly, the decision on the monitor, knowledge switch speeds, the general construct high quality of the hub and normal usability elements, like the position of the ports and the size of the cords. And, lastly, the price-to-value ratio helped decide the perfect ones for a number of totally different use instances.

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 information transfers are screaming quick. It has the coveted two USB-C knowledge 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 gentle. Having it on at full brightness made the webcam flicker each time. The problem 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 mistaken 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 important $35 worth. 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 a bit of retro. There’s additionally only a single USB-C downstream port and the information switch exams proved to be a contact slower than the opposite hubs. However in the event you’ve acquired a decrease decision monitor and don’t want a couple of 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 identical 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, additional USB-A port and longer wire that offers you two additional inches to work with. However if you wish to save a couple of dollars this hub is a worthwhile decide.

Startech 4-Port USB-C Hub (knowledge 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 strong, with no hiccups that I encountered. The model’s 4-Port USB-C Hub has a protracted wire that wraps across the hub itself, which is exclusive. It doesn’t hassle with energy supply, which isn’t a problem in the event you can energy your laptop immediately. 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 a number of extra USB ports to your setup.