Best USB Hub For MacBooks: Anker PowerExpand Direct 8-in-2Ĭompared to most tech gadgets, USB hubs don’t cost much. Best USB C Hub On A Budget: QGeeM 4-in-1 USB C Hub Best USB Hub On A Budget: Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub Best USB C Hub For Travel: Anker 5-in-1 USB C Hub Best Powered USB C Hub (Alternate): StarTech USB Type-C Mini Dock Best Powered USB C Hub: Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 Best Powered USB Hub: Atolla 5-Port USB 3.0 Hub Just make sure you're grabbing the right one. And the more expensive options are going to be able to charge your devices (and transfer data, in the case of the docking station) faster.īoth have their purposes, depending on the extent of your needs. The more affordable HooToo USB-C hub does allow you to connect your laptop to one monitor via its HDMI port, however, although it's not as good (4K up to 30Hz or 1080p up to 60Hz). The Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro can actually support two 4K displays (up to 60Hz), so you can create a larger, more advanced workstation. The more expensive the laptop accessory, the more likely it is to support a high-resolution monitor, too. The most advanced USB-C docking stations have newer ports with technologies, like Thunderbolt 3, that support faster charging and faster data transfer. It's not just that expensive docking stations and USB hubs are going to have more connections, but they're most likely going to be better, too. Expensive hubs can handle more and handle it much faster. It's a much beefier solution for a full suite of gear. Its added DisplayPort and Ethernet ports allow it to function more as a workstation, too, enabling it to hard-wire into a network connect to an external monitor.

The Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Pro has almost twice as many connections, including five USB-A and three USB-C ports. However, most docking stations put those specs to shame. You can still find USB-C hubs with numerous connections for surprisingly cheap the HooToo USB-C hub costs just over $20, for example, and adds three USB-A ports, one HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a USB-C port that supports pass-through power with Power Delivery (PD).

Belkin You're paying for the extra connections (and then some).

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