Top 5 compared
The best USB-C hubs
The mouse, the memory stick and the printer plugged in, on a laptop with nothing but USB-C sockets.
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The top 5 at a glance
USB-C, the plug that goes in either way up, was published as a standard in August 2014, and some slim laptops now have no other socket. A hub turns one of those sockets into several: the older, rectangular USB-A, an HDMI port and sometimes card readers. Laptop adapters do all of that; a plain hub just adds USB-A ports.
Most here let the laptop’s own charger plug into the hub and pass power through. Ports differ in speed too: a fast 5Gbps port suits a drive, while USB 2.0 does for a keyboard or mouse. A hub’s HDMI port only shows a picture if the laptop’s USB-C socket carries video (DisplayPort Alt Mode), a point UGREEN and BENFEI make for theirs.
What matters
- A 60Hz HDMI port for a monitor you’ll work on all day.
- SD and microSD readers, if you shoot on a camera.
- How many watts of the charger actually reach the laptop.
#1Anker 7-in-1 USB-C Hub with 4K 60Hz HDMI (A83D2)
£24.99 RRP
Seven ports on a slim hub with a 25cm cable: HDMI at 4K and a smooth 60Hz, two USB-A ports and a USB-C data port, each at 5Gbps, SD and microSD slots side by side, and a charging socket that passes up to 85W of a 100W charger through to the laptop.
What owners say: Owners find it works straight out of the box, solidly built and compact, with enough ports for most desks; the complaint that comes up is that it doesn’t get on with every MacBook.
Heads up: Anker lists it for Windows 10 and later, macOS 12 and later and ChromeOS, and not for Linux or the Nintendo Switch.
A closer look: At 60Hz, scrolling and dragging windows on a big monitor look smooth, where a 30Hz hub can feel a touch sluggish. Only the HDMI port carries a picture; the USB-C port is for drives and sticks. Anker says a 100W charger, not in the box, gets the full 85W to the laptop.
- Slim, with a 25cm cable
- Charger not in the box
- 18-month warranty
Best for: A monitor and a full set of ports
- Type
- Laptop adapter with HDMI
- HDMI
- 4K 60Hz
- USB-A ports
- 2 × 5Gbps
- USB-C ports
- 1 × 5Gbps
- Card readers
- SD and microSD
- Laptop charging
- Up to 85W
#2Anker 4-in-1 USB-C Data Hub (A8309)
Under £10
No HDMI and no charging, just four USB-A ports at 5Gbps on a short cable: the simple fix for a laptop with only USB-C sockets and a drawer of USB-A memory sticks, drives and dongles. It weighs about 37g.
What owners say: Owners say it works straight out of the box, feels solid and takes up little room; the cable length divides them, handy for some and too short for others.
Heads up: There’s no charging socket (Anker says it doesn’t support charging), so it suits a laptop with a second USB-C socket free for the charger.
A closer look: Keep it for the things that still use the old rectangular plug: a mouse receiver, a printer cable, a memory stick or an external drive. Put the chunkiest stick on an end port so it doesn’t crowd its neighbour.
- 20cm cable
- About 37g
- 18-month warranty
Best for: Older memory sticks and dongles
- Type
- USB hub, no HDMI
- HDMI
- No
- USB-A ports
- 4 × 5Gbps
- USB-C ports
- None
- Card readers
- No
- Laptop charging
- None
#3UGREEN 5-in-1 USB-C Hub with 4K HDMI (CM478)
£12.99 RRP
A small aluminium 5-in-1 that adds what a USB-C laptop most often lacks: HDMI at 4K, one fast 5Gbps USB-A port for a drive, two USB 2.0 ports for a keyboard and mouse, and a 100W socket for the laptop’s own charger.
What owners say: Owners find it solidly made and especially handy with a MacBook Air, though it won’t work with most Android phones and a few find it drops the connection.
Heads up: Check the laptop’s USB-C socket supports DisplayPort Alt Mode before relying on the HDMI port: UGREEN notes the screen output needs it, and most phones don’t have it.
A closer look: Plug the laptop’s USB-C charger into the hub’s charging socket and the laptop charges through it, which keeps the computer’s other sockets free. Save the 5Gbps port for a drive or memory stick and put the keyboard and mouse on the two slower ones, which are plenty for them.
- Aluminium case
- Keeps the laptop’s sockets free
- 2-year warranty
Best for: Keyboard, mouse and charger at a desk
- Type
- Laptop adapter with HDMI
- HDMI
- 4K 30Hz
- USB-A ports
- 1 × 5Gbps, 2 × USB 2.0
- USB-C ports
- Charging only
- Card readers
- No
- Laptop charging
- Up to 100W
#4UGREEN 7-in-1 USB-C Hub with 4K HDMI and Card Readers
£10–£20
Much the same ports as Anker’s 7-in-1 at a lower price: HDMI, two USB-A ports and a USB-C data port at 5Gbps, SD and microSD slots and a charging socket that passes the charger through, in an aluminium shell. Its HDMI runs at 4K and 30Hz, which suits slides, films and documents.
What owners say: Owners find it well made and compact, handy for laptops and iPads short of ports; some had trouble with their particular laptop or wanted more USB ports, and its speed divides opinion.
A closer look: Copy photos straight off a camera’s SD card or a drone’s microSD without a separate reader. The charging socket takes the laptop’s own USB-C charger, so the hub doesn’t use up the only charging port.
- Aluminium shell
- Keeps the charging port free
Best for: Presentations and camera cards
- Type
- Laptop adapter with HDMI
- HDMI
- 4K 30Hz
- USB-A ports
- 2 × 5Gbps
- USB-C ports
- 1 × 5Gbps
- Card readers
- SD and microSD
- Laptop charging
- Up to 100W
#5BENFEI 5-in-1 USB-C Hub with 4K HDMI and Silicone Cable
Under £10
The same set of ports as UGREEN’s 5-in-1, HDMI at 4K, one 5Gbps USB-A and two USB 2.0, on a soft 20cm silicone-woven cable that BENFEI makes in-house and says lasts over 25,000 bends. It passes up to 90W of a 100W charger to the laptop.
What owners say: Owners like how well it’s built and how easy it is to use, and several run it with a MacBook Air; some doubt it will last.
A closer look: Only the laptop’s charger goes in the USB-C socket, which carries no data or video, so a drive or memory stick goes on the single fast USB-A port. The short, soft cable doesn’t knot in a bag, and it reaches a laptop raised on a stand as easily as one flat on the desk.
- Soft 20cm silicone-woven cable
- Cable lasts over 25,000 bends
- Doesn’t knot in a bag
- 18-month warranty
Best for: Travel, with a soft cable
- Type
- Laptop adapter with HDMI
- HDMI
- 4K 30Hz
- USB-A ports
- 1 × 5Gbps, 2 × USB 2.0
- USB-C ports
- Charging only
- Card readers
- No
- Laptop charging
- Up to 90W
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Anker 7-in-1 | #2Anker 4-in-1 | #3UGREEN CM478 | #4UGREEN 7-in-1 | #5BENFEI 5-in-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Most USB-A ports | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 9.3 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Price | £24.99 RRP | Under £10 | £12.99 RRP | £10–£20 | Under £10 |
| Type | Laptop adapter with HDMI | USB hub, no HDMI | Laptop adapter with HDMI | Laptop adapter with HDMI | Laptop adapter with HDMI |
| HDMI | 4K 60Hz | No | 4K 30Hz | 4K 30Hz | 4K 30Hz |
| USB-A ports | 2 × 5Gbps | 4 × 5Gbps | 1 × 5Gbps, 2 × USB 2.0 | 2 × 5Gbps | 1 × 5Gbps, 2 × USB 2.0 |
| USB-C ports | 1 × 5Gbps | None | Charging only | 1 × 5Gbps | Charging only |
| Card readers | SD and microSD | No | No | SD and microSD | No |
| Laptop charging | Up to 85W | None | Up to 100W | Up to 100W | Up to 90W |
| Best for | A monitor and a full set of ports | Older memory sticks and dongles | Keyboard, mouse and charger at a desk | Presentations and camera cards | Travel, with a soft cable |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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