$30 at Monoprice
Monoprice 6-in-1 USB-C Multiport 4K HDMI Adapter
Greatest funds USB-C dock
$200 at Amazon
Accell Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station
Greatest for Thunderbolt 4
$200 at Amazon
Worth alerts on for Accell Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station
$33 at Amazon
Plugable 5-in-1 USB-C MagSafe Hub
Greatest USB-C Hub for MacBooks
$33 at Amazon
Worth alerts on for Plugable 5-in-1 USB-C MagSafe Hub
$230 at Amazon
CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 Aspect Hub
For extra Thunderbolt 4
$300 at Ugreen
Ugreen USB-C Triple Show Docking Station
Greatest for 3 shows at 4K
$249 at Amazon
Anker PowerExpand Elite Docking Station
Thunderbolt 3 with energy for charging
$249 at Amazon
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$30 at Amazon
Lention CB-C37 USB-C Hub
Greatest for a laptop computer on a stand
$160 at B&H
EZQuest Final Plus 12-Port USB Kind-C Multimedia Hub
For many who nonetheless want a VGA output
$150 at Amazon
Satechi USB-C Slim Dock for 24-inch iMac
Discreet iMac port addition
$150 at Amazon
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Present extra (5 objects)
USB-C enormously simplified how we join all the pieces to a pc. A monitor, keyboard, mouse, Ethernet, exterior storage, microSD and SD playing cards, and extra can all be related by means of a USB-C port. After all, connecting all of these issues on the identical time by means of one USB-C port requires slightly assist from a USB-C hub or dock with a number of ports. There are quite a bit to select from, and this checklist has the very best USB-C hubs that we have examined.
What’s the very best USB-C hub?
For many who desire a full-featured journey dock, the very best USB-C hub is the EZQuest USB-C Multimedia 8-port Hub. There are inexpensive choices, however the EZQuest combines a superb assortment of ports, sturdiness for journey and reliability over a number of months of testing. It even has labels on the highest to get your units related even sooner. EZQuest makes a number of different USB-C hubs together with a 13-in-one mannequin additionally on this checklist. Nevertheless, if a extra strong dock with Thunderbolt help is critical, the very best we have examined proper now’s the Accell Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station due to a horny low-profile design and well-rounded port assortment, and it does not get sizzling when put to full use.
Narrowing down your choices and discovering the very best USB-C hub comes all the way down to understanding how transportable you want it to be, your required information switch pace and precisely which connections you want. Listed below are a few of our favourite USB-C docking stations that we have examined. We’ll proceed to replace this checklist as we discover new USB hubs and docks to suggest. And in the event you’re trying to cost your USB-C units, listed here are the very best choices per our testing.
Learn extra: Greatest USB-C PD Chargers of 2023
Greatest USB-C hubs
Josh Goldman/CNET
This USB-C hub has all of the necessities most would wish for workplace or residence use at an inexpensive value, particularly in case your laptop computer is proscribed to solely USB-C ports. There are three USB-A ports, together with one with energy supply, microSD and SD card slots, and an HDMI out that helps resolutions as much as 4K at 30Hz. On the finish is a Gigabit Ethernet reference to an exercise LED (one thing different hubs this dimension sometimes depart off). However what units it aside from others at this dimension are the helpful labels printed on high of the anodized aluminum case.
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We have used many Monoprice units over time, they usually’ve commonly delivered extra for the cash. This slim six-in-one journey dock isn’t any totally different, supplying you with simply sufficient to hook up your laptop computer to peripherals and a monitor as much as 4K at 60Hz. Additionally, do you have to want an Ethernet port, there’s a seven-in-one mannequin for $10 extra.
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Accell’s slim, low-profile Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station is without doubt one of the most compact we have examined with out sacrificing efficiency or ports. There are two Intel-certified Thunderbolt 4 ports on the rear in addition to a DisplayPort 1.4 connector that, mixed, can drive twin UHD 4K screens at 60Hz or a single 8K show at 30Hz. One other Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port on the entrance connects to your PC or Mac. The port is shifted all the way in which to the best in order that the cable does not block different ports and makes it simpler to maintain the cable out of the way in which.
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Though there are hubs with extra connections that plug instantly right into a MacBook’s USB-C ports, this Plugable hub stands alone with its notch for Apple’s MagSafe energy connector. Ports embody two USB-A 3.0 ports, a combo headphone/mic jack, Ethernet (within the again so it is out of the way in which) and a USB-C port. And in contrast to different small hubs like this, the USB-C port can do what the MacBook’s can: information switch as much as 40Gbps, show output as much as a 6K decision at 60Hz and energy throughput as much as 100 watts.
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Most individuals, together with me, use hub and dock interchangeably however they’re totally different units. A hub provides extra ports to a pc to connect extra units. The Aspect Hub, as an example, turns one Thunderbolt 4 port in your laptop computer into three Thunderbolt 4 ports so you’ll be able to connect additional shows, high-speed storage and peripherals. It additionally provides you 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Kind-A ports with information speeds as much as 10Gbps so as to add USB-A units. And the hub could be daisy-chained to a different Thunderbolt 4 dock or hub for much more connections.
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Ugreen’s tiny tower of ports makes use of a DisplayLink chipset to drive three shows at as much as 4K at 60Hz by way of its DisplayPort and twin HDMI outputs with Home windows or MacOS methods. Home windows customers can decide to run one show at as much as 8K at 30Hz plus two at 4K at 60Hz.
Learn extra Josh Goldman/CNET
The PowerExpand Elite is a component USB-C dock and half charging station. In again are 85- and 15-watt Thunderbolt 3 ports, and in entrance is an 18-watt USB-C energy supply port. A Thunderbolt 3 port helps as much as a 5K-resolution show at 60Hz whereas its HDMI 2.0 port can help a show as much as 4K decision at 60Hz. Or you’ll be able to run a USB-C-to-HDMI twin splitter and join two 4K shows at 30Hz so you’ll be able to run as much as three screens between the HDMI port and Thunderbolt 3 ports.
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Most small USB-C hubs have brief connected cables. That is effective in case your laptop computer is on a desk and never on a laptop computer stand and that desk has loads of house instantly subsequent to your laptop computer’s USB-C port. For many who may use some additional cable attain, although, the Lention C37 is good.
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The Final Plus reveals off simply what’s doable with a single USB-C port. Together with 4 USB 3.0 type-A ports, there are microSD and SD card slots, a 3.5mm combo headset jack and a Gigabit Ethernet jack. However the largest cause to decide on this mannequin is its help for 3 shows.
Learn extra Dan Ackerman/CNET
This add-on dock slides proper over the foot of a 24-inch iMac. It contains USB-A and USB-C ports, plus slots for each microSD and SD playing cards and even an inside slot for an M.2 storage drive. The 11-inch large dock additionally has the precise footprint because the iMac’s color-matched keyboard, so it might probably sit on high of the dock/foot combo when not getting used. At $150, it is slightly on the dear facet, and there aren’t any HDMI or DisplayPort outputs. However in the event you’re in search of a tidy answer so as to add some additional ports to an iMac, this can be a candy answer.
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What’s the distinction between a USB-C hub and a docking station?
A USB-C hub basically acts like a splitter from a USB-C port on a laptop computer or desktop. They’re sometimes small and light-weight and do not require a separate energy provide; they draw energy instantly from the pc. Due to this, the ports is perhaps much less able to information and energy output in contrast with a powered dock.
Learn extra Is a USB-C port the identical as a USB port?
The USB port most are aware of is USB Kind-A. Typically referred to as a normal or common USB port, it’s rectangular and directional, which requires you to correctly align tabs contained in the connectors. The newer USB-C port is a small oval that makes use of a reversible connector so that you just needn’t flip it round to get the proper place.
Are all USB-C ports the identical?
Whereas USB-C ports could seem the identical from system to system, they aren’t. Even USB-C ports on the identical laptop computer might need totally different capabilities. As an example, Thunderbolt 3 or 4 units will solely be totally supported by a pc with the corresponding Thunderbolt USB-C port. Sadly, you’ll be able to’t simply take a look at the port and know precisely what you’ve. Verify together with your laptop producer for what your laptop computer (or desktop) mannequin helps before you purchase a USB-C dock or adapter.