Modern laptops are beautiful, thin pieces of engineering with exactly two USB-C ports and a prayer. Want to plug in a monitor, external drive, SD card, and ethernet cable? Good luck. Welcome to the dongle life.
USB-C hubs exist to fix what laptop manufacturers broke in the pursuit of minimalism. Let’s figure out which one you actually need.
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Laptop makers removed all the ports. They’ll tell you it’s for aesthetics, thinness, and “the future.” The real reason: it’s cheaper to manufacture and they can charge you extra for dongles.
Here’s what you lost:
A USB-C hub brings these ports back. One cable to your laptop, multiple ports available. It’s the adapter that adapts all your other adapters.
This is where it gets confusing, because the ports look identical but have different capabilities.
Standard USB-C supports up to 10 Gbps data transfer and can deliver up to 100W of power. Most Windows laptops and budget MacBooks use standard USB-C.
What this means for hubs: You can run one 4K display at 60Hz, charge your laptop, and connect USB peripherals. Data transfer speeds are fast for external drives but not blazing.
Thunderbolt uses the same USB-C physical connector but with significantly more bandwidth. Thunderbolt 3 provides 40 Gbps; Thunderbolt 4 provides the same speed but with stricter requirements for what features must be supported.
What this means for hubs: You can run two 4K displays (or one 5K/8K display), get faster external drive speeds, and daisy-chain devices. Thunderbolt docks are more expensive but significantly more capable.
Check your laptop specs or look for a lightning bolt icon next to your USB-C ports. If there’s a bolt icon, it’s Thunderbolt. If not, it’s standard USB-C.
MacBooks: M1/M2/M3 MacBook Air and 13″ MacBook Pro have Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports. 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pros have Thunderbolt 4.
Windows laptops: Premium models (Dell XPS, Lenovo ThinkPad X1, HP Spectre) usually have Thunderbolt. Budget and mid-range models usually have standard USB-C.
If you have Thunderbolt ports, you can use either Thunderbolt or standard USB-C hubs. If you only have standard USB-C, don’t waste money on a Thunderbolt dockâit won’t work at full capacity.
Not all hubs are created equal. Some have a dozen ports you’ll never use; others are missing the one port you need constantly. Here’s what matters.
For connecting an external monitor. This is probably the #1 reason people buy USB-C hubs.
What to look for: HDMI 2.0 supports 4K at 60Hz, which is what most people need. HDMI 1.4 only supports 4K at 30Hz, which looks terribleâavoid hubs that spec HDMI 1.4.
If your monitor uses DisplayPort instead of HDMI, get a hub with DisplayPort or use an HDMI-to-DisplayPort cable (they’re cheap and work fine).
For all your existing peripheralsâexternal drives, mice, keyboards, webcams, USB microphones, game controllers, etc.
What to look for: At least two USB-A ports, preferably three or four. Look for USB 3.0/3.1 speeds (5-10 Gbps) rather than USB 2.0 (480 Mbps). The speed matters if you’re connecting external drives.
Essential for photographers and videographers. Irrelevant for everyone else.
What to look for: UHS-II speeds if you shoot high-resolution photos or 4K video. UHS-I is fine for casual use. Some hubs also include a microSD slot, which is useful if you work with drones, action cameras, or Android devices.
Wired internet is faster, more stable, and lower latency than Wi-Fi. If you work from home and do video calls, upload large files, or just want reliable connectivity, ethernet matters.
What to look for: Gigabit ethernet (1000 Mbps). Some cheap hubs have 100 Mbps ethernet, which is pointless in 2026âyour Wi-Fi is probably faster.
Some hubs include an extra USB-C port for connecting more devices or charging accessories. This is useful if your laptop only has two USB-C ports and the hub is occupying one of them.
Many USB-C hubs support Power Delivery (PD) passthrough. This means you plug your laptop’s power adapter into the hub, and the hub passes charging power through to your laptop while also powering the hub and its connected devices.
This is huge for desk setups: one cable from the hub to your laptop provides power, video, and all peripheral connectivity. Sit down, plug in one cable, and everything works.
What to look for: 100W PD passthrough if you have a 14″/16″ MacBook Pro or high-performance Windows laptop. These machines can draw 90-100W under load. If your hub only supports 60W PD, your laptop might slowly drain while working.
For smaller laptops (MacBook Air, 13″ laptops), 60W PD is plenty. These devices don’t draw that much power.
The catch: The hub itself consumes some power (usually 5-15W), so a 100W PD hub with a 100W charger only delivers 85-95W to your laptop. If your laptop needs 96W to charge while running intensive tasks, it might trickle-drain. This is rare but worth knowing.
USB-C hubs have bandwidth limits that affect display output. The specs can be misleading, so here’s what actually works.
Most can output one 4K display at 60Hz. Some can technically support two displays, but only at lower resolutions or refresh rates (like 1080p at 60Hz or 4K at 30Hz).
If you want two 4K displays at 60Hz each from a standard USB-C hub, it usually won’t work reliablyâthere’s not enough bandwidth.
Thunderbolt 3 and 4 hubs can comfortably support two 4K displays at 60Hz, or one 5K display. Some can even support three displays, depending on your laptop’s GPU.
Some hubs use DisplayLink technology, which compresses video data to support multiple displays over standard USB-C. This works, but it uses your laptop’s CPU to compress video, which can cause fan noise and slight lag. It’s fine for productivity work but not ideal for video editing or gaming.
Reality check: If you need dual 4K monitors, get a Thunderbolt dock if your laptop supports it. If your laptop only has standard USB-C, you’ll need a DisplayLink hub or run one monitor through HDMI and one through a separate USB-C adapter.
USB-C hubs generate heat, especially when passing through power and pushing data to multiple devices simultaneously. Cheap hubs can get uncomfortably hotâhot enough that you don’t want to touch them.
Excessive heat causes two problems:
Better hubs use aluminum enclosures that dissipate heat. Budget hubs use plastic, which insulates heat and makes the problem worse.
What to look for: Aluminum or metal housing. Read reviews specifically mentioning heat. If multiple reviews say “gets very hot” or “caused display issues after 30 minutes,” avoid it.
The terms get used interchangeably, but there’s a practical difference.
Compact, portable, usually under $100. They have a short attached cable that plugs into your laptop. They provide basic port expansion but don’t typically include high-wattage charging or extensive display support.
Best for: Portable setups, light port expansion, people who move between locations.
Larger, designed to stay on your desk, usually $150-400. They connect via a longer cable (or you plug your laptop directly into the dock). They provide high-wattage charging (85-100W+), support multiple displays, include more ports, and often have better build quality and cooling.
Best for: Permanent desk setups where you want a single-cable connection for everything.
The functional difference: docks are hubs with more power delivery, better cooling, and more ports. If your budget allows and you have a permanent workspace, a dock is a better long-term investment.
| Hub/Dock | Ports | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anker 341 USB-C Hub | HDMI, 2x USB-A, USB-C PD (85W) | $30 | Best budget hub, compact, reliable |
| Anker 563 USB-C Hub | HDMI, 3x USB-A, SD/microSD, ethernet, 100W PD | $60 | Best all-around hub, great port selection |
| Satechi Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter | HDMI, 2x USB-A, USB-C, SD/microSD, 60W PD | $80 | Best for MacBooks, color-matched finishes |
| CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt Dock | 18 ports including dual 4K, 98W PD | $400 | Ultimate Thunderbolt dock, overkill for most |
| Plugable UD-ULTC4K | HDMI, 4x USB-A, ethernet, 60W PD | $100 | Best Windows laptop hub, DisplayLink support |
| Kensington SD5780T | Thunderbolt 4, dual 4K, 90W PD, 11 ports | $280 | Professional-grade Thunderbolt dock |
| Anker PowerExpand Elite | Thunderbolt 3, dual 4K, 85W PD, 13 ports | $230 | Best value Thunderbolt dock |
Get the Anker 341 USB-C Hub.
It’s $30, it has the ports most people actually use (HDMI, two USB-A, power passthrough), and it’s small enough to throw in a laptop bag. Anker’s build quality is solid, and it doesn’t overheat like cheaper alternatives.
This is the hub I recommend to non-technical people who just want their laptop to work like a normal computer. It does the job without complexity or fuss.
Get the Anker 563 USB-C Hub.
It has everything: HDMI, three USB-A ports, SD and microSD card readers, gigabit ethernet, and 100W power delivery. It’s aluminum so it stays cool. It’s $60, which is mid-range but worth it for the port selection and reliability.
This is the hub I use when traveling or working from coffee shops. It covers every port situation I’ve ever encountered.
Get the Satechi Aluminum Multi-Port Adapter in Space Gray or Silver.
Satechi makes hubs that match MacBook finishes exactly. They’re slightly pricier than Anker but they look like they belong in the Apple ecosystem. The build quality is excellent, and they don’t have the “cheap dongle” aesthetic that some hubs do.
If you’re the kind of person who bought a MacBook partly because it looks good, this is the hub that won’t ruin that vibe.
Get the Anker PowerExpand Elite or Kensington SD5780T.
The Anker is $230 and provides 13 ports including dual 4K display support and 85W charging. It’s the best value Thunderbolt dockâyou get nearly everything the $400 CalDigit TS4 offers for almost half the price.
The Kensington SD5780T is $280 and is built like a tank. It’s what IT departments buy for corporate setups because it’s reliable, has robust driver support, and doesn’t randomly disconnect.
Both turn your laptop into a full desktop replacement. One cable connects everything: dual monitors, ethernet, USB peripherals, power. Sit down, plug in, done.
Get the Plugable UD-ULTC4K.
It uses DisplayLink to support displays over standard USB-C, which means you can run an external monitor even if your laptop doesn’t have native video output through USB-C. It includes four USB-A ports, ethernet, and 60W charging.
The DisplayLink driver can be slightly finicky (you need to install software), but once it’s set up, it works reliably. This is the hub for Dell, HP, and Lenovo laptops that have USB-C ports without Thunderbolt or DisplayPort alt mode.
At my desk, I use a CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt dock (older model, similar to the TS4). It connects my 14″ MacBook Pro to two 4K displays, gigabit ethernet, four USB-A devices, and charges at 87W. One cable. It’s been rock-solid for three years.
When I travel, I carry the Anker 563 hub. It covers 90% of situations, fits in my laptop bag’s cable pouch, and costs $60 instead of $400.
I don’t use cheap Amazon no-name hubs anymore after one caught fire (not kidding). The $15 savings isn’t worth risking your laptop or data.
That 12-in-1 hub with VGA, DVI, three SD card slots, and two ethernet ports seems like a great deal, but you’ll use four of those ports and the rest add complexity and failure points. Buy for your actual needs, not theoretical ones.
If you have a high-performance laptop, don’t cheap out and get a 60W PD hub when you need 100W. Your laptop will slowly drain during heavy use, which defeats the purpose of having a hub with charging.
Some hubs still ship with HDMI 1.4, which only supports 4K at 30Hz. This looks stuttery and terrible. Make sure the hub specifies HDMI 2.0 or better.
Thunderbolt hubs technically work with standard USB-C ports, but they run at reduced speed and functionality. You’re paying for features you can’t use. Check your laptop specs first.
If you’re just occasionally plugging in a flash drive or external monitor, a $30 hub is fine. Anker, uni, and other mid-tier brands are reliable for light use.
If you’re running a full desk setupâdual monitors, multiple peripherals, external drives, ethernetâinvest in a quality dock. The $150-250 range gets you proper cooling, stable power delivery, and build quality that lasts years.
Don’t buy the cheapest no-name hub you find on Amazon. They overheat, randomly disconnect, and some have literally caught fire or fried laptops. This isn’t worth $10 in savings.
USB-C hubs exist because laptop makers prioritized thinness over functionality. That’s annoying, but it’s reality. The good news: for $30-100, you can fix the problem and get back all the ports you actually need.
Buy a hub based on your actual use case. If you work from one desk, get a dock with enough power delivery and display support. If you move around, get a compact hub with the essentials. Don’t overthink it.
And if you’re still using three separate dongles for HDMI, USB-A, and ethernet, please stop. One good hub will replace all of them, reduce cable clutter, and make your setup way less annoying to use every day.