Tablets and laptops will only get stronger and stronger, but there are few enough ports to leverage all potential. While Bluetooth accessories certainly have their place, you might prefer the speed and accuracy of wired peripherals – not to mention projects without wireless counterparts.
5 You have two main options to add more connectivity on your tablet or laptop: docking station or hub. Both offer an additional combination of USB, HDMI, SD card slot, Ethernet and/or 3.5mm ports, so you can connect peripherals like monitors, wired mice and keyboards. Docking stations tend to be larger, require AC power, and are usually fixed. On the other hand, the USB-C hub is more portable and does not require its own power supply. We tested over a dozen options to come up with the best USB-C hub to maximize your port, and we already provided advice on finding one before you buy it.
Table of contents
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Best USB-C Hub of 2025
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What to look for in USB-C Hub
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How we test a USB-C hub
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Other wheel hubs we tested
Best USB-C Hub of 2025
What to look for in USB-C Hub
Hub and dock station
The first thing to decide is whether you need a USB-C hub or a USB-C docking station. There is no set standard that distinguishes the two, but docking stations tend to have more ports, offer separate DC power adapters, and cost more, with some of them reaching $400. We provide a separate guide to see if you are looking for something bigger than what we are discussing here. By comparison, the USB-C hub has four to 10 ports that can support via charging, which typically costs between $30 and $150.
The wheel hub, sometimes called a dongle or even a multipie adapter, makes more sense for smaller settings with only a few peripheral settings such as monitors, wired keyboards and mice, and occasionally external drives. They are also cheaper because they are small and do not require dedicated power. It can be useful if you change your work location but want to carry accessories with you, or if you want to replace your laptop with a more powerful tablet. For those who need to set up powerful settings for their laptops, including multiple external monitors, webcams, streamers, microphones, etc., docking stations make more sense.
Both the dock and the hubs make it easy to pick up your laptop from your desk for meetings or other brief relocations, and when you return you only need to plug in a cable to reconnect all the accessories.
port
The first port to consider is the one on your laptop or tablet. In order for the USB-C hub to be usable, it needs to be connected to ports that support video, data, and power – all of which are covered by anything listed on USB 3.0 or higher, including USB4 and Thunderbolt 3 and 4. Of course, the port also needs to be type-c. The ocean of laptops there is so it's hard to summarize, but modern laptops should have at least one USB-C port, which is enough, and in fact, our best laptops can do it.
Next, here is to find a good USB-C hub with the correct connections that suit your needs. Most hubs offer a combination of HDMI, USB, SD card reader, Ethernet and 3.5mm ports. If you have a 4K monitor and want a refresh rate of at least 60Hz, you need a hub with an HDMI 2.0 port – HDMI 1.4 can only reach 30Hz. HDMI 2.1 will handle 4K at 120Hz, but hubs with that standard are not as common yet. Remember that a lower refresh rate can cause your screen to feel lazy, make your mouse appear glitchy, and the webcam action looks delayed.
The other USB ports on these accessories are usually of Type A or Type-C. They can support data at different transfer rates (usually 5Gbps or 10Gbps). Some ports handle only passing power, without data, and some can perform data, power, and video, so it's better to check the specification list to make sure you get the support you need. Remember that the hub may bill its own expenses for a 7-in-1 price, but one of the ports may not work except for charging.
Standard SD and microSD slots can be used to transfer data from cameras, etc. The Ethernet port may have a faster internet speed than your Wi-Fi, and the hub with a 3.5mm jack can bring back some wired headphone connections that your laptop has abandoned.
Power delivery
I've tested almost all of my USB-C hubs with support for charging. This means that if your laptop or tablet is charged only via USB, you don't have to take over another port on your laptop to get everything on it. Unlike docking stations, powering the wheel hub is optional. An exception is to close the lid on your laptop if you are working on an external monitor. If the cover is turned off without power, most computers will go to sleep mode, so both the laptop or the hub needs to be plugged into the wall to prevent this from happening.
Many newer hubs include a 100W USB-C electric delivery (PD) port, and a healthy 80 to 85 watts are available for your Mac, PC or tablet (Hubs brings itself a little juice, so there is a difference of around 15 watts). In my tests, a powered USB hub was hotter than when it wasn't passed, so I prefer to use my own charger to power the computer directly. But for tablets or other devices without additional ports, this PD option is important.
Some PD ports are also data ports – both good and bad. On the one hand, using the perfect data port only for boring old power feels wasted. However, on the other hand, the USB-C connection that only carries charging is less versatile, and it seems to have more connections than the actual accessory.
design
There are few design variations between hubs. Most look like tablets, are a little smaller than smartphones, and have connected model host cables. Tones range from silver black to silver grey. Some are thinner than others, some have all ports on one edge and some have ports on both sides. All this just says that aesthetics may not make or disrupt your purchasing decision.
One change that can reduce the size is the length of the cable. When placing the hub on the table, the longer one will give you more freedom and may even let you hide it behind your laptop. Alternatively, you might prefer a shorter device to keep the hub next to your laptop.
How we test a USB-C hub
Before we test anything, we will look at the available content for shoppers, forum viewers, and other publications and how to receive them. When testing docking stations, I was familiar with some well-known brands, so I also looked at the hubs of these companies. I focus on projects that help with average productivity, not high-end settings or demanding gaming situations. Once I settled over a dozen people into a good candidate, I shipped them to a humble office in the desert and started testing them in a few weeks.
I used an M1 MacBook Pro as the host computer and plugged in accessories that include 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 light, a USB-A 3.0 Sandisk thumb drive, a USB-C Samsung T7 Shield external drive and a pair of wired headphones I got for free on an airplane (I should probably invest in some wired headphones, but the rope hanging over the chest drives me crazy, so all my earbuds are wireless). I use high-end HDMI and USB-C cables to make sure any data or connection issues are not relevant to my device.
I then put each USB-C hub in a series of basic tests. I looked at what could be plugged in immediately, resolution on the monitor, data transfer speed, overall build quality of the hub and general availability factors such as port placement and rope length. Finally, the value ratio helps determine the best for some different use cases.
Other wheel hubs we tested
Hyperdrive next port USB-C hub
HyperDrive's next port USB-C hub has a lot to like. The bound cable is 13 inches long, and the HDMI 2.0 port outputs a crisp and crisp 4K visual at 60Hz, and data transfers are screaming quickly. It has two coveted USB-C data ports as well as a PD port and even a headphone jack. The only thing that can stop the full throat recognition is the way our units handle flow lights. Keep the full brightness so the webcam flashes every time. This problem disappeared at 75% brightness, but the same problem did not occur in any other hub I've tested.
ANKER 341 USB-C Hub (7 inches 1)
There is nothing wrong with the Anker 341 USB-C hub. Actually, this is the current recommendation in our iPad accessories guide, which is for $35. It provides you with two USB-A ports as well as an SD slot. But at this point, the 1.4 HDMI connection that only supports 30Hz 4K resolution feels a bit retro. There is also only one USB-C downstream port, and the data transfer test proves to be slower than other wheel hubs. However, if you have a lower resolution monitor and don't need more than one USB-C, you won't be disappointed with it.
Starttech 4-port USB-C hub (data only)
I realized Starttech only when I started working on this guide. The quality is good, and the yellow accent is a welcome color in the hub world of quality. The performance is solid, no IQ I encountered. The brand's 4-port USB-C hub has a long rope that surrounds the hub itself, which is unique. It won't bother the power supply, and if you can power your computer directly, that's not a problem. However, the four USB ports (three types-a and one type C) are up to 5Gbps and there is no HDMI connector. It costs $46, and unfortunately, there are some cheaper ways to provide more USB ports for your setup.
This article originally appeared on Engadget
