The best USB-C hub in 2022

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This USB-C hub has everything you need for office or home use at a reasonable price, especially if your laptop is limited to only USB-C ports. There are three USB-A ports, including one powered, microSD and SD card slots, and an HDMI output that supports resolutions up to 4K at 30Hz. At the end is a Gigabit Ethernet connection with an activity LED (something other hubs of this size don’t usually light up). But what sets it apart from others of its size are the handy labels printed on the anodized aluminum body.

There’s a 100-watt USB-C pass-through for power, with 15 watts used to power the hub. The hub is lightweight, which makes it great for travel, but also means that any cables you plug into it can cause it to slide around your desk – a common problem with hubs this size. But if you’re looking for a hub that covers everything from an external display and wired web access to charging your phone, this has you covered.

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The PowerExpand Elite is part USB-C dock and part charging station. There are 85- and 15-watt Thunderbolt 3 ports on the back, and an 18-watt USB-C power port on the front. The Thunderbolt 3 port supports a display with a resolution of up to 5K at 60Hz, while its HDMI 2.0 port can support a display with a resolution of up to 4K at 60Hz. Or you can run a dual USB-C to HDMI splitter and connect two 4K displays at 30Hz so you can run up to three monitors between the HDMI ports and Thunderbolt 3 ports.

You’ll also have four USB-A ports, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and a MicroSD and SD card reader. A 3.5mm combo jack handles audio output and input.

To provide enough power to run everything, however, the PowerExpand Elite has a large 180-watt power adapter. Also, the fanless design means the body is one big heatsink, so it can get hot when fully charged. You can place it vertically to cool it.

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As its name suggests, this device combines a USB-C hub with a foldable laptop stand, allowing you to create a more ergonomic work experience almost anywhere. The lightweight aluminum stand mounts in seconds. The laptop supports can be adjusted to five different angles from 15 to 36 degrees, making it suitable for increasing airflow, getting a more comfortable typing angle or elevating the display for better viewing. The stand supports up to a 17-inch laptop, but the larger the laptop, the more awkward it is trying to use the ports, especially the SD card slots.

The left side houses a 5Gbps USB-C port along with two USB 3.0 ports (also up to 5Gbps), a full-size HDMI output supporting up to 4K resolution at 30Hz, and SD and microSD card slots. Simply connect the included USB-C cable to your laptop’s USB-C port and you’re good to go. The cable is conveniently stored at the bottom of the stand when you’re traveling or don’t need to use the hub. It will draw power from your laptop when plugged in, but has a USB-C power transition on the left leg to deliver up to 100 watts of power.

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Most small USB-C hubs have short cables attached. This is fine if your laptop is on a desk and not on a laptop stand and this desk has plenty of space right next to your laptop’s USB-C port. For those who could use some extra cable reach, however, the Lention C37 is ideal.

The USB drive is still compact and lightweight, but has a 1-meter (3.3 ft) cable. There are two 60-watt USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, microSD and SD card slots, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. At the end is an HDMI output that supports 4K at 30Hz or lower resolutions at 60Hz. It’s also a great option for desktops that are kept on the floor.

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A remarkable compact docking station that shows what’s possible with a single Thunderbolt 4 port. Just connect the SD5700T with the included cable to your Windows 10 laptop with Thunderbolt 4 (or Thunderbolt 3 MacBook with MacOS 11 or later) and you get 11 ports for high-speed data, video and audio.

For data, it can handle transfer speeds of up to 40 Gbps — perfect for working with large files like photos and videos. The dock also has a Gigabit Ethernet jack and a UHS-II SD 4.0 card slot. For monitors, you can connect two 4K @ 60Hz displays, one 5K @ 60Hz display, or one 8K @ 30Hz display. There are also four USB-A ports: three on the back that are USB 3.2 Gen 2 (for speeds up to 10Gbps) and one USB 2.0 on the front for fast charging devices. You’ll also find a combo headphone jack on the front.

The single Thunderbolt 4 port on the front supports up to 90 watts of power, so I was able to plug in a laptop and keep it charged while running a 4K display at 60Hz from one of the dock’s three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back. I also connected a second USB-C powered display with full HD resolution at 60Hz to another downstream port.

You won’t find any DisplayPort or HDMI connections, however. It also requires quite a bit of power to handle whatever you plug into it, so the dock itself has a hefty 180-watt power supply.

You won’t need any drivers or other software to make it work. Kensington’s included DockWorks software is a nice extra, though, and will automatically switch from Wi-Fi to Ethernet when you connect to the dock to give you the fastest connection speeds possible.

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The Accell’s simple, low-profile design won’t tip over like vertical docks, and it’s easier to blindly plug into its connections. If you have limited desk space, it can really fit on your monitor stand. Plus, the slim, lightweight body and its tiny power adapter slide easily into your bag if you need to travel with it.

On the back, you’ll find three USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A ports, two HDMI ports (one 4K, one 1080p), an Ethernet port, and microphone-in and headphone-out jacks. A single USB-C port is on the right side. Accell includes USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables to connect to your laptop.

True to its name, you can connect it to your laptop and it will almost instantly begin mirroring your display without the need to install a driver first. However, if you want to extend the displays, you’ll need to download a MacOS or Windows driver; Accell conveniently stores them on board; when you connect to the dock, a screen appears giving you the option to install it.

It also works with Chromebooks, and if you have an Android phone or tablet, you can download the free Accell app and then connect to the dock to mirror your device’s display to a single 1080p monitor and use a keyboard and mouse. if you want too. There is a slight lag but otherwise it works fine.

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If you’re looking to expand your laptop’s port options as well as dock your Nintendo Switch, the $70 Dock Pro 60 is all you need. The slim, small and light dock has two USB-C ports, one of which supports power. Connect your laptop (or switch) to the other USB-C port and use the HDMI port on the dock to connect to a TV or external (resolutions up to 4K UHD at 30Hz will work) and you’re ready to start working or playing with friends and family on a bigger screen. There are also two USB-A ports.

Note, however, that this requires a USB-C 15-volt, 2.6-amp power supply if you’re using it as a Switch dock, like the one that comes with the Switch. With a laptop, you can use a USB-C power adapter with a 60-watt power supply on the docking station.

Bonus for users of Samsung Galaxy devices: Dock Pro 60 supports Samsung DeX, so you can use your phone or tablet with an external display for a desktop-style experience.

The USB port most people are familiar with is USB Type-A. Sometimes called a standard or regular USB port, it’s rectangular and requires you to plug in your cable right side up so that the prongs inside the connectors line up properly. The newer USB-C port is a small oval that uses a reversible connector, so you don’t need to flip it around to get the right position.

While USB-C ports may look the same from device to device, they are not. Even USB-C ports on the same laptop can have different capabilities. For example, Thunderbolt 3 or 4 devices will only be fully supported by a computer with the corresponding Thunderbolt USB-C port. Unfortunately, you can’t just look at the port and know exactly what you have. Check with your computer manufacturer to see what your laptop (or desktop) model supports before buying a USB-C dock or adapter.