Best USB-C Hub in 2022 – CNET [CNET]

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Josh Goldman/CNET

This USB-C hub has all the essentials most would 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 with power delivery, microSD and SD card slots and an HDMI out that supports resolutions up to 4K at 30Hz. At the end is a Gigabit Ethernet connection with an activity LED (something other hubs this size typically leave off). But, what sets it apart from others at this size are the handy labels printed on top of the anodized aluminum case. 

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

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Josh Goldman/CNET

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

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

To provide enough juice to run everything, though, the PowerExpand Elite has a large 180-watt power adapter. Also, the fanless design means the body is one big heat sink so it can get hot when it’s fully loaded. You can stand it vertically to help keep it cooler. 

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Josh Goldman/CNET

As its name implies, this device combines a USB-C hub with a folding laptop stand, letting you set up a more ergonomic work experience just about anywhere. The lightweight aluminum stand sets up in a matter of seconds. The laptop supports can be set at five different angles from 15 to 36 degrees, which makes it good for increasing airflow, getting a more comfortable typing angle or raising 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. 

Built into the left side is 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. Just connect the attached USB-C cable to a USB-C port on your laptop and you’re done. The cord conveniently stores on 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 it’s plugged in, but there is a USB-C power passthrough on the left foot for up to 100-watt power delivery. 

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Josh Goldman/CNET

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

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

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Josh Goldman/CNET

A remarkable compact docking station that shows off 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 a Thunderbolt 3 MacBook running MacOS 11 or later) and you get 11 ports for high-speed data, video and audio. 

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

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

You won’t find DisplayPort or HDMI connections, however. Also, it requires quite a bit of power to handle everything you connect to it, too, so the dock itself has a large 180-watt power supply. 

You won’t need any drivers or other software to get it working. However, Kensington’s included DockWorks software is a nice extra that 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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Joshua Goldman/CNET

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’ve got limited desk space, it might actually fit on the base of your monitor. Plus, the slim, lightweight body and its small power adapter slip easily into your bag if you need to travel with it. 

In back you’ll find three USB 3.1 Gen 2 type-A ports, two HDMI ports (one 4K, one 1080p), an Ethernet port and jacks for mic input and headphone output. 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 near-instantly start mirroring your display without needing a driver installed first. However, if you want to extend displays, you’ll need to download a driver for MacOS or Windows; Accell conveniently stores them onboard; a screen appears when you connect to the dock that gives 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-resolution monitor and use a keyboard and mouse if you want, too. There is a slight lag, but it otherwise worked fine. 

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Sarah Tew/CNET

If you want 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, lightweight dock has two USB-C ports, one of which supports power input. Connect your laptop (or Switch) to the other USB-C port and use the dock’s HDMI port to connect to a TV or external (resolutions up to 4K UHD at 30Hz will work) and you’re all ready to start work or playing with friends and family on a bigger screen. There are also two USB-A ports.

Note, though, that this does require a USB-C 15-volt, 2.6-amp power supply if you’re using it as a Switch dock, such as the one that comes with the Switch. With a laptop, you can use a USB-C power adapter with the dock’s 60-watt passthrough power delivery.

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

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

While USB-C ports may appear the same from device to device, they are not. Even USB-C ports on the same laptop might have different capabilities. For instance, 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 for what your laptop (or desktop) model supports before you buy a USB-C dock or adapter.