Ezdiy 2 Port Usb 3 Usb 2 Hub Review
The research
- Why you should trust me
- Who this is for
- How we picked
- The all-time USB-C hub: Anker PowerExpand eight-in-i USB-C PD 10Gbps Data Hub
- Flaws but non dealbreakers
- A keen assortment of data ports at a lower price: Anker PowerExpand+ 7-in-i USB-C PD Media Hub
- If you need more USB-C ports: Satechi 4-Port USB-C Hub
- If yous need to hook up a lot of USB-A accessories at one time: Anker x-Port 60W USB iii.0 Hub
- The contest
Why you should trust me
I've been covering mobile and estimator accessories for more than than a decade. During my tenure, I've reviewed more than ane,000 iOS and Mac products, including dozens of hubs and docks over several iterations of this guide.
Who this is for
USB-C hubs and docks let you hook your old stuff upwardly to your new stuff. Many new computers, including Apple tree's MacBook models and Dell's XPS thirteen, have but USB-C ports. If you demand to connect flash drives, printers, an Ethernet cablevision, a display, or whatsoever other accessories you already own, a USB-C hub or dock lets yous hook them all upwardly to a single USB-C port at once. If you but demand more USB-A ports, a hub or dock that accepts that cablevision standard is still a bully choice.
If y'all're looking for a more than-powerful desktop docking choice and your calculator's USB-C ports also support Thunderbolt 3, yous might consider a Thunderbolt iii dock, which can connect to more monitors and transfer data faster, though you lot have to pay quite a flake more than for the privilege. If you're simply looking for a manner to get more USB-C ports, unfortunately you're out of luck: Equally of mid-2021, we take even so to find any USB-C hubs or docks that add extra USB-C information ports.
How we picked
We researched and tested hubs with a number of different port layouts, ranging from models with merely USB-A ports to those with USB-A plus ability pass-through, video output, Ethernet connectors, and SD card slots.
We tested each hub with a MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019). Our tests included the following:
- USB-A speed: Although USB-A ports generally don't support data-transfer rates every bit fast as those of USB-C or Thunderbolt three connectors, it's still important to be able to transfer data quickly. We ran AJA System Test speed tests using the Samsung T5 Portable SSD (500 GB) to measure transfer speeds. Since SSDs are faster than spinning hard drives, our use of the T5 ensured that the speeds we measured weren't hindered past the bulldoze. Most of the hubs nosotros tested advertised USB 3.0 speeds, which max out at 640 megabytes per 2d on paper. Our measured speeds landed largely in the 400 to 425 MB/s range; we eliminated whatsoever model that was noticeably slower.
- HDMI: A hub can be very useful at a desk-bound, particularly if y'all want to hook your computer upwardly to an external monitor. We continued each of the hubs via HDMI to a Philips 272P7VUBNB/27 monitor with the resolution set to 4K, and nosotros used the Mistiness Busters UFO Move Test to confirm the refresh rate. Most hubs back up just a 30 Hz refresh rate (the epitome refreshes 30 times a second) at 4K resolution, but a handful now support a smoother sixty Hz rate, and nosotros prefer those hubs that do.
- Ethernet: A wired Ethernet connection is almost always faster than Wi-Fi and is more reliable, too. Most hubs with Ethernet ports back up gigabit speeds, meaning information can transfer at up to 1,000 megabits a second. For each model in the test group, we verified the connection speed in Network Utility on a Mac, which displays the maximum link speed. (Note that unless you have reliable Gigabit Ethernet service, you won't exist able to measure out if the port is actually performing at full speed.)
- Oestrus: Because hubs and adapters tin get hot during utilise—especially, judging from our experience, when Ethernet is in use—we besides measured the temperatures of our picks with an infrared thermometer after 15 minutes of continuous information and Ethernet utilise to make sure they weren't dangerously hot. As a representative from Satechi (a prolific hub and accessory maker responsible for i of our sometime picks) explained to us: "All the bandwidth that goes to Ethernet, HDMI, USB and SD menu ports requires energy consumption and that's transferred to heat. Operating temperatures between 86-122 degrees Fahrenheit … are normal." We didn't mensurate anything at or even close to 122 degrees, but nosotros would take disqualified any model going over that temperature as a safety hazard.
- Ability pass-through: All the hubs we considered also have a USB-C port that allows you to plug in your charger without taking up a second port on the estimator itself (if it even has a second port). USB-C supports power at up to 100 watts, while laptops take anywhere from thirty watts (for a small car such every bit the MacBook Air) to 45 watts (for many midrange laptops, as Chromebooks tend to be) to 97 watts (for the 16-inch MacBook Pro). We've found the Power tab in macOS's System Study to accurately report the wattage of the power source, and in our tests we compared the figures stated there against what each company advertised.
- SD menu: Photograph and video files can be quite big, so with a fast SD-card transfer rate yous won't have to wait effectually to import a mean solar day'south worth of shots from your bill of fare. Since SD cards are less unremarkably used than USB ports these days, this feature isn't as important. Nosotros ran AJA Arrangement Test on a 64 GB SanDisk Farthermost Pro, the fastest UHS-I card we tested in 2020. Nosotros've measured read and write rates with this card at 93.78 MB/due south and 84.58 MB/s, respectively, in other tests; with these hubs, the fastest read speeds were near 89 MB/southward, and write speeds reached 75 MB/due south.
- microSD card: Taking what nosotros knew well-nigh SD cards, nosotros applied the same thinking toward microSD cards, which are used less frequently these days and are naturally slower. We ran the same test every bit to a higher place using the SanDisk MicroSDXC carte for Nintendo Switch. Figures for the best-performing hubs came close to what we've seen in other tests, with read speeds effectually 89 MB/s and write speeds maxing out at near 59 MB/s.
We also took size into consideration. People frequently use their hubs with a portable setup, and then the smaller and lighter a hub is, the better.
The best USB-C hub: Anker PowerExpand 8-in-one USB-C PD 10Gbps Information Hub
Our selection
Dissimilar other hubs we tested, the Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C PD 10Gbps Data Hub can send a clear, crisp image to high-resolution 4K monitors without sacrificing the smoothen movement and blitheness of a high screen-refresh rate. It's the best way to add the widest assortment and greatest number of the fastest ports to your USB-C–based computer. Plus, the sturdy and highly portable design makes it handy on the go or even as a semipermanent desk accessory.
Ports and features
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The most noteworthy feature of the PowerExpand 8-in-i is the video output from its HDMI port. Since this production category launched, nosotros've been disappointed to come across that every hub has limited its video signal to a 30 Hz refresh rate at 4K resolution. But this Anker hub is i of a handful of newer models that—finally—let for 60 Hz, then they allow sixty refreshes of the display per second, or double the number of images per 2nd compared with a 30 Hz refresh rate. The result is an feel equally smooth as you go on the screens of nearly laptops, and it'south far nicer than the jerkier 30 Hz movement we're used to.
| Read (MB/s) | Write (MB/s) | |
|---|---|---|
| USB-A | 525.3 | 469.iii |
| USB-C | 524.7 | 470.seven |
| SD card | 86.0 | 76.3 |
| microSD card | 84.3 | 56.7 |
Read and write speeds on the Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 Data Hub, in megabytes per 2nd.
There are some kinds of ports that all hubs must have, and some that are squeamish merely not necessary; the PowerExpand viii-in-1 hub has the essentials and omits annihilation superfluous. In our tests, this Anker model's ports worked equally expected. Its USB read and write speeds were faster than those of USB 3.1 Gen i models (that is, pretty much all the other hubs nosotros tested) past about 22% for reading data and 12% for writing—on a par with the speeds of other USB 3.2 Gen 2 models we've tested. The Ethernet port, which is useful if you need a hardwired cyberspace connection, measured at i gigabit per 2nd, as advertised.
The PowerExpand viii-in-1 also has SD and microSD card slots on one edge for photograph and video transfers. Their speeds match the fastest we've seen in our tests over the past several years.
When we continued Nekteck'south 100W PD iii.0 GaN Wall Charger to the hub, our sixteen-inch MacBook Pro reported receiving 85 watts—enough for the MacBook Pro to stay powered and to accuse at just a little slower than full speed. The PowerExpand eight-in-1 can pass enough ability for virtually laptops to charge at full speed, whether the laptop is a Chromebook, an ultrabook, or just about any smaller MacBook.
This aluminum hub is a flake larger than comparable devices, at 4.eight inches long, two.2 inches broad, and 0.vi inch thick. Its 7-inch USB-C cable is long enough that you lot should be able to position the hub every bit needed, and the cable feels sturdy simply non so stiff that it'south hard to proceed the string where you want it.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
This Anker hub's price has jumped dramatically in 2021, from a usual selling toll of $60 to $90 at this writing. Such a price hike isn't unique to this particular production or to Anker, though, as bit shortages, aircraft delays, and Amazon's brand delistings have thrown a major wrench into the works for hubs and docks. If you can't justify spending well-nigh $100 on a hub, consider our budget selection.
The PowerExpand 8-in-1's ii USB-A ports are somewhat tightly arranged side by side, so you lot may not exist able to connect multiple flash drives or thicker plugs at a time.
Like many USB-C hubs we've tested, the PowerExpand 8-in-1 gets hot during apply. We measured information technology at 108.vii °F later on 15 minutes with the USB-C power cable and a USB bulldoze plugged in. That's warm enough to be noticeable when y'all touch on the hub, but not so much that it's dangerous—as we noted above, that'southward within the normal operating temperature for this kind of accompaniment. Your laptop's charger probably gets hotter than that.
A great array of information ports at a lower price: Anker PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB-C PD Media Hub
If yous need more USB-C ports: Satechi 4-Port USB-C Hub
Besides great
Satechi 4-Port USB-C Hub
More than USB-C ports
Satechi's hub is the only ane that transforms one USB-C port into four. Merely with middling transfer speeds and no support for video or charging, information technology is best for accessories similar keyboards, mice, and fill-in drives.
Ownership Options
A hub that adds many dissimilar kinds of connectors to your computer can be useful if you need to hook up to many different kinds of accessories. But if y'all're more concerned near adding more USB-C ports, especially if your computer has a limited number of them, we recommend Satechi's 4-Port USB-C Hub. It's the only reputable model we've establish that splits i USB-C port into four. And though information technology'southward limited to data transfer, and not video or ability passthrough, it performs exactly also as promised.
- Four USB-C 3.2 Gen i
Our tests showed the Satechi's data speeds were in the range we'd expect from USB-C 3.two Gen 1 ports, and about the same equally we measured on the PowerExpand+ seven-in-i Media Hub. If you're regularly transferring big amounts of information, you might feel limited by the speeds. Only if you're merely leaving a drive connected for Time Machine backups or occasionally plugging in a flash drive, yous'll exist fine.
| Read (MB/southward) | Write (MB/south) | |
| USB-C | 419.0 | 415.3 |
Read and write speeds on the Satechi 4-Port USB-C Hub, in megabytes per second.
If you lot want to connect to an external monitor, charge a device, or do passthrough charging to your computer, this hub is not the right pick for y'all. Its ports do data, and data just.
The Satechi hub is two.4 inches square and less than a quarter inch at its thickest point, making it smaller than the remainder of the models in this guide (not needing to arrange taller ports, such as USB-A, allows it to be this thin). Its 8.75-inch, permanently attached cablevision feels sturdy and should be long enough that yous can position it as needed without it beingness unwieldy.
If you need to hook up a lot of USB-A accessories at once: Anker 10-Port 60W USB three.0 Hub
Also great
Anker 10-Port 60W USB 3.0 Hub
The most ports
If you need to plug a lot of accessories into the older-standard USB-A port, this hub from Anker is a amend option. Information technology has vii USB three.1 Gen one data ports and 3 high-speed charging ports facing upward, then cables and plugs take up less room on your desk.
- Vii USB-A three.2 Gen 1
- 3 12-watt USB-A
The Anker 10-Port 60W USB 3.0 Hub is the best hub for most people who need to connect a lot of devices at once. It has a great, usable design that most competitors lack: Sporting seven upright-facing USB-A data ports (3.ii Gen 1) plus three USB-A charging ports each capable of supplying 12 watts, it's 1 of the few multiport USB-A hubs nosotros trust that are nevertheless available as USB-C becomes the new standard.
We connected vii of our favorite flash drives to the hub and transferred data to them while likewise charging an iPad on one of the hub's charging ports. It was just every bit speedy as the best of the other big hubs we tested—but they all had worse designs in one mode or another.
All x of the hub'southward ports face up up to reduce desk clutter, so yous don't have a bunch of USB plugs sticking out in every direction. Although Anker advertises the iii charging ports as providing 2.1 amps (or 10.5 watts) each, we measured them at ii.four amps each (12 watts). Anker told us that when all the ports are in use, private ports "might not reach the max 2.4A value," so the company nether-promises on performance. This hub's measured results indicate that it tin accuse even power-hungry tablets, likewise as smartphones and other devices, at fast rates. (There'southward no harm in plugging your phone into a 12-watt charging port—the phone volition draw just as much electric current every bit it needs.) This Anker hub also kept all our devices connected and charging—we didn't experience any unexplained disconnections during our tests. And the charging ports work even if the hub is connected only to its AC adapter and not to a computer.
Information technology'south withal just a blackness rectangle, but it'due south sturdy, designed with an LED indicator for each data port, and equipped with lengthy Air conditioning and USB cords for easy setup. It's also covered by an 18-month warranty. Notation that this 10-port hub comes with a USB-A cable, so if y'all're looking to connect it to a USB-C–based computer, y'all'll need a USB-C–to–USB-B cable.
Anker's USB hubs are specially reliable. One Wirecutter editor has been actively using a variant of this selection since 2013, and information technology's however working well, so we're confident this hub volition last you.
The competition
USB-C hubs
Ugreen'due south 9-in-1 USB C Hub was our sometime upgrade choice for an Ethernet connection, but like all of the other models nosotros've dismissed, its video output is limited to 30 Hz at high resolution.
Vava's VA-UC010 and Aukey'southward Link PD Pro USB-C Hub (CB-C71) are a little slower than our picks. Of their three USB-A ports, only 2 back up USB 3.0 speeds, with the final limited to 2.0 rates. Merely they each have an Ethernet port, so if that's of value to you and ane of these models pops up at a great toll, go for it.
Aukey'south 12-in-1 USB-C Hub (CB-C78) is big and expensive—for the price, you lot get 2 HDMI ports and 4 USB-A ports, among others. In our testing, its SD and microSD read and write speeds were much slower than those of other models.
Despite advertising 60-watt power pass-through, Anker'due south PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB C Hub (similarities in name aside, this model is different from our budget pick) put out only 48 watts in our tests.
Twelve South's StayGo comes with both a short USB-C cable (which you can store within the unit of measurement) and a longer cable; the combination allows you to easily use the hub at your desk or on the go. Unfortunately, at 5 inches long and 2.4 inches broad, this model is larger than well-nigh of the hubs we've seen, and in our testing it didn't produce a proper xxx Hz refresh charge per unit even at 1080p resolution, let solitary 60 Hz at 4K. It'southward likewise the most expensive hub nosotros tested.
Kingston'south Nucleum is 1 of the few USB-C hubs to feature a USB-C data port in addition to 1 for ability, but information technology lacks an Ethernet connection. If you value that extra USB-C port and don't need Ethernet, consider it.
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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-usb-c-hubs-and-docks/