Digital It enriches the IT department by opening a comparison of USB-C hubs. Multiple true laptop sockets, these little boxes are now subject to our own lab testing protocol.
USB-C hubs have been on the rise for several months now. Taking advantage of the boom in remote work, these boxes allow computer users – especially laptops – to gain flexibility: A single cable connection provides multiple USB ports, a video output, a network socket, memory cards, and can even pass current electrical current to recharge the computer ( power delivery). A true Swiss military knife for computers, the USB-C hub is very practical for those who alternate between remote work and face-to-face dealing: the user plugs or unplugs a single cable to connect their laptop to their workstation.
Models are quite numerous, prices range from ten to several hundred euros. The cheapest ones are content that offers a few USB-A ports, while the most advanced are offering laptop charging, 4K video output at 60 frames per second, or even an integrated video conferencing solution.
In order to guide you better, we present a comparison of USB-C hubs. The boxes are tested according to a strict laboratory protocol. We first check if the technical specifications are respectable, particularly in terms of video output, network jack, or ability to withstand charging via power delivery. We also record the speeds on the various ports (USB, SD, Network), as well as the operating temperature with our thermal camera.
Three models were tested to open this comparison. Anker PowerExpand+, which offers connectivity savings (network, 4K 60Hz output, USB-A, USB-C, Power Delivery, SD, microSD), Ugreen 7-in-1, which offers similar connectivity, and finally Belkin Dock Plus, a more advanced box It also runs two video outputs, Thunderbolt 3 and even has audio (headphone/microphone) connections. We will be adding more models over the weeks and will do our best to meet all budgets to help you make an informed decision.
