It's easy to buy a USB-C hub with far more ports than you'll ever plug into, so this guide sorts the best USB-C hubs by how many you need: a tidy 5-in-1 for a monitor and a couple of accessories, a 7-in-1 that adds wired networking and a card reader, and a 10-in-1 docking station that runs a whole desk. For most laptops that middle rung is the sweet spot, which is why UGREEN's Revodok 7-in-1 takes the top slot here. After the picks: which one to dock a Steam Deck with, and whether you need Ethernet or an SD slot at all. If you're still deciding between a small hub and a full desk dock, our hub vs docking station guide walks through where the line sits.
Top picks
1. UGREEN Revodok 7-in-1 USB C Hub with Gigabit Ethernet - Best Overall
SPP Score: 9.1 / 10 - Ethernet and 4K HDMI in a 7-in-1. Our all-round pick.
Capability 8.5/10 - Versatility 9.4/10 - Build 8.5/10 - Value 8.9/10 - Fit 9.8/10
Fit for this guide: A laptop desk gets its monitor, a wired connection and an SD slot from this one 7-in-1.
Every pick here is scored out of 10: four marks rate the product and are the same in every guide, and the fifth rates its fit for this guide - how we test and score.
This UGREEN's listing title packs the essentials into a 7-in-1: a 4K HDMI output for a monitor, a Gigabit Ethernet socket for a stable wired connection, an SD card reader and Power Delivery it rates at 100W for pass-through charging. That's enough to turn a port-starved laptop into a proper desk without stepping up to a bulkier dock.
Pros
- ✓ Gigabit Ethernet built in for a steadier wired connection than Wi-Fi
- ✓ Pass-through charging its listing title rates at 100W
- ✓ An SD card reader for camera cards, per its listing title
Cons
- ✗ Its title doesn't list the USB port mix, so check it covers your peripherals
- ✗ Its title gives 4K HDMI without a refresh rate, so check the listing if 4K at 60Hz matters
Who it's for: Anyone who wants the everyday essentials, wired internet included, in one hub that isn't oversized.
Who it's not for: People running two monitors, who want the 10-in-1 built for them, and anyone whose desk is one screen and nothing else, who would be paying for ports they never fill.
2. Anker USB C Hub 5-in-1 with 4K HDMI - Best Budget
SPP Score: 8.7 / 10 - A 5-in-1 for people who don't need the extras. Our value pick.
Capability 8.0/10 - Versatility 8.9/10 - Build 9.4/10 - Value 8.9/10 - Fit 8.9/10
Fit for this guide: A 5-in-1 with 4K HDMI and 85W pass-through fits a desk that plugs in little else.
If your desk is really just a monitor, a couple of USB accessories and the laptop's own charger, a 5-in-1 is plenty. Anker's listing title gives this one 4K HDMI and "85W Max PD" for pass-through charging. Its title names no Ethernet or card reader, so it suits people whose networking is Wi-Fi and whose files arrive over the cloud rather than off a camera card; check the listing for its USB ports.
Pros
- ✓ 4K HDMI for a monitor, per its listing title
- ✓ Up to 85W to the laptop through the hub, per its listing title ("85W Max PD")
Cons
- ✗ Its listing title names no Ethernet socket, so a wired desk means stepping up to the 7-in-1
- ✗ Five connections in all, the fewest here, so a busy desk outgrows it
Who it's for: Light setups that need a screen and a few USB ports, and nothing they'll leave unused.
Who it's not for: Anyone who wants room to grow, or a card reader the 7-in-1's title names.
3. UGREEN Revodok Pro 210 USB C Docking Station (10-in-1) - Best Premium
SPP Score: 9.0 / 10 - A 10-in-1 dock that runs the whole desk. Our pick for maximum capability.
Capability 9.8/10 - Versatility 9.8/10 - Build 8.5/10 - Value 8.9/10 - Fit 8.0/10
Fit for this guide: A 10-in-1 dock for dual monitors is more hub than a single-screen desk fills.
This is where a hub becomes a docking station. UGREEN's listing title calls the Revodok Pro 210 a 10-in-1 laptop docking station for dual monitors at "Dual 4K@60Hz", so you can run a two-screen desk from a single cable to the laptop. The title doesn't break down the other ports, so check the listing for the rest of the ten. It's the pick for people who dock in the morning and don't want to think about ports again until home time. If you'd rather see the biggest desk docks on their own, our USB-C docking station guide goes deeper on that class.
Pros
- ✓ Two monitors at dual 4K@60Hz, per its listing title
- ✓ A 10-in-1 layout covers a full desk from one cable to the laptop
Cons
- ✗ Its listing title doesn't name its video sockets, so check they match your monitors' inputs
- ✗ A 10-in-1 dock built for a fixed desk rather than a bag
Who it's for: Permanent desks, especially two-monitor ones, that want everything on a single dock.
Who it's not for: Anyone with one screen and a handful of accessories.
Quick verdict
For most laptops the UGREEN Revodok 7-in-1 USB C Hub with Gigabit Ethernet hits the right balance: a screen, wired internet and a card reader without the bulk of a dock. If your desk is simpler, the Anker USB C Hub 5-in-1 with 4K HDMI does the core job with nothing spare. And if you run two monitors and want everything on one dock, the UGREEN Revodok Pro 210 USB C Docking Station (10-in-1) is the one to go for.
Using a hub with a Steam Deck
Dock a Steam Deck with the Revodok 7-in-1. UGREEN's listing names the Steam Deck among the devices it works with, and it has what a Deck on the telly uses: HDMI out and Ethernet for big downloads; check the listing for the USB ports a wired pad, keyboard or mouse needs. Plug the Deck's own charger, which Valve lists as a "PD3.0 Type C power supply, 45W", into the hub's PD charging port and the hub passes power on to the Deck while it plays. That is the job of USB Power Delivery: "power delivery along with data over a single cable", in the USB-IF's words. Away from the telly, our Steam Deck power bank guide keeps it going.
Do you need Ethernet or an SD slot on the hub?
For a wired connection, the 7-in-1's listing title names Gigabit Ethernet; the 10-in-1's title doesn't name one, so check its listing. If your broadband is faster than a gigabit, or the socket is all you need, our USB-C Ethernet adapter guide covers stand-alone adapters up to 5G.
For camera cards, the 7-in-1 has the reader built in. If you offload camera cards every day, a dedicated reader is worth a look, and our USB-C SD card reader guide includes a dual-slot UHS-II model.
Hubs for a specific laptop or desk
- On a MacBook Air M1? See our best USB-C hub for the MacBook Air M1.
- Using an iPad Pro? The same MacBook Air M1 hub guide has a section on which pick suits an iPad Pro desk.
- Docking a Lenovo ThinkPad at a desk? Our USB-C docking station guide has a section on it.
- Running two monitors? Dual-display support is fussy, so read the best USB-C hub for dual monitors.
How we chose
We started from the ports people genuinely use day to day, not the longest spec list. A hub earns its place by covering a real setup, so we weighed display output, pass-through charging wattage, whether wired Ethernet is on board, how many connections you get, and each brand's record on build. Claims like wattage and dual-4K support are taken from each listing title, and we say so where it matters.
FAQ
Q: Are USB-C hubs any good, or do they cause problems? A: A decent one from an established brand is reliable for everyday display, charging and data. The catch is usually the laptop rather than the hub: a USB-C port has to support DisplayPort Alt Mode before any hub can push video out of it, and some budget laptops and tablets ship data-only ports. Check that first, then match the hub to what you'll actually ask of it. The other common snag is power rather than the port: a bus-powered hub shares one socket's budget across everything plugged into it, so if you plan to hang external drives or other hungry kit off it, our powered USB hub explainer covers when a mains-powered model is worth it.
More questions, answered in full
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