The 8 best USB hubs (2025), tested and reviewed

USB hubs He should They’re simple devices, but it doesn’t seem possible to create one port to control them all without things getting a bit messy. We’ve got a full explanation here, but if you just want to get the basics before purchasing your position, here are some things to keep in mind.

Port speeds are important; Version numbers no. It’s tempting to look at the USB 3.2 label and assume that it’s faster than USB 3.0, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. In fact, many manufacturers have started by default writing the speed of individual ports directly on the device itself, rather than relying on version numbers in spec sheets.

Use Thunderbolt for most of your data-hungry devices. Thunderbolt is an improved version of USB, developed by Intel and Apple, that uses the same USB-C port you’re used to. These can afford huge Large amounts of data (up to 40Gbps for Thunderbolt 3 and 4 ports), making it ideal for things like SSDs, 4K and 8K displays, or monitors with very high frame rates for gaming. Now we’re on the cusp of Thunderbolt 5, which is slowly making its way into some laptops. (Make sure your laptop port supports Thunderbolt.)

Don’t forget strength. Most USB hubs draw electricity directly from your laptop to power any devices connected to it, but they obviously need to use an outlet to do so. However, some hubs support USB Power Delivery (or USB-PD, sometimes marketed as “pass-through charging”) which allows you to plug a charger into one of the ports on the hub so you can keep charging your laptop while plugging in all your extra gear.