Today we’re going to be highlighting the many USB-C hubs available from Satechi, a popular accessory maker headquartered in sunny San Diego, California.
These hubs turn a single USB-C port into a large number of other ports: full-size USB 3.0, HDMI, ethernet and more. Many also include USB-C ports, allowing you to continue charging your device with the hub connected.
No matter which device you have or which features you want to find, it should be easy to choose the right hub after you read this article!
We’re currently stocking five different Satechi USB-C hubs, so in order to make things easier we’ll split these into two categories: laptop hubs and universal hubs with a USB-C cable. For each hub, we’ll provide a comparison of its ports, colours and price. Afterwards, we’ll look at what each of these features means in more detail. Let’s begin!
Satechi USB-C hubs for Macbooks & USB-C laptops
These hubs sit flush with the side of a MacBook and other USB-C laptops of a similar size, giving you more ports while keeping things neat and tidy. Here’s how each of the three options compare:
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| USB 3.0 | Yes (2) | Yes (2) | Yes (3) |
| USB-C | Yes (2) | Yes | No |
| HDMI | Yes | No | No |
| Card readers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ethernet | No | No | No |
| Colours | Space Grey | Silver, Space Grey Gold, Rose Gold |
Space Grey |
| Price | £££ | £ | ££ |
See more information price and availability on the product pages:
Satechi universal USB-C hubs
These hubs come with a short cable, providing compatibility with a wide range of USB-C devices, including laptops, tablets and smartphones. Here’s how our two universal hubs compare:
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| USB 3.0 | Yes (3) | Yes (2) |
| USB-C | Yes | Yes |
| HDMI | Yes | Yes |
| Card readers | Yes | Yes |
| Ethernet | Yes | No |
| Colours | Space Grey, Silver | Silver |
| Price | £££ | ££ |
See more information price and availability on the product pages:
Features explained
So what do each of these features actually mean? Let’s break it down!
- USB 3.0: these full-size USB ports allow you to connect a wide range of USB devices, including mice, keyboards, headsets, flash storage drives and more. You used to find at least two or three USB ports on most laptops, so you’ll usually find the same amount on these hubs.
- USB-C: these ports often allow you to charge your laptop (or other USB-C device) through the hub, ensuring you don’t lose any functionality by having the hub connected. Some advanced USB-C hubs include Thunderbolt 3 connectivity as well, allowing faster speeds (40Gb/s vs 10Gb/s) and connection of additional accessories.
- HDMI: USB-C hubs can connect to monitors, TVs and projectors over HDMI. Generally, hubs will only be able to support 4K at 30Hz or 1080p at 60Hz; for 4K at 60Hz you’ll need a dedicated USB-C to HDMI adapter instead of a multi-port hub. This is great for showing videos or presentations on the largest screen in the room, or boosting your productivity by hooking up a second monitor.
- Card readers: All Satechi hubs shown here provide two different card readers: Micro SD for smaller devices like drones, smartphones or action cameras, and SD for larger devices like DSLR cameras. This is incredibly useful for anyone that needs to edit photos or video on the go.
- Ethernet: Despite advances in wireless networking tech, wired ethernet cables provide the fastest and most stable internet connection.
- Colours: Many laptop USB-C hubs are designed to match the colours of common laptops like the MacBook Pro, while others remain in a more neutral colour like silver.
- Price: The asking price for these hubs on Mobile Fun at the time of writing, on a scale of £ to £££. Prices and availability can always change, so you’re best of checking the product page for the latest information!
Wrapping up
I hope this summary of Satechi’s USB-C hubs has been useful for you! If you have any questions or suggestions on how to improve this page, please let us know in the comments below. You can also reach us on Twitter @mobilefun!