Your laptop will never It has enough ports, especially if it’s the Macbook Air this guide was written on. You can carry a variety of dongles to plug everything in, or you can purchase one of these USB hubs. Hubs expand the number and type of ports available from a device so you can reduce clutter. After testing dozens over the years, these are the best USB hubs I’ve found for different needs.
Looking for more home office gadgets and gadgets? Check out our other guides, including the ultimate work-from-home gear, best office chairs, best USB flash drives, and best portable external storage drives.
May 2024 Update: Added Monoprice 5-in-1 USB-C Hub, Satechi 8K Multiport USB-C Hub, and Ugreen Revodok Pro 211 Docking Station.
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Do you need a hub or docking station?
usb hubs They are small, portable devices that you can plug directly into a port on your laptop for additional USB ports, SD card readers, headphone jacks, and other additional connections. However, if you plan to regularly connect your laptop to a full workstation (with keyboard, mouse, monitors and the whole shebang), then you may want to consider a docking station.
USB docking stations They’re bigger, more expensive, and designed to spend most of your time at your desk. They typically have a power supply for charging other devices and offer multiple monitor outputs, as well as Ethernet connections. If you frequently use your laptop on a desk, we’ll have a new guide on the best docking stations soon, so stay tuned.