USB Hubs For Mac Explained: Don't WASTE your MONEY!

Don't buy just ANY USB hub for your Mac! Going over what to look out for, breaking down USB docking stations and hubs for Apple computers.
ALL THE GEAR IN THIS VIDEO IS LISTED BELOW 👇
I recently went through the painstaking process of finding the perfect hub for my M2 MacBook Air, and my M1 Mac Mini, and learned a lot during the process. There are so many USB docks and hubs out there, and so much JUNK. In this video, I want to break down what to look out for, and help you find the best usb hub for your Mac (or really, any PC or laptop).
WATCH PART 2 HERE: • Premium USB Hubs For M...
PRODUCT LINKS:
UGREEN USB-C Hub: amzn.to/3dNZ6pO
Kingston MobileLite Plus UHS-II SD Card Reader: amzn.to/3CsFgLn
Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB Hub: amzn.to/3KjaoyM
ORICO Thunderbolt 3 Dock: amzn.to/3cIZzK1
Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock: amzn.to/3AhTFax
LINKS TO MY CURRENT DESK SETUP:
Apple MacBook Air M2: amzn.to/3PtGZCG
Hagabis Vertical Stand: amzn.to/3dC3wAl
Razer ProClick Mouse: amzn.to/3CvIGdf
Logitech MX Keys Mini: amzn.to/3PrfUQE
Edifier MR4 Speakers: amzn.to/3dBAJLS
LG 27UP850-W Ultrafine 4K Monitor: amzn.to/3Ps0w6w
NVMe SSD Enclosure: amzn.to/3SQIFct
Western Digital SN770: amzn.to/3A6aZPI
Grid Studio iPhone Classic Kit: shrsl.com/3nsgi
Harber London Folio Macbook Leather & Felt Sleeve: shrsl.com/3nrg1
Harber London Felt Wool Desk Mat: shrsl.com/3nsgr
BenQ ScreenBar Monitor Light: amzn.to/3w7DQBH
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LINKS TO PRODUCTS MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS
By using the affiliate links, I earn a small fee from any purchase you make. It won't cost you anything to use them. By clicking them it helps support me, and create more content for you. Thank you for the support!
0:00 Intro
1:41 Low-End/Inexpensive Hubs
2:31 Why Choose USB 3.0?
2:48 UGREEN USB Hub
3:24 Mid-Tier USB Hubs
3:39 What Is Passthrough Power?
4:46 USB Versioning Explained
6:37 Hub Display Output
7:08 SD Card Ports And Readers
8:40 Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB Hub
9:28 High-End USB Hubs and Docks
10:50 Orico Thunderbolt 3 Dock
11:23 Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock
12:02 Wrapping Up

[@KyleErickson]

Hey everyone! There's a few follow up videos I made to this one: 2023 USB Hubs Explained Refresh is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6DFoWaNncaHgq8 (all new USB hubs in this one!) Premium USB Hubs Explained is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4jdqoVtjq2ZZpY (all thunderbolt drives!)

[@Mark-kq6ch]

Do you think I'm playing Russian Roulette with an Anker Hub with passthrough power? I opted to get one without passthrough because of all the warnings, but a hub wit passthrough power would certainly be easier. Thanks for the video.

[@dreaddshorts]

If you come before GOD humbly and confess your sins and forgive those who are in debt to you then GOD too says that He is faithful and just to forgive your debts and sins and evils. If you come to Him, even if you have done wrong for months or years, just come to Him . Learn the teachings of the one true Orthodox Church to understand the scriptures. ☦

[@oneway23]

This fella is great...no hyperbole, no yelling, very pragmatic and down to earth. Not everyone needs the fastest and bestest, at all times, in every scenario. I'm convinced half of these KZbin reviewers (at least the ones who actually have to buy the products in their videos) spend more than they actually need to and then make videos telling their viewers that they absolutely NEED to run out and buy XYZ as soon as they possibly can, when, 95% of users likely don't need half of the performance on offer and could've saved themselves some money. Anyway, great job...keep it up!

[@thesoundmajors9858]

Bruh what 😂 you need to watch more adults on KZbin LMAO

[@dreaddshorts]

If you come before GOD humbly and confess your sins and forgive those who are in debt to you then GOD too says that He is faithful and just to forgive your debts and sins and evils. If you come to Him, even if you have done wrong for months or years, just come to Him . Learn the teachings of the one true Orthodox Church to understand the scriptures. ☦

[@ramblingsofacaticorn497]

I really loved how efficiently you broke down the information, thank you for this video, I am the type of person who would have gone with something low end without knowing the pros and cons and regretted it later.

[@dreaddshorts]

If you come before GOD humbly and confess your sins and forgive those who are in debt to you then GOD too says that He is faithful and just to forgive your debts and sins and evils. If you come to Him, even if you have done wrong for months or years, just come to Him . Learn the teachings of the one true Orthodox Church to understand the scriptures. ☦

[@albyx]

I own that mid-tier Anker hub (the 8-in-1) and honestly my goal was to have the best hub for travel. You definitely don't need that expensive Razer dock when you're traveling. Kudos for highlighting the Anker.

[@tlingit]

Wow. Great video. You gave just enough detail to let us know where you are coming from and why you recommend what you recommend, and it definitely evoked trust. Thank you for this.

[@dr.alihanoosh5763]

I’m new to this channel, but so far I’m liking it a lot. Simple, practical and to the point. Keep up the good work 👍🏻 Also, would love to see your take on some hub-SSD enclosure combo. I see conflicting views on the Acasis 10 in one hub. I would trust your views on it (or similar products). Thanks

[@linpray]

We provide USB4 20V 5A 240W 100W PD Fast Charging USB3 Gen1 Gen2 Gen3 VR cable ! HDMI/Thuderbolt4 Thuderbolt3 Cable/DP2.1 DP2 / VR Cable/9 in 1 HUB 9 in 2 HUB with dual/single Type C.

[@dreaddshorts]

If you come before GOD humbly and confess your sins and forgive those who are in debt to you then GOD too says that He is faithful and just to forgive your debts and sins and evils. If you come to Him, even if you have done wrong for months or years, just come to Him . Learn the teachings of the one true Orthodox Church to understand the scriptures. ☦

[@slwtgf]

Thank you very much- I can’t believe I bought a refurbished iMac Pro book, initially a 2017, so it’s exactly as ya describe. I was (and still am) confused slightly , but more knowledgeable! And you saved MUCH trouble, so this is greatly appreciated info this past weekend..

[@paracordwizard]

Excellent video on a very important topic, prepared and delivered professionally and quality. Considering how fast the standards and the technology have. progressed in the past 5 years I decided to future proof to some degree my choice of hubs and docking stations today, which does mean a compromise on the higher cost. I decided to go with the Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 dock. While it has fewer ports (11) than some other brands, it is reliable, robust, and well made. While some users might complain about it not having an HDMI connector, it really should not be a concern because all the quality monitors since 2019 have come with USB-C outputs. For older monitors, there are zillions of low cost video adapter connectors. *One important note I have for users considering the Caldigit TS4 docking station: It has a significant issue with Mac M1 computers where external drives and other peripherals are unmounted when the Mac comes out of sleep mode. The problem has been acknowledged by Caldigit which is working on a fix.

[@bryans8656]

For a while I was triple booting between a Mac PC, a Windows PC, and a Raspberry Pi 4. I found the easiest way to access all my peripherals (keyboard, mouse, storage, etc.) was to have them all connected to an 8-port powered USB 3 hub. That way all I had to do was swap one cable from the hub to the PC I wanted to use, giving me access to everything.

[@GiffMeChakraMagic]

Which one did you buy. I sometimes have problems with these junk ports… not everything worked there like plugging them directly on the PC-USB

[@bryans8656]

@@GiffMeChakraMagic I got the Atolla 7-Port USB Data Hub Splitter from Amazon in March of 2021 and it still works fine.

[@linpray]

We provide USB4 20V 5A 240W 100W PD Fast Charging USB3 Gen1 Gen2 Gen3 VR cable ! HDMI/Thuderbolt4 Thuderbolt3 Cable/DP2.1 DP2 / VR Cable/9 in 1 HUB 9 in 2 HUB with dual/single Type C.

[@colleenmeas1996]

Great video! Thanks for sharing relevant information and real life scenarios and various options to go with each. We need more videos like this!

[@mrjenybean]

you're lighting is incredible man! well done! super slick

[@AlppleJuice]

This was extraordinarily helpful. Thank you

[@dalerrogers]

Thanks for taking the time to review all the gear.

[@UsmanAsadIsKing]

A nice high quality video, straight to the point with good content. Keep it up!

[@alrichmond4341]

Excellent wrap, brilliantly well presented. Well done you and thank you.

[@SaltPapiii]

I was about to buy a device that I didn't know it only supports 60hz. Good thing I came across with this vid. I'll just be sticking with HDMI instead. You helped me saving few bucks. You deserve a subscribe and a like for this vid!

[@vlad_o_sh]

Excellent Video Kyle. I am a kind of techy person but the USB Hub thing always confused me. Your video is well-made and I feel like now I know everything I need to know to make an informed decision. Thumbs up for your good work!

[@simpleedge]

This was super helpful. I have wasted so much money over the years buying these hubs only to find out that it didn’t solve all of my requirements. I ended up landing on the Anker 8-in-1 and I’m very happy. Thanks!

[@vag4lvevo22]

For me to use the device does it needs to be plug in to the outlet? Or i can just plug it into the computer and use it?

[@jc3209]

I'm seeing reviews about the Anker hub frying laptops/macbooks. Any experience with this?

[@tf2694]

Great, well formatted Video. Thank you!

[@gregallenphoto]

Great content mate. Excellent production quality.

[@bacon_girl1155]

Thanks, Kyle! Very helpful and explained clearly.

[@roberttorres15]

Awesome video as always bro! USB Hubs are a must have💯

[@james804pierce]

Incredible video that saved me A LOT of time. This is a perfectly executed YT video!! Thank you Kyle! I am now a subscriber to your channel!

[@bussaskeet]

You have to love this guy live and direct keep up the good work

[@Allenvisuals]

Best video out there on this topic… awesome!

[@mohawk14616]

Here’s one for you, I would like one with no dongle. I want to use my own cable. Great video. I subscribed. KZbin recommended you. Luckily! Thanks for what you do for our community.

[@servusdedurantem]

bought the Anker one and am satisfied with the purchase works flawless

[@bmiller949]

Your approach is spot on. Break it down to components and buy the components you need. Establish the core needs and discard what you can. This is where the savings is located.

[@skesinis]

Great video!! I had the same experience when I was trying to get two hubs, and I was looking for a multi-port with 10Gbps USB 3.1, Thunderbolt for an external raid NVMe SSD enclosure, Ethernet, HDMI, UHS II SD card reader if available, power delivery, and so on… Most of them would go up to 4K/30FPS instead of 4K/60FPS, 5Gbps on USB 3.0 etc… I finally compromised for the 5Gbps USB 3.0 but at least the USB-C SSDs that I have connected to this, would go around 430MB/s instead of about 550MB/s directly on my MacBook Pro 2019, so it’s not a big drop in speed vs comfort. One of the two had a 4K/60FPS and Ethernet, while both of them had a Thunderbolt 3 with power delivery, so I’m using one to power my MacBook and the other to connect the Sabrent raid NVMe SSD enclosure, giving me about 3GB/s transfer speeds.

[@jlozmultimedia]

You are correct stuck in a whirlwind of different USB hubs and shopping.. Thank u, some Important and Great key points..

[@RossNavalRandom]

Dude, u have helped me a lot. Thank you so much!

[@MrDodavis61]

Thanks never did understand this stuff, but more educated on it now. Great job 👏!!

[@scootdub]

Super informative. Thanks for sharing!

[@iu1191]

Fabulous video. Incredibly helpful. Thanks for doing it.

[@Lauti-10]

Sweet video man, thanks for the heads up! going to Best Buy today to pick one up!

[@Greebstreebling]

The big problem with USb cables and many hubs, is that manufacturers usually don't specify if they meet the USB standard. Part of the USB standard is that the total current drawn by devices connected to an unpowered hub is 500mA, so if you're using an unpowered hub to provide power to a USB device, you need to know what power will be drawn. That's why most USB hard drives need to be connected via a powered hub. Software such as USB Tree View is available for free and analyses the connections you make, including the power any device is drawing. Another thing to watch out for with USB 3 is that it can cause electrical interference, which can for instance manifest itself as poor image quality on nearby computer monitors.

[@leholie93]

I was going to buy the Satechi Type C Mac mini Hub and this comment scares me so much 🥲

[@Bonjour-World]

I do not have a MAC but the video proved useful as I just ordered a used Dell XPS 17 with four TB4 ports. When I went to look at connecting my HDMI KVM, monitors and wired LAN things started getting very confusing. What I really wanted was something that I could attach to the back side of a monitor and just run one TB4 cable from the laptop to the monitor.

[@DaveSoltura]

Saved many of us hours/days of research. Thank you!

[@ZabaduTube]

Great video, thanks! Super helpful - appreciate your content!

[@KianSh]

Kyle this is the first video I watched from you and it is amazing, I've never knew anything about all these info before and wasted couple hundreds bucks so far, but now I know what to buy, thank you :)

[@LeChimp-jg6fh]

Thanks Kyle. Awesome vid. I was super confused before watching this.

[@jeffdrew625]

Features & ports, oh my! Nice & helpful video, thx! Subscribed!

[@andrelabbe5050]

nice and clear video. Straight to the point with just the right amount of information. One point to may be consider for Mac users as it is for me. At time, I have to use Windows Machines and not all do have Thunderbolt ports. Therefore my choice was USB-c only. May be not the fastest but the most versitile when you have to work with both eco-system.

[@JohnMitchellCalif]

new to the channel. Your material is extremely clear! I love you give opinions. Subscribed!

[@mehradghast775]

Thx .Nice easy beginners guide. helped plenty!

[@markdjolly]

Clear, thorough, useful. Thank you.

[@aplanebagel]

Thanks for the info ! cheers!

[@lifeisthatshort]

You nailed the thumbnail man. Thanks for this great video👍

[@AlexeiAnisimov]

Awesome review mate - thanks 🙏

[@MikeXMorgan]

Thanks Kyle, this is a brilliantly helpful video. I appreciate it!

[@ce9916]

Only 9000 subscribers? Wow I’m catching you early. I was sure you were one of these KZbinrs with 1,000,000+ subscriptions. Thanks for the great and thorough content

[@Soulsorts]

what a great help this has been, Kyle, many many thanks!

[@maddoxtom]

Excellent vid, just what I was looking for thanks from 🇬🇧

[@WalkThePlanet4K]

Super helpful video!

[@fooboomoo]

Nice overview and mirrors my journey for finding the expandability for my M1 Macbook Air. I also have an ORICO dock (diff. model than you) and I have noticed that it, just like yours, the power supply outputs 65W while at the same time can charge the mac at 60W and also has a TB port with 15W output. That would be 75W already, more than the power supply can deliver. What is your experience with attaching the ext. Nvme drive to the TB port at the dock while also charging the mac? Will the mac charge with less amps or what are the side effects? Thx

[@collectitbydiyversity2442]

Great in depth video. Thanks. I have a music studio with loads of MIDI devices/controllers. I have a few hubs but they dont always power the midi devices (Audio interface, midi keyboards/synths, APC40, Push3, Novation MkII and more. ). Hubs I already have include HDMI, and more but all I need is a hub or doc only with 4 to 8 USB ports that will work with my midi devices. Any help would be appreciated.

[@somebody88888]

Thank you for your great review!

[@captdave-vh3xp]

Thank you so much for your advice, Sir!

[@sriramgiri3807]

Very helpful! Thank you and just what I needed to decide on a USB hub

[@KyleErickson]

No problem! I’m dropping a video next week as well talking about some premium ones as well if you’re still unsure!

[@russmaleartist]

Very good video . . . clear, precise, well thought through presentation!

[@loganrunaways]

Been using that Anker one for a couple months. It’s great, and transfers between my iPad Pro and MacBook without issue.

[@MichaelLonetto]

This was useful. I went through a similar process and ended up with a variant on the Anker you endorsed. It works great with my single 4K monitor via HDMI, but it only has one usb3 that can do either power(in) or high speed out, so no way to use the USB -> DisplayPort cable I bought for anything beyond Mario Brothers. Verdict is OK, but could be better.

[@Nikolatetios]

Many precious data. Thank you!

[@forbiddendonut]

Thank you. Great information.

[@urumps9922]

The video I am looking for! Thanks!

[@sulogno]

An important topic brilliantly done!

[@geoff4705]

Super-helpful, and well-produced video!

[@bcmprgraphics6378]

I went with the OWC Thunderbolt Hub, OWC Dual HDMI, and the OWC Travel Dock. This has given me all the expandability I need for a 2-monitor studio setup running a midi controller and audio interface while still handling external drives and memory cards. I'm really happy with the quality. My first hubs from amazon felt cheap and they would overheat. These OWC docks are built solid and are fast. Pricey though. Total cost was just under $350.

[@Cruzan9]

That brand was my first choice but my wallet cried bloody murder. I kept it under $100. As for pricier accessories, I got an an NVMe drive I otherwise wouldn't have gotten were it not for Cyber Monday sales.

[@sidensvans67]

I too have bought from OWC . Excellent equipment Imo .

[@ScottWakeman119]

This is absolutely 100% on point! I have a Macbook Pro 16" 2019 for work. I picked up a Lemorele TC44 hub a few months back. Bad choice! Reviews were fairly good and it had all features I needed, including a LAN port. Problems started when suddenly accessories attached to it just disconnected. Sometimes they came back, sometimes they didn't. About a month ago ALL attachments glitched simultaneously. Half the hub is now useless. LAN port is dead. One USB 3 port is dead. HDMI port is dead. No damage to the Mac TG, but it did fry a pricey BT headset dongle. Literally burned it out. Supposed to be warranted for one year but Lemorele looks to have gone in to hiding as they're not responding to any of my attempts to contact them. AVOID LEMORELE PRODUCTS!

[@mattymattttttttt]

Didn’t watch this video through but for sure, i can attest to this comment that it’s generally a poopshow out there anyone looking for a carefree experience. I had a hootoo 7in1 hub, and it wrecked an external ssd and ever since i’ve only used usb c to usb a adapters for any sort of data since. I remember it also quite hot in regular use (just power passthrough and say, a mouse adapter). The sd card broke down a long time ago too. This thing was 89 cad and it was one of the better and more expensive hubs back when the 2016 macbook pro came out, hoping that an insulation of money would help ease doubts. Why doesn’t apple make a 7in1 or anything more than an hdmi/usb/passthrough? There’s probably a reason for that and the truth is frustrating.

[@JAngelaCarter]

Great Job! Thank you for doing this.

[@theyeshhh]

Great explanation. Awesome video. I subbed :)

[@tjtrolley719]

You're really smart! Very helpful! Thank you!

[@samuelcarrara9473]

Great video! Very helpful

[@TwistedTechGeek]

I have started to research for a good Thunderbolt hub for my Mac Mini and Mac Book Pro a few times and digging through all the specs and features was not worth the time or the expense for what I was leaning towards. Still want one, have not had the time to do the research, just living without one for now. It's a bit inconvenient sometimes but for 95% of the time I can do what I need to do. For the other 5% I can get it done by unplugging one device. It does help to have multiple computers so this may not work for everyone.

[@waynesimmons2]

Phenomenal video man great work honestly

[@KyleErickson]

Appreciate it!

[@kiwictor3752]

Wow! Thank U very much 4 this detailed review!

[@richardsantillanes2570]

Thanks man, this helped

[@stevengoossen6019]

Thanks for your video and for showing me the many choices in USB hubs. I have an iPad Pro and was wondering your opinion is the Anker PowerExpand would work on the iPad. I will be doing a lot of video editing on it the Anker hub looks very attractive. Also, I want to attach an SSD to transfer my files. Thanks for your response

[@laurielyon7740]

Another great clip! Info galore.

[@isaacledz]

Just found your channel man, great video! def going to sub and stay connected with your content.

[@RayFusco]

Super helpful - thank you!

[@Neuri]

thanks dude helped loads!!

[@heitorlipsky7512]

FIrst time I see one of your reviews. Nice job delivering useful information and doing eviews that do add value and are worthwhile to follow.

[@hameeeed5992]

very informative....i subbed

[@masterspam3007]

Great Video! Really! I love that you went over the whole spectrum. But I got a Question... So I am going to buy atleast 2 (maybe 3) 4k Monitors which have thunderbolt 3 with daisychain function. Do you think something like the dock you have will do the job? Because I only want one single cable into my Mac... and it should charge it, display two/three monitors and should get Network via Ethernet. Or is there a better option?

[@SebVEVO]

Thx for honest review. Even with good brands, I am still afraid of that passthrough charging option but I might go with the Anker option I think.

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Subbed! Excellent tips and need some USB C to USB hub for new MBP computer.

[@amusetech]

This is a great guide! I am using this mentioned Anker 8-in-1 USB-C with Power Delivery. And while it works perfectly with my windows device (Dell XPS 13 2021), it has issues properly initialising a monitor connection with a MacBook (both i7 3.3GHz MBPro 13 2016 and basic MBPro 14 2021). I usually have to plug the dock, then plug in the HDMI cable and then the power cable. I'm using a 100W PD-compatible charger, so that's not the case.

[@danielmahathir4001]

hey kyle. subscribe. a refreshing take on how u put across reviews. very mkbhd. love it. cheers from malaysia

[@CoffeeScribe]

Excellent review!!! Thanks!

[@MichielsTje]

Thank you for this video. Very interesting and down to earth

[@KyleErickson]

I appreciate it!

[@davidinterian]

thank you! I just get my first Mac ( company machine) and this video helps a lot! there is a lot of stuff to learn. I have used windows for 15 years.

[@DM-ei6oo]

Mac doesn’t have like 90% of software especially games. It’s a glorified spreadsheet and browser. I know, Apple doesn’t care. They won’t offer touchscreens. Good like finding it useful.

[@stpedro-ht9ng]

@@DM-ei6oo Macs have lots of great software. Especially video or music production software like Logic Pro X or Final Cut Pro which are not available on Windows. If you use other production software like Adobe products, Blender, Unity or Unreal Engine, almost all of it is available on Mac as well. Also, if you're going to be developing iOS apps, it's very clunky to do so without a Mac. Also, MacOS is Unix-based which means you have a Unix terminal built in by default with no download or installation needed so MacOS is a favorite especially for Web developers who often use VIM or eMacs for text-editing or other command-line development tools. There are uses for computers beyond video games.

[@montyksycki4092]

Thanks For Sharing!!! Have a GREAT DAy!!!

[@UlfBjorlin]

Tack! Mycket omfattande och bra video.

[@michaelschmitt5413]

THANKS !!! Nice video.

[@laurielyon7740]

Good clip……well presented…….good info…….thank you!

[@rexgloriae316]

Thanks for your videos man. Well made and to the point. Liked and subbed. 👍 God bless!

[@KyleErickson]

Thanks for watching!

[@taigemedia]

Kyle, thanks for making this video. Anker was a great suggestion!

[@KyleErickson]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate it!

[@Jack-ez2xq]

I use Dell USB-C docks with my M1 to power three monitors through display link, and its quite good.

[@snarkyremarksbyginger3161]

I went with an iVanky thunderbolt docking station for my MBP M1 13in. Has been flawless for over a year.