Gadget
USB-C hubs solve a real problem — modern ultrabooks with one or two ports — but they introduce three new ones: power delivery loss, data throughput reduction, and heat. Most reviews ignore two of those three. We didn’t.
We ran seven hubs on a MacBook Air M3 and a Lenovo IdeaPad 5 over four weeks, testing USB 3.2 Gen 2 data speeds with a Samsung T7 SSD, 4K 60 Hz output via HDMI 2.0, and power delivery passthrough at 65 W and 100 W inputs.
Why PD passthrough loss matters
A hub labelled “100W PD passthrough” typically delivers 85–90 W to your laptop after reserving 10–15 W for its own ports. That’s fine for ultrabooks. It’s a problem if you’re using a 16-inch MacBook Pro under sustained load, which needs around 96 W to charge while running. With a poor hub you get a slowly discharging laptop despite being “plugged in.”
Test results
| Hub | Ports | PD In / Out (W) | USB 3.2 Speed (MB/s) | HDMI Max | Temp (°C) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anker 555 (8-in-1) | 8 | 100 / 85 | 912 | 4K 60Hz | 41 |
| CalDigit Soho | 7 | 100 / 90 | 958 | 4K 60Hz | 38 |
| Satechi Slim V3 | 6 | 96 / 82 | 878 | 4K 30Hz | 44 |
| Ugreen Revodok 107 | 7 | 100 / 86 | 903 | 4K 60Hz | 43 |
| No-brand “10-in-1” | 10 | 65 / 34 | 421 | 1080p 60Hz | 58 |
| HyperDrive Next 10 | 10 | 100 / 88 | 931 | 4K 60Hz | 40 |
| Belkin Connect Pro 7 | 7 | 100 / 89 | 941 | 4K 60Hz | 39 |
The no-brand unit was the most dramatic failure: it advertised 100 W PD but measured 34 W delivered, which is below what the M3 MacBook Air needs to charge. Its USB 3.2 port hit 421 MB/s — USB 3.0 speeds labelled as Gen 2. Operating temperature reached 58°C on the aluminium shell.
Data speed in practice
The CalDigit Soho led on USB 3.2 Gen 2 throughput at 958 MB/s — close to the theoretical 1,000 MB/s ceiling. The Satechi Slim’s 4K output capped at 30 Hz rather than 60 Hz under the tested protocol, which makes it unsuitable for connected-display workflows requiring smooth cursor movement.
When running USB data and HDMI simultaneously — the most common multi-tasking scenario — all hubs showed some throughput reduction. The CalDigit and Belkin maintained over 90% of their standalone USB speeds under combined load; the Satechi dropped to 71%.
Heat and throttling
At 58°C the no-brand hub’s casing exceeded comfortable handling temperature. More importantly, chipset throttling started at around 52°C in our tests: when the hub’s internal controller got too hot, it reduced USB data rates by 20% and limited PD charging without any notification to the host device. The Anker 555 remained under 45°C across all tests — largely because its aluminium body acts as a passive heatsink.
Which hub for which use case
- MacBook Air M3 on a desk: CalDigit Soho or Belkin Connect Pro 7 — both hit 4K 60Hz and deliver 88–90 W.
- Windows ultrabook, travel: Anker 555 — best thermal performance in a portable form factor.
- Budget option: Ugreen Revodok 107 — only minor concessions at a lower price point.
- Avoid: Any hub without explicit chipset details (manufacturer should state VL817, VL822, or equivalent) and any hub without a UK or EU compliance mark.
Our verdict
The £15 hub versus the £60 hub is not a price difference — it’s a capability difference. The CalDigit Soho and Belkin Connect Pro 7 are worth their price if you rely on the hub daily. For occasional use, the Anker 555 covers most scenarios without breaking the budget. The no-brand unit we tested represents a real productivity risk: slow data, inadequate charging, and a hot casing are not edge cases but consistent failures under normal use.