USB Hubs Can Save You Lots of Hassles—Here Are 5 We Like Best in 2026

Ditch the dongles. These multiport USB hubs will maximize your connectivity options. Luke LarsenGearMar 4, 2026 3:09 PMThe Best USB Hubs for Connecting All Your GadgetsDitch the dongles. These multiport USB hubs will maximize your connectivity options.CommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyFeatured in this articleBest OverallPlugable USB-C 9-in-1 Hub (USBC-9IN1E)Read more$50 AmazonBest Budget USB-C HubHiearcool USB C Hub, USB-C Multi-Port AdapterRead more$20 AmazonIf You’re All-In on USB-CSatechi USB-C Multiport 8KRead more$100 AmazonAdd Some StorageSatechi USB-C Hybrid Multiport AdapterRead more$90 $63 (30% off) AmazonYour laptop never has enough ports, especially if it’s the MacBook Air I'm using to write this article. You can carry around a bag of assorted dongles to plug in everything, or you can nab one of these USB hubs. Hubs expand the number and kind of ports available from one device, so you can cut down on the clutter. After testing dozens over the years, these are the best USB hubs I've found for different needs.Hunting for more home-office gizmos and gadgets? Check out our other guides, including the Best Docking Stations, Ultimate Work-From-Home Gear, Best Office Chairs, Best Standing Desks, and Best USB Flash Drives.Updated February 2026: We pared down the list and added the HyperDrive Next Mobile Dock and Kensington Triple Video Dock to the honorable mentions.Do You Need a USB Hub or a Docking Station?AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronThe line between USB hubs and docking stations can be fuzzy. But to put it simply, docking stations are larger accessories meant for connecting multiple displays to your device at your desk. USB hubs, on the other hand, are more portable and primarily meant for connecting accessories on the go.USB hubs are small, portable devices you can plug directly into a port on your laptop to get extra USB ports, SD card readers, headphone jacks, and other connections that your computer may not have. The inclusion of USB-C with Power Delivery even means that you use them at your with your laptop charging. However, if you plan on regularly connecting your laptop to a full-blown workstation—with a keyboard, mouse, multiple monitors, the whole shebang—then you might want to consider a docking station instead.Laptop docking stations are larger, more expensive, and are designed to spend most of their time on your desk. They typically have a power supply to charge other devices and offer multiple monitor outputs, plus Ethernet connections. If you frequently use your laptop at a desk and need to connect multiple high-resolution monitors or high-powered accessories, you'll want a docking station.Things to Know About USB Hubs Before BuyingAccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronUSB hubs should be simple devices, but apparently it's not possible to make One Port to Rule Them All without things getting a little messy. We have a full explainer here, but if you just want to get the basics before you buy your hub, here are a few things to keep in mind.Ports speeds matter; version numbers don't. It's tempting to look at a USB 3.2 label and assume it's faster than USB 3.0, but unfortunately, that's not the case. In fact, many manufacturers have started defaulting to writing the speed of individual ports directly onto the device itself, rather than relying on version numbers on spec sheets.Use Thunderbolt for your most data-hungry devices. Thunderbolt is a beefed-up version of USB, developed by Intel and Apple, that uses the same USB-C port you're familiar with. These can carry huge amounts of data (up to 40 Gbps for Thunderbolt 3 and 4), which makes them ideal for things like SSDs, 4K and 8K displays, or monitors with ultrahigh frame rates for gaming. We're now up to Thunderbolt 5, which is slowly making its way into some laptops. (Make sure your laptop port supports Thunderbolt.)Don't forget the power. Most USB hubs will draw electricity directly from your laptop to power any devices connected to it, but they obviously need to take up a port to do so. However, some hubs support USB Power Delivery (or USB-PD, sometimes marketed as “passthrough charging”) which allows you to plug a charger into one of the ports on the hub so you can keep charging your laptop while you plug in all your extra gadgets.What Is Going on With USB Generations?AccordionItemContainerButtonLargeChevronIt would be nice if you could plug a USB 3.2 device into a USB 3.2 port using a USB 3.2 cable and trust that it all works. Unfortunately, it's way more complicated than that.When USB 3.0 came out in 2008 it had a max speed of around 5 Gbps. However, when USB 3.1 came out in 2013 with a max speed of 10 Gbps, the 5-Gbps version was renamed to USB 3.1 Gen 1, while the new, faster spec was USB 3.1 Gen 2. Confused yet? Well, it gets worse. When USB 3.2 came out in 2019, the 5-Gbps USB was rebranded again to “USB 3.2 Gen 1,” the 10-Gbps version became “USB 3.2 Gen 2,” and the new 20-Gbps spec became—you gues