With time, as your peripheral and data transfer needs increase, the limited availability of ports on your PC or laptop becomes more and more frustrating. You want to charge your devices as well as add new and exciting peripherals to your setup, but there just aren’t enough ports.
In such a case, getting a good USB hub can give you a lot of extra headroom and allow you to power all your USB-enabled devices and transfer data between your computers as you want. From high-capacity hubs with more than ten ports to portable USB-C hubs, I’ve got some great options for you in this article.
Before You Buy: Three Questions to Ask Yourself
Although most USB hubs look almost the same, they do vary a lot in terms of port selection, port availability, and design. So, before making a selection you need to be specific about what you want. Here are three questions to help you do that:
Which Ports Do You Need?
Keep in mind which ports your laptop or PC has, how many of them, and which ones you require. Since the basis of buying a USB hub is to expand your ports, this is very important. Do you just need to connect your USB-A keyboard? Or do you also want to kick back and listen to some tunes on your USB-C headset? Remember this, and buy a USB hub accordingly.
How Many Ports Do You Need?
The number of ports you go for depends on your requirement and your use case. If you’re using a laptop that only has two ports, you might want to go for a larger USB hub and if you’re using a PC, something smaller might do the job. Either way, try to gauge your requirements and buy a USB hub that provides plenty of room for your wealth of peripherals.
Which USB Type is Compatible With Your PC or Laptop?
Once you’ve gotten to the point where you know which type of USB hub you want and how many ports it should have, the last step is to make sure that it is compatible with your PC or laptop.
For this, follow two steps. First check the connector type: is it USB-C or USB-A? With that out of the way, check the USB version. If it’s USB 3.0, you don’t want to bottleneck your speed by getting a USB 2.0 hub.
Now that you have an idea of which type of USB hub you want, let’s look at six of the best ones available for streamers in 2022…
Top 6 Best USB Hubs For Streamers in 2022:
1. Anker USB 3.0 SuperSpeed – Best Overall
SPECS:
- Total Ports: Ten
- Data Transfer Speed: 5GBPS
- Connects to PC Using: USB 3.0
If you don’t have any special preferences and just want an overall great USB hub, go for this one from Anker. It has a total of ten ports: all USB 3.0, nine of which deliver 0.9 amps of power while the last one provides up to 2 amps. To ensure safe and reliable power, you get a power adapter along with built-in surge protection.
The hot-swapping capability also gives it a lot of extra flexibility, allowing you to plug and unplug other devices freely. Overall, this is a great USB hub, both for charging devices and data transfer. If you’re struggling with ports on your PC or laptop right now, getting this can fulfill your requirements for a while to come.
Pros
- Blue LEDs indicate stable operation
- Surge protection
- Dedicated power supply for fast charging
Cons
- Expensive
2. Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub – Best on a Budget
SPECS:
- Total Ports: Four
- Data Transfer Speed: 5GBPS
- Connects to PC Using: USB 3.0
If you’re not looking for a long-term solution and need something much smaller and more budget-friendly, this one from Sabrent might do the trick. It sports four USB 3.0 ports enabling data speeds of up to 5GBPS, each with a dedicated blue LED indicator.
If four sounds a bit too limiting for now and you’d like to upgrade down the line, you have that option with this hub too! You can not only connect it with another four-port hub but also up to a ten-port variant since it sports the same design. This freedom to incrementally upgrade your USB hub is not something you see everywhere.
With that being said, there are two issues with this USB hub. First, it can only be used for data transfers. Second, it’s built with plastic, not aluminum like some of the other options out there. However, at this price point, these are acceptable compromises. Overall, for under $15, this is a great USB hub to go for.
Pros
- Useful LED indicators with dedicated switches for each port
- Decent build quality
- Easily upgradable
Cons
- Limited to data transfer only
3. Uni 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub – Best Value for Money
SPECS:
- Total Ports: Four
- Data Transfer Speed: 5GBPS
- Connects to PC Using: USB 3.0
If you like the form factor of the Sabrent USB hub but need something more slim and sleek, this one from Uni might be right up your alley. The aluminum chassis and braided nylon cable in combination with the small form factor make this the perfect USB hub to just throw into a backpack or your luggage and use on the go.
Although just like the Sabrent one it doesn’t offer fast charging capability, it still supports data transfer speeds of up to 5GBPS. Along with that, you also get some integrated protection in case of issues like power overload, overheating, or a short circuit.
What stands out about this USB hub is the silver outer shell, which matches up very well with MacBooks along with most ChromeOS and Windows laptops out there. So, if you care a lot about aesthetics and looking professional, definitely consider this one.
Pros
- Premium and sleek aluminum chassis
- High-speed data transfer
- USB cable is nylon-braided
Cons
- Liable to slide on flat surfaces due to smooth-edge design
- Limited to data transfer only
4. TeckNet HU043 – Best Hub with RJ45 Ethernet Port
SPECS:
- Total Ports: Three
- Data Transfer Speed: 5GBPS
- Connects to PC Using: USB 3.0
This USB hub from TechNet can be an absolute lifesaver for specific types of users. From the top, it looks like a regular hub with three USB 3.0 ports. However, what sets it apart from the pack is the RJ45 ethernet port on the front.
If your laptop is missing an Ethernet port and you’re going on a gaming tournament or if you’re traveling and have to deal with spotty WiFi, this can come in handy, providing you with a stable and reliable Internet connection anywhere you go.
Although this hub is not as slim and stylish as some of the other options on this list and doesn’t come with a dedicated power supply either, it is still portable and can be useful.
Pros
- Comes with RJ45 ethernet port
- Durable aluminum chassis
- High-speed data transfer
Cons
- Only three USB 3.0 ports
5. Wenter 11-Port USB Hub – Best High Capacity
SPECS:
- Total Ports: Eleven
- Data Transfer Speed: 5GBPS
- Connects to PC Using: USB 3.0
If you’re tired of making incremental extensions in your ports and want a once-and-for-all solution, this USB hub from Wenter might be exactly what you’re looking for. With a total of eleven USB 3.0 ports, four of which (lit red) are capable of fast-charging at up to 2.4A, it’ll be enough for even the most peripheral-hungry user.
One cool feature of this USB hub is that each port features a dedicated power switch with a corresponding LED indicator. Of course, you can use these switches to turn off individual ports without needing to switch off the hub as a whole. Moreover, the LED indicators will also flicker to indicate that data transfer is taking place, in turn notifying you which ports are in use and which are free.
Of course, with these many ports to power up, it also comes with a power adapter and a dedicated power supply. Although it’s made mostly from plastic, missing the aluminum chassis from other options on this list, it’s still highly durable. Overall, it’s a great option for anybody who wants a powerful USB hub.
Pros
- Plenty of ports
- Dedicated power supply
- Plug and play; no drivers needed
Cons
- Not easily portable
6. Kingston Nucleum – Best for Mac
SPECS:
- Total Ports: Seven
- Data Transfer Speed: 10GBPS
- Connects to PC Using: USB-C
Like many streamers, if you use a PC for gaming and a separate MacBook or iMac for editing and work-related tasks, then the Kingston Nucleum USB-C Hub might be the way to go for you. It has multiple ports: a USB-C connection, a USB Type-C power passthrough, a USB Type-C data transfer port, an SD card slot, a Micro SD card slot, and 4K-capable HDMI.
All in all, this USB hub will allow you to charge your mobile device or laptop, connect an external or secondary display, and read/write data on your SD card. It has almost all the features any user can ask for.
Finally, all of this is housed inside a tough and sleek aluminum shell which not only looks professional but acts as the perfect extension to your MacBook or iMac. Although I’ve labeled the Kingston Nucleum as the best one for Mac users, it’s great for anybody using Windows and Linux as well, thanks to its impressive feature set.
Pros
- Sleek and stylish chassis
- SD card reader
- 4K HDMI connection available
Cons
- Expensive
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the Best USB Hub for Charging Devices?
If you just want a USB hub for charging devices, the Sabrent 60W USB 3.0 Hub would work best for you. It has three ports for 60W fast charging along with seven USB 3.0 ports for data transfer. What makes this one suitable for charging is that each port has a dedicated power switch along with an LED indicator!
Does a USB Hub Cause Lag?
This is something that many users worry about, and it is true to a degree. USB hubs provide an extension of the ports on your computer, so they by themselves don’t cause much lag. However, there is only a limited amount of bandwidth to go around. So, if you populate all the ports, it’s going to weigh on your computer.
This is why connecting and stacking hubs together is always a bad idea, since it only aggregates the latency. In addition to that, any kind of extra cabling also adds a tiny bit of latency too. So, be sure to keep things simple by just getting one USB hub that fits your requirements.
Wrap Up
These are the best USB hubs you can get out in the market today. There are also many other options, but these strike the perfect balance between price and performance. In this article, I’ve also made sure to add a category to each one, making your buying choice that much simpler. Here’s a quick overview:
- Anker USB 3.0 SuperSpeed is Best Overall
- Sabrent 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub is Best on a Budget
- Uni 4-Port USB 3.0 Hub is Best Value for Money
- TeckNet HU043 is Best Hub with RJ45 Ethernet Port
- Wenter 11-Port USB Hub is Best High Capacity
- Kingston Nucleum is Best for Mac
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