USB-C and its Thunderbolt variant are the most up-to-date standards of the USB connector. They allow data-transfer speeds of up to 80Gbps, can fast-charge devices up to 240W, and conveniently fit in a port either way up—which means that you can wave bye-bye to the age-old USB guessing game of “Which way does it go in?”.
What happened
USB-C and its Thunderbolt variant are the most up-to-date standards of the USB connector. They allow data-transfer speeds of up to 80Gbps, can fast-charge devices up to 240W, and conveniently fit in a port either way up—which means that you can wave bye-bye to the age-old USB guessing game of “Which way does it go in?
Where the sources line up
USB-C is no one-trick pony—handling data transfer, video output and power input. You’ll find faster variants of USB-C (called Thunderbolt 3, 4 or 5) on Macs. Each version of Thunderbolt is backwards compatible with USB-C so the adapters reviewed here will all work with modern Macs—from the MacBooks Neo, Air and Pro, through to the desktop iMac, Mac mini and Studio. USB-C’s 5-10Gbps speeds will limit some of Thunderbolt’s more impressive 40 to 80Gbps potential but for most people even 5Gbps is fast enough. If super-fast data transfer is one of your requirements, a number of hubs reviewed below do use Thunderbolt or 40Gbps USB4.
Practical impact for readers
In general, an “ adapter ” works with a single port (such as USB-A or Ethernet) while a “ hub ” gives you multiple ports. If you require even more, then look for a “ docking station ” or “ dock “. Docks usually come with their own power supply, while hubs require a separate USB-C charger if you need a power source. If you’re after a full desktop setup for your MacBook, look out for our recommendations for the best USB-C and Thunderbolt docking stations for MacBooks .
Who should pay attention now
Apple sells its own range of USB-C adapters to HDMI, VGA and more, but they are overpriced and underpowered compared to the premium USB-C hubs and adapters we have reviewed here. We haven’t included the many much cheaper but lower-quality versions you can find online as we recommend only from trusted and tested makers.
What is still unclear
Passthrough power will likely also be of interest to MacBook users. 60W Power Delivery (PD) will work even for the 16-inch MacBook Pro (just), but more watts equals a faster charge.
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