6-in-1 or 8-in-1? Choosing a USB-C hub
Port counts are marketing. What decides whether a hub feels good is the HDMI refresh rate, whether it passes power through to your laptop, and whether the ports match the gear on your desk.
The four specs worth reading
HDMI: resolution and refresh rate
Most hubs output 4K at 30Hz, which looks fine for spreadsheets and video but feels laggy for cursor movement. 4K at 60Hz is what you want for a main monitor. Check this number before anything else.
USB-A ports: how many you really use
Count your wired gear: mouse, keyboard, headset dongle, flash drive. Two USB-A ports covers most laptop setups; three or more is for desks with a webcam and external drive permanently attached.
SD and microSD readers
Only worth paying for if you shoot photo or video. If you do, a hub reader saves carrying a separate dongle and is usually fast enough for card offloads.
Pass-through charging (Power Delivery)
A hub with PD lets your laptop charger plug into the hub and keep the laptop powered while everything else stays connected — one cable to your desk. Without it you lose a USB-C port to charging.
6-in-1 vs 8-in-1 at a glance
| Hub | Typical ports | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 6-in-1 | HDMI, 2–3× USB-A, USB-C power, SD/microSD | Laptop plus one monitor, travel and cafés |
| 8-in-1 | Everything above plus ethernet and extra USB / audio | Fixed desk, wired internet, more peripherals |
Rule of thumb: if you carry the hub in a bag, the 6-in-1 is lighter and enough. If it lives on a desk with a monitor, ethernet cable and several peripherals, the 8-in-1 earns its extra ports.
Which Vexytech hub fits you
6-in-1 Type-C Hub
$25Best for travel and single-monitor setups
Machined aluminium body, HDMI plus the USB ports most laptops are missing. Replaces a bag full of dongles.
View product8-in-1 Type-C Hub
$32Best for a permanent desk setup
Two extra ports for wired internet and more peripherals, so your laptop docks with one cable.
View product
Common questions
- Will a USB-C hub work with my MacBook, iPad or Windows laptop?
- Yes, as long as the USB-C port supports video output (almost all modern laptops and iPads do). Some budget Windows laptops have data-only USB-C ports, in which case HDMI won't work.
- Why does my hub get warm?
- Aluminium bodies are designed to spread heat from video conversion and charging. Warm is normal; too hot to hold is not — unplug and check your charger's wattage.
- Can I run two monitors from one hub?
- Not from a single HDMI port. Dual-display needs a hub with two video outputs and a laptop that supports it, which is a different product class from a compact travel hub.
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