Best USB-C Hubs UK 2026: Top Picks for Every Budget
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Time to read 7 min
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Time to read 7 min
Modern laptops are getting thinner — and their port selection is shrinking with them. Whether you're working from a MacBook, a slim Windows ultrabook, or a Chromebook, there's a good chance USB-C is your only connection point. A USB-C hub fixes that: one cable in, and suddenly you have HDMI, Ethernet, USB-A, SD card, and charging all at once.
But not all hubs are equal. The right one depends entirely on what you need to connect, how much bandwidth you're pushing, and whether you need to charge your laptop at the same time. This guide covers our top picks across every use case — plus a buying guide to help you choose with confidence.
| Pick | Model | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best budget | Nikkai 4-Port USB-A 3.1 Hub | £8.99 | Simple port expansion |
| Best compact all-rounder | Maplin 3-in-1 HDMI + USB-A + 87W PD | £16.99 | Most laptop users |
| Best for home office | Maplin 7-in-1 with SD Card Reader | £16.99 | Desk setup with SD/MicroSD |
| Best for dual monitors | Maplin Dual HDMI 4K@60Hz MST Hub | £17.99 | Two-screen desk setups |
| Best with Ethernet | Nikkai 9-in-1 with Gigabit RJ45 | £29.99 | Home office, remote working |
| Best docking station | Nikkai 12-in-1 with Dual HDMI + RJ45 | £44.99 | Full desk replacement hub |
If all you need is more USB-A ports — for a mouse, keyboard, USB stick, or phone charger — the Nikkai 4-Port USB-A hub is the simplest and most affordable solution. The four USB-A 3.1 ports support Super Speed data transfer (up to 5Gbps), so it's not just for charging — you can transfer files from a USB drive quickly without the bottleneck you'd get from a USB 2.0 hub.
The compact form factor and 13cm attached cable make it genuinely pocketable — ideal for commuters, students, or anyone who just needs a few extra ports without the bulk or expense of a multi-function hub.
Best for: Simple port expansion on a budget — mice, keyboards, USB storage, and phone charging.
For most laptop users, this Maplin 3-in-1 hub hits the sweet spot: you get an external monitor output, a USB-A port for peripherals, and 87W Power Delivery pass-through charging — all from one compact adapter. That means one USB-C cable connects your laptop to a display, a USB device, and power at the same time.
The 4K@30Hz HDMI output is sharp enough for most monitors and external displays, and 87W PD charging covers the majority of USB-C laptops — including most MacBooks and Windows ultrabooks — at full charging speed. A tidy, carry-anywhere solution that covers 90% of desk setup needs.
Best for: Laptop users who want one cable to handle a monitor, a peripheral, and charging simultaneously.
At the same price as the 3-in-1, this Maplin 7-in-1 hub packs considerably more ports into a similarly compact body. You get two USB-A 3.0 ports, HDMI output, two USB-C ports, and both SD and MicroSD card readers — making it one of the most versatile hubs at this price point.
The built-in SD and MicroSD slots are a standout feature for photographers, videographers, or anyone who regularly transfers files from a camera. Rather than carrying a separate card reader, everything routes through one hub. Power Delivery is also included, so your laptop charges while you work.
Best for: Home office setups, photographers, and content creators who need card reader access alongside standard connectivity.
Running two external monitors from a single laptop USB-C port is where most basic hubs fall short — but this Maplin dual HDMI hub is built specifically for it. Using MST (Multi-Stream Transport) technology, it drives two displays simultaneously at 4K@60Hz Ultra HD — a specification that's typically found only on more expensive docking stations.
It also includes USB-A 3.0 for peripherals and USB-C Power Delivery, so your full desk setup can run from a single hub connection. Worth noting: MST requires your laptop to support DisplayPort 1.2 or later via its USB-C port — check your laptop's spec sheet to confirm compatibility before purchasing.
Best for: Dual-monitor desk setups — creative work, financial trading, multi-window productivity.
If you work from home and rely on a stable internet connection, wired Ethernet is still significantly more reliable than Wi-Fi — especially on video calls, large file transfers, or VPN connections. This Nikkai 9-in-1 hub adds Gigabit Ethernet alongside three USB-A 3.0 ports, 4K HDMI, VGA, USB-C PD, and an SD card reader — making it a near-complete desk connectivity solution in one device.
The VGA output is a useful addition if you're connecting to an older projector or monitor that doesn't have HDMI. Combined with the Gigabit Ethernet, this hub is particularly well-suited to office hot-desking environments where you're connecting to a range of different display hardware.
Best for: Home office workers who want a wired internet connection alongside full peripheral and display support.
For a truly desk-replacement setup, this Nikkai docking station gives you everything: dual HDMI outputs, Gigabit Ethernet, four USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, VGA, SD card, and a 3.5mm audio jack — all from one connection. It's the closest you'll get to a traditional desktop setup while still using a laptop.
At £44.99, it competes directly with premium branded docking stations that often start at £60–£80. If you want a permanent hub that stays on your desk and connects your laptop to a full dual-monitor, wired-network setup every morning with a single cable, this is the hub to buy.
Best for: Full desk setups — dual monitors, wired internet, full peripheral connectivity from one hub.
Start with the peripherals you'll use daily — external monitor, wired keyboard, mouse, USB storage, phone charging. List them out, then choose a hub that covers them. Don't pay for ports you won't use; a 4-port USB-A hub is a better choice than a 12-in-1 if all you need is more USB-A capacity.
If you want to charge your laptop through the hub, look for a model with Power Delivery (PD) pass-through. Check the wattage: most laptops need between 45W and 100W for full-speed charging. A hub rated at 65W will charge most MacBook Airs and Windows ultrabooks; larger MacBook Pros and high-performance laptops may need 87W or 100W. Using a hub with insufficient PD wattage will charge your laptop slowly or not at all under load.
For a standard 1080p or 4K monitor used for office work, 4K@30Hz is perfectly adequate. If you're doing video editing, gaming, or using a high-refresh display, look for 4K@60Hz — that's the specification to check. For dual-monitor setups, confirm the hub supports MST (Multi-Stream Transport) and that your laptop's USB-C port is DisplayPort 1.2 compatible.
If you're on video calls, accessing a corporate VPN, or transferring large files regularly, a hub with Gigabit Ethernet is worth the small price premium over a Wi-Fi-only setup. Wired connections are faster, lower-latency, and immune to the interference and drop-outs that plague busy wireless networks.
USB 3.0 (5Gbps) is significantly faster than USB 2.0 (480Mbps) for data transfer — this matters for external SSDs, large file transfers, and 4K webcams. For a mouse, keyboard, or slow-speed phone charger, USB 2.0 is fine. Check the USB standard on each port before buying if transfer speed is important to you.
Yes — all MacBook models from 2016 onwards use USB-C (Thunderbolt 3 or 4) as their primary port, and all of our hubs are compatible. MacBooks with Thunderbolt 3/4 ports can use any USB-C hub, though you'll only access Thunderbolt-specific features (such as daisy-chaining or higher bandwidth) with a Thunderbolt-rated hub.
Yes, provided the hub includes a Power Delivery (PD) pass-through port. This lets you plug your laptop's charger into the hub's USB-C PD port, and the hub passes the charge through to your laptop while all other ports remain active. Check that the PD wattage matches your laptop's requirements for full-speed charging.
Most hubs support one external display via HDMI. For two monitors simultaneously, you need a hub with dual HDMI outputs and MST (Multi-Stream Transport) support, and your laptop's USB-C port must support DisplayPort 1.2 or later. Our Maplin Dual HDMI Hub is designed specifically for this use case.
No. All of our USB-C hubs are plug-and-play — just connect the hub to your USB-C port and it works immediately, with no driver installation or software required on Windows, macOS, or ChromeOS.