The rise of sleek, lightweight laptop computers like Apple’s MacBook Air or Dell’s XPS 13 has been a boon for the backs of work-anywhere warriors, but it’s also put a premium on ports that can expand the versatility of these powerful machines.
Fewer built-in ports means some users need to add external hubs that connect not only to big external screens but also backup hard drives/SSDs, mouses or trackpads, drawing tablets, audio interfaces, better-quality webcams and microphones, and more. And that sends you into a morass of competing, confusing options from multiple manufacturers.
One good option for those many people dealing with a dearth of ports is the USB-C Multimedia 8-in-1 Hub, from the busy folks at EZQuest, a long-time maker of lots of external hubs, cables, and chargers for both PCs and Macs. It may not be the Platonic ideal of these things, but this is a worthwhile option for many. Just know, given your specific port needs, that your mileage may vary.
The basics here include a 100-watt USB-C PD (Power Delivery) port that sends along up to 90 watts to charge your laptop, and spreads the rest to two USB-C ports for all your nifty newer external devices, two USB-A ports for your older peripherals, an HDMI port for an external video screen, and SD and Micro SD slots for memory cards from your camera or other device.
That’s plenty for most people, though again, you may have specific needs beyond what this $50 device (MSRP is allegedly $59.99, but discounts are everywhere) provides. The HDMI port can drive an external monitor at either 60 frames per second in HDMI’s DP 1.4, or 30fps in HDMI DP for the older DP1.2 standard. If you’re not a tech specialist, this is still relatively comforting, because you can run an external screen without a headache.
But unless you’re running multiple external screens (this hub’s USB-C ports can’t drive an external monitor), this will do just dandy for most of you who have an extra screen, a backup hard drive, and a couple of other devices to connect to your laptop.
If, specifically, you need more screens, you probably need to upgrade quite a bit, to a Thunderbolt 4 hub that’s able to run multiple additional screens at a hefty premium (expect to spend $200 to $300, at least). That’s not this.
For those with more mainstream and modest needs, the EZ Quest hub delivers useful, even potentially important touches that separate it from low-end competitors.
The cord connecting the body of the hub to your computer is braided nylon, which should provide additional reliability and durability. That cord is 11 inches long (28 cm), a Goldilocks-level length enough to get from the back port of an iMac to the desktop so the hub can lay flat, but not so much length as to clutter up a desk with excess line.
Also useful: the flexible strain-reducing connector between that cord and the hub itself, a stress point that can lead to an early demise for poorly designed hubs. The hub itself is made of sturdy aluminum, rather than plastic. And should something go wrong, there’s even a relatively generous 18-month warranty.
The hub handles the prosaic work of connecting screens and hard drives and other devices just fine. If you’re buying a sleek new laptop that’s a little tight on the built-in ports that you need to connect to your devices, it’s a terrific option that helps make your computer more than what you bought, for not very much money.