Aukey has adapters for four, six, eight, or more slots. The type of adapter you choose depends on what you’re trying to do with it. For most people, the cheapest four-port adapter is more than adequate. With that adapter, you can plug in numerous peripherals like a flash drive, mouse, keyboard, hard drive, and card readers to your laptop. The only downside is that you can’t charge your devices as the output is a mere 900mA. However, you do get up to 5Gbps of data transfer speeds. I’ve tried and tested the 4 & 8-in-1 Aukey adapters for the past few weeks and I am sharing my thoughts on each below. Hopefully the info provided will help you make the right decision.
Aukey Product Information
Aukey USB-C to 4 Port USB 3.0 Hub Review
The first adapter I’ve tried was the USB-C to 4 port hub, which looks like a small rectangular brick that comes with a 7.8" USB-C connector, 4x USB 3.0 ports, and an LED indicator light on the side. The adapter is used primarily for data transfer and to connect things like a mouse, printer, or external hard drive. In fact, you can connect two hard drives and use them simultaneously. In fact, I connected a hard drive to my Samsung Galaxy S10+ via adapter to backup my phone’s data. The adapter worked flawlessly with excellent data transfer speeds. I experimented with other things like flash drives and my wireless mouse and each peripheral worked great. So let’s break it all down to see what works and what doesn’t.
Is the USB-C to 4 Port USB 3.0 Hub for Me?
Do you own a USB-C laptop or desktop? Do you own an Android smartphone?
Would you spend under $20 for a multiport adapter?
If the answer is yes to one or all of these, then this product may help you. You’ll be amazed just how useful this tiny brick is. Speaking of tiny, you can literally take this device anywhere…it’ll even fit in your pocket! So for any MacBook user who has been looking to expand their laptop’s abilities and not spend hundreds on wires and dongles, check this item out and see what it can do for you.
Aukey Link PD Pro USB-C Hub Review
The second adapter I’ve checked out was the Link PD Pro, and this one is for the power users out there. On top of a couple USB 3.0 ports, this product has USB 2.0, Ethernet, SD/MicroSD card slots, USB-C PD, and HDMI. That’s a lot extras but they come in handy, especially for all you remote workers out there.
The Best of Link PD Pro
HDMI provides 4K resolutions at 30Hz
USB-C PD input delivers 100W of power
USB 2.0 has transfer speeds of 480Mbps
2x USB 3.0 ports have 5Gbps transfer speeds
SD/MicroSD card slots have a capacity of 2TB and 5Gbps transfer speeds
Ethernet Port for 10/100/1000Mbps network speeds
These additional ports vastly outplay the first adapter but very few people will need all these slots. Personally, the USB & USB-C PD ports were enough for me but you have other options just in case. I tested each port and they worked great; there’s just a few things to keep in mind. First, you can only connect one external hard drive to the adapter. Second, you can’t use the SD & MicroSD card slots simultaneously. Third, the USB ports shouldn’t be used for charging. If you need to charge anything, then use the USB-C PD port. Finally, if you don’t own a USB-C laptop or smartphone, then don’t buy this product. This item, like the four-port hub, also uses a USB-C connector and can only connect to other USB-C devices (Android/MacBook Pro 2017-2019).
Aukey Hub Adapters: Final Review
Although the 8-in-1 Link PD Pro appears to be the better product of the two devices tested, that doesn’t mean the 4 Port USB-C Hub is any less valuable. Both adapters have their strengths and weaknesses, and their value depends on specific use cases. I would give Aukey’s Link PD Pro USB-C Hub & USB-C to 4 Port USB 3.0 Hub 4.5 out of 5 stars. If you’re looking for an affordable adapter that’ll add peripherals to your USB-C laptop without the extra functions, then go for the 4 port hub. The 4x USB 3.0 ports will more than suffice what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re looking for a multi-functional adapter and don’t mind paying more, then the Link PD Pro should do it for you. What I found best about both is that they’re small, thin, and lightweight enough to fit anywhere. The Pro is a little bit larger but it’s still very thin and will fit most pockets. Just make sure you have devices that can support the adapters; iPhones will not work with the Aukey devices but newer iPad Pros and MacBooks will. Overall, these are fantastic products that offer a lot of functionality to existing devices. They’re great for the office and perfect for remote workers who are tired of dongles and wires getting in the way. The Link PD Pro and USB-C 4 Port Aukey Adapters are excellent products that I definitely recommend trying; I only wish I knew about them sooner.
Your Thoughts!
