Plugable's new hub adds 5 ports to MacBook Air & MacBook Pro

Accessory maker Plugable has released a new low-cost and compact USB-C hub for MacBook Air or MacBook Pro owners to expand the selection of USB ports, and support an external display with HDMI.

The hub extends a person's workspace with ports for Gigabit Ethernet, audio, USB-A, and USB-C. It can also add an additional display to a MacBook.

Two USB-C male connectors slide into the ports on new MacBooks, and it has a cutout so that users can also connect the MagSafe charger. The five ports on the dock include two for USB-A 3.0 with up to 5 gigabit per second speeds, a passthrough USB 4 port at up to 40 gigabits per second, one Gigabit Ethernet, and a 3.5mm jack for audio input and output.

The USB-C port lets people add an external display up to 6K at 60Hz. External display support is subject to various restrictions.

The port also has up to 100W of pass-through charging for iPhones, iPads, and other devices.

It has a cutout to fit the MagSafe charging cable

An M1 chip can manage a single external display attached through USB-C on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. The Mac mini supports one HDMI and one USB-C monitor.

Pricing & Availability

The Plugable 5-in-1 USB-C hub is available on Amazon for $32.95.

7 Comments

commentzilla 777 comments · 10 Years

About 1 year ago

I've gone 100% USB-C and HMDI for my monitor since it's already on my MBP. But in the end, I'm don't bother to buy anything else and avoid all legacy connectors. Why bother. I do keep a small legacy hub in my to go bag for the occasions I need a legacy port.

dewme 5775 comments · 10 Years

My initial feeling about this adapter was “Why would you give up a TB port for USB-A and HDMI?” However, the most compelling benefits of this adapter in my opinion are the Ethernet port, compact size, and the price. If you carry your MacBook Pro between in-office and remote office being able to plug into a secondary external monitor using HDMI and the corporate network using wired Ethernet makes it a decent docking solution on the cheap, at least for some common use cases.

tjohns34 1 comment · 1 Year

Where is the HDMI port?

jeromec 214 comments · 11 Years

tjohns34 said:

Where is the HDMI port?

On the side of the device/ back of the MacBook

tjohns34 said:

Where is the HDMI port?

Good catch. I thought one of the rectangular holes might be HDMI but it’s a second USB-A. Not so. The Ethernet port still makes this compelling for the modest needs of what a $32 mini dock offers, considering Apple charges nearly that much for their TB to Ethernet adapter.