Plugable Technologies has expanded its hub lineup with two new USB-C hubs, the Plugable USB-C 6-in-1 Hub (USBC-6IN1) and USB-C 8-in-1 Hub with Ethernet (USBC-8IN1E). I’ve had a chance to test the latter.
Both support a single external display at up to 4K 144Hz or 8K 30Hz over HDMI 2.1, support up to 100W pass-through charging to the laptop, and work without drivers on macOS, Windows, and ChromeOS. The USBC-6IN1 costs US$39.99 and the USBC-8IN1E $59.99. Those are great prices for all the functionality they provide.
Do you need one? Most folks won’t, but those who want their laptop to drive a 144Hz monitor smoothly from a single cable do. At 144Hz, things such as scrolling, cursor movement, and scrubbing through a video timeline look smooth thanks to the high refresh rate you get.
The 8-in-1E pairs 4K 144Hz HDMI 2.1 output with Gigabit Ethernet for a wired connection that’s more reliable than Wi-Fi. It also packs SD and microSD card readers (UHS-I, up to 104 MB/s) that work simultaneously. This allows photographers and video editors to offload two cards side by side instead of swapping one at a time.
The 8-in-1E also includes a 5Gbps USB-C data port, a 5Gbps USB-A port, and a USB-A 2.0 port suited to 2.4GHz wireless mouse and keyboard receivers. The aluminum hub measures 5.99 × 1.34 × 0.55 in with a built-in 6.7 in cable, so it’s easy to take on-the-go.
Both hubs support up to 100W from a USB-C Power Delivery charger and pass up to 85W to the laptop, keeping 15W to run their own ports. PD 3.0 Fast Role Swap helps keep connected devices running if the charger is unplugged. A power supply isn’t included. But that’s okay; one isn’t required.
You should note that, for video output, laptops have to support Alternate Mode (“Alt Mode”) video over USB-C. All Thunderbolt and USB4-enabled laptops and most modern USB-C laptops support Alt Mode.
Achieving 4K 144Hz or 8K 30Hz a compatible Mac running macOS 26 or later (M1/M2 Pro or Max, or M3 and newer), along with an HDMI 2.1 cable and compatible display. Base M1 and M2 MacBooks, MacBook Neo, and laptops with DisplayPort 1.2 are limited to 4K 60Hz.
The Plugable USB-C 8-in-1 Hub is available on Amazon and Plugable.com for $59.99 with (for a limited time) a 20% launch discount. Both are backed by a two-year warranty.
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