If, like most people, you’re working on a laptop, I’m sure hubs and docking stations sparked your interest. With whopping 7 ports Anker 7-in-1 USB-C Hub should have all the ports you need. If you’re a Linux user you’ll be happy to know that all the ports works on Linux.
Features
HDMI port
HDMI port supports up to 4K resolution at 30Hz. More than enough for most external screens.
SD / microSD card slots
The hub features a full-size SD card slot and a microSD card slot. Since it supports both cards no extra adapter is necessary
USB-A ports
For your older devices the device also gives you 2 USB 3.0 USB-A ports which gives you transfer speeds of 5 Gbps.
USB-C data port
The USB-C port featured in the hub does not support thunderbolt but works well as a data port.
Power Delivery (PD)
For Power Delivery, the hub provides a USB-C power input. When relaying the power the hub takes 15W for its own functions, even when nothing else is plugged in. This means for a 60W power output you need a 75W USB-C charger connected to the PD port. You are likely to get a low power input warning when using the laptop’s original power brick.
Verdict
Loss of power during relay is a huge drawback but I imagine it’s a limitation on Power Delivery technology. This makes Anker USB-C adapter 5-in-1 (without PD) more desirable unless you’re really low on USB-C ports. Alternatively you can buy a 100w PD charger to make use of the power delivery functionality.
Lack of ethernet port is not great but it’s difficult to find ethernet adapters that work properly on Linux. An Amazon Basics USB Ethernet adapter can be plugged into one of its USB-A ports.
Build quality makes you think that it was made by Apple. It comes with a travel pouch so you can keep it in top shape even when travelling.
Anker lists Linux as a supported Operating System for the hub so you won’t need to worry whether you’ll have any trouble with it. Only requirement is that you have a kernel version above 2.6.14. Even some of Dell’s official hubs don’t support Linux so this is significant.
If you want to get more out of a single USB-C port on your laptop this product is ideal.