USB-C adapters

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on USB-C adapters:

Ugreen goes lean and mean with Nexode Pro chargers [Review] ★★★★☆

By

Ugreen Nexode Pro GaN chargers★★★★☆
Ugreen's four potent Nexode Pro GaN chargers can cover most of your charging needs.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

If you’re looking for newer, better charging options than the old adapters you have lying around the house, but without having to spend much, don’t sleep on Ugreen’s new Nexode Pro lineup of four gallium nitride (GaN) wall chargers.

Ugreen continues to go the way of GaN with these “GaNInfinity”-branded gadgets — more charging power in a smaller space with as many USB-C charging ports as possible (without leaving out USB-A ports entirely; there’s always one).

Super-small StayGo mini adds USB, HDMI and headphone ports to iPad

By

Super-small StayGo mini adds USB, HDMI, headphone ports to iPad
Easily add USB accessories, a monitor or headphones to iPad with StayGo mini.
Photo: Twelve South

The Twelve South StayGo mini helps remedy the limited number of ports on the iPad Pro and Air. The adapter takes the single USB-C port and converts it to USB-A, HDMI and a headphone jack.

It fits snugly to the tablet but comes with a cable so it can be easily connected to a Mac.

Improved HyperDrive is the USB-C hub your iPad needs [Review]

By

Sanho HyperDrive USB-C 6-in-1 Hub for iPad review
Attach the Sanho HyperDrive USB-C 6-in-1 Hub to your iPad to use a wide variety of accessories.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The Sanho HyperDrive USB-C 6-in-1 Hub clips to an iPad and adds a collection of ports, allowing the tablet to make use of a variety of popular accessories, from mice and headphones to external displays. The multiport adapter offers outstanding functionality in minimal space.

The original version is one of the best iPad accessories ever. I tested the followup and it’s even better.

Maotoam Pro brilliantly combines laptop stand with 13-in-1 USB-C hub [Review]

By

Maotoam Pro review
Maotoam Pro is a robust tablet/laptop stand and a multifunction USB-C hub all in one well-designed package.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Maotoam Pro is two popular desktop accessories in one. It’s both a laptop/tablet stand and a USB-C hub with 13 ports. It can prop up a MacBook or iPad at your preferred angle, and connect it to up to a monitor, three USB devices, Ethernet and more.

I used the stand/hub in my everyday life for days. Here’s why I like it so very much.

Plugable USB-C multiport hub costs way less than Apple’s [Review]

By

Plugable USB-C Multiport Adapter review
The Plugable USB-C Multiport Adapter adds three frequently used ports to MacBook or iPad Pro.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

There’s no reason to watch a movie on your MacBook or iPad when the world is full of external displays you can connect to. Of course, to make the connection you’ll need something like the Plugable USB-C Multiport Adapter. Not only does it have an HDMI port, there’s a USB-A port for connecting an external drive. And a USB-C port for keeping your computer powered.

It was obviously designed to copy Apple’s Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter but at a much lower price. Here’s how it stands up.

Linedock 2TB multi-port hub grows to match larger MacBook Pros

By

13-inch Linedock has plenty of ports
The original 13-inch Linedock will soon be joined by 15- and 16-inch versions.
Photo: Linedock

CES 2020Larger versions of the Linedock multi-port USB-C adapter are in development. This hub that boasts up to 2TB of storage sits under a MacBook, so increasing the size for the 15- and 16-inch MacBook Pro makes sense — and makes room for additional features.

The best USB-C hubs for Mac and iPad 2019

By

Best-USB-C-hubs-2019
There are plenty of good USB-C hubs, but here are Cult of Mac’s favorites.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Nothing expands the capabilities of your Mac or iPad Pro more than a good USB-C hub. Plug one in and you can connect to TVs and tons of other peripherals, including external storage.

There’s an immense variety of these, depending on whether you want portability or a huge number of ports. There are even hubs designed specifically to clip to the side of an iPad.

To help you find the best USB-C hubs, Cult of Mac compiled this list of our favorites.

Satechi launches headphone adapter iPad Pro needed all along

By

The Satechi Type-C Headphone Jack Adapter also lets you charge your iPad Pro.
The Satechi Type-C Headphone Jack Adapter also lets you charge your iPad Pro.
Photo: Satechi

Satechi just introduced an adapter for audiophiles with the new iPad Pro.  There’s no headphone jack in this tablet, so this accessory maker created a USB-C-to-3.5mm adapter. 

At the same time, Satechi has a new USB-C to USB-C charging cable that can handle high-speed data and fast charging.“

Best USB-C accessories for Macs and iOS devices

By

Anker PowerCore+ 20100 USB-C
USB-C battery packs, chargers, hard drives, cables and hubs will future-proof newer Macs.
Photo: Anker

USB Type C — it’s no longer a novelty but an emerging connectivity standard for Apple products. As a newer, more powerful variation of the same USB we all know and love (well, kinda), USB-C features higher power and faster data transfer than its predecessors via a smaller connector.

While older USB Type A and B were a great gift for Mac users — few mourned the passing of ADB and SCSI — USB is often finicky. Just plugging in an old-school USB cable can prove challenging, since you must position the connector just so for it to slide smoothly into the port. That often means several tries to achieve the proper angle and orientation.

Those obstacles disappear with USB-C because, in addition to its smaller size, it is designed to be reversible — with no up or down orientation, just like a Lightning cable — and the cables can have the same type of connector on both ends.

You need these awesome MacBook accessories [Deals]

By

We've rounded up great gear for streamlining and expanding your MacBook's productivity potential.
We've rounded up great gear for streamlining and expanding your MacBook's productivity potential.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’ve got a MacBook, you’ve got a productivity powerhouse. But you can up the ante with the right accessories, so we’ve rounded up a few of the best. We’ve got a USB-C laptop stand, a breakaway USB-C charging cable, and a multiport hub that vastly expands your MacBook’s connective possibilities.

Plus, each of them is available at a fat discount!

Instantly upgrade your MacBook’s lonely USB-C port [Deals]

By

Reclaim your favorite devices by adding two USB 3.0 connections, HDMI, and more to your MacBook.
Reclaim your favorite devices by adding two USB 3.0 connections, HDMI, and more to your MacBook.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The new MacBooks are fantastically powerful and versatile machines. Except for that one thing. You know, literally, that single USB-C port. It’s a serious drag for anybody who still use external devices with any other kind of connection.

Adapt to the MacBook Pro with these USB-C docks and dongles

By

USB-C adaptors
An adaptor, like this hub from Satechi with a MacBook, will let you plug in your peripheral devices into the USB-C ports on the new MacBook Pro.
Photo: Satechi

Allow yourself to bask in the glow of a brighter screen and the multifunction Touch Bar. But when the high subsides and you’re ready to order the new MacBook Pro, you will need to deal with a slight inconvenience: all those USB-C ports.

But because Apple prepared us for the new industry standard last year when it introduced a single USB-C port on the 12-inch MacBook, accessories companies responded with loads of affordable adapters that allow users to plug in peripheral devices.