While there are lots of excellent iPad Pro hubs to choose from out there, most of them aren’t designed to also be iPad stands. Even this one from Satechi, which we do still appreciate the looks and build quality of, doesn’t reach the viewing height or connection ports of the Anker 551 hub + stand.

Anker’s version is equipped with eight ports total:

• USB-C Power Delivery input (up to 100W)
• 4K@60Hz HDMI port
• 2 USB-A data ports
• 3.5 mm AUX port
• microSD card slot
• SD 3.0 card slot

Whereas the Satechi supports pass-through charging speeds that top out at 60W max, Anker’s hub stand can pass upwards of 100W (with 45W minimum required) to your connected iPad or tablet, and to power such a setup, we’ve written about several chargers that meet or exceed that capability — even in the car, if that’s a concern for you.

The Anker’s added height also grants some flexibility in how you angle the device for the most comfortable viewing and/or work usage:

Both hubs can revolutionize your iPad’s (or other USB-C tablet’s) productivity levels, but the Anker stand has just a bit more versatility over the Satechi in my opinion.

As of September 8th, 2024 you can get it for $80 on Amazon (down from $100).

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One of the great things about carrying an iPad is that it allows you to be productive wherever you go, without taking up much room in your bag or requiring much table space in a coffee shop. However, there are still times when you may need to expand on the device’s capabilities, and that’s what Twelve South’s ultra-slim StayGo mini USB-C hub is designed to do.

This smaller, four-port variant of the original eight-port StayGo gives you an HDMI port for connecting an external display, a USB-A port for plugging in an external or thumb drive, a headphone jack, and a USB-C passthrough power jack.

Here’s a handy graphic they put together to show the differences between the two models:

And in this short video, they demonstrate how useful the included desk cable is, especially if you have a case on your iPad that would otherwise make the connection difficult:

Of course, the hub also works with Type-C MacBooks that can occasionally use a few extra ports.

Get the StayGo mini for $60 on Amazon.

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For those of you who want to turn your iPad — or another tablet with a USB-C port, preferably one with PD — into an actual portable workstation device, Satechi’s aluminum stand + hub is everything you’ve been looking for. It gives your device an elevated, padded resting place for easier viewing, while providing a number of additional ports on the back side for desktop-like functionality:

As that image shows, you get…

• A 4K HDMI (up to 60Hz) display output
• A 5 Gbps USB-A data-only port (doesn’t offer charging)
• A USB-C PD charging output (up to 60W)
• Both microSD and SD card readers (UHS-I)
• A 3.5mm audio jack

When you’re not using it, the stand folds down to fit more easily into your bag:

With its premium build and the fact that it lets you connect so many peripherals, this mobile hub will really take your iPad usage to the next level (semi-literally).

Get it for $100 on Amazon.

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If you’ve ever felt constrained by the number of devices you can connect at once to your iPad Pro, MacBook Air, or M1 Mac mini, then you’ll appreciate the upcoming Thunderbolt Hub by OWC, which will let you turn a single USB-C or Thunderbolt port into three Thunderbolt 4 outputs, plus a standard USB-A (10Gb/s) port.

Each of those Thunderbolt 4 ports offers transfer speeds of up to 40Gb/s, and the device as a whole can support two 4K displays at once, or a single 5K/6K/8K display. Or, you can daisy-chain a few bus-powered Thunderbolt drives together:

…or, you can create three separate daisy chain “branches”, allowing you to remove devices from one chain without affecting or disconnecting the others:

Needless to say, it’s pretty sweet.

John Voorhees of MacStories has had some time with the Thunderbolt Hub and seems to be loving it so far, so give that a read if you’re unsure if this hub is for you.

Despite not even being out in the world yet, the demand for this device has been high. As of March 3rd, 2021, pre-orders aren’t expected to ship until sometime in May, so if you’re aiming to get one ASAP, put your $149 order in now.

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The BoltHub is a Kickstarter project for a sleek iPad Pro USB-C hub that’s more low-profile than most others on the market — even, say, Satechi’s Type-C Mobile Pro Hub from last year. It’s got all the ports you could ask for:

• USB-C 3.1 — Supports 60W Power Delivery (PD) charging.
• HDMI — Supports 1080p@60Hz, 2K@60Hz for the 2018 iPad Pro, and 4K@30Hz for others.
• USB-A 3.1 (5Gb/s) — For connecting cameras, external drives (FAT32 file system only), and hardware keyboards (with full access to function keys).
• SD and microSD (both UHS-1 @ 104Mb/s) — For transferring .jpg and .gif photos as well as .mp4 videos onto the iPad Pro.
• 3.5mm audio — For headphones, of course.

What makes the BoltHub so “invisible” is that the soft-grip L-shaped hub/port section slides directly onto the corner of your iPad Pro, with a small cable that runs down to the Type-C port. That grip lining can be removed to help the BoltHub fit onto a third-party case.

The BoltHub was designed by Kristine Horwitz, who I believe is the lady that appears in the promo video:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lag50dHJTlc

As of June 5th, 2019, the BoltHub Kickstarter’s already been funded and still has a week left to go. You can back the project at the $69 level or higher to receive one of your own after the project completes. It’ll ideally start shipping in July.

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If you’re intending to use your new 2018 iPad Pro as a full computer replacement, Satechi’s upcoming Type-C Mobile Pro Hub will help unlock its full potential by adding convenient access to all your peripheral devices. Plug it into the USB-C port and you’ll receive four ports in return:

• 4K 30Hz HDMI (though the iPad Pro is limited to 2K 60Hz)
• USB-C PD 3.0 (which allows you to continue charging the iPad Pro if you like)
• USB 3.0 (up to 5 Gb/s)
• 3.5mm headphone jack

As of November 28th, 2018 the website shows that $45 pre-orders of this adapter will ship by December 24th. After that date (I’m assuming?) the price will go up to $60.

Pre-order