Picks · desk

Four specs. Port count is not one of them.

• Anker 555 USB-C Hub · about $55 CAD on Amazon.ca
• Plugable USBC-9IN1E · about $70 CAD on Amazon.ca

Most people sort Amazon by price, buy the first 8-in-1, and then watch the battery fall or the monitor stutter. That is usually four missing numbers, not bad luck.

1. Watts in, watts to the laptop

The hub keeps about 15 W. A 100 W brick through an Anker 555-class hub leaves about 85 W for the computer — enough for an Air or a 13-inch Pro sitting still, not a 16-inch machine compiling. If you actually need more than 100 W in, look for a listing that prints both sides (Plugable’s 9-in-1 talks about 140 W in / 125 W to host). No watt number means treat it as decoration.

2. HDMI 4K at 60 Hz

4K at 30 Hz looks fine in a still. Dragging windows feels like a slide show. Cheap titles print “4K” and hide 30 Hz. Also: some Windows USB-C ports do data and charge only. No DisplayPort Alt Mode, no picture. That is the laptop, not the hub.

3. 10 Gbps, not “USB 3”

USB 3 in a title might mean 5 Gbps (2012). An SSD or a camera wants 10 Gbps on the ports you actually use. Card readers: UHS-I is fine for a phone dump. UHS-II is why a photographer pays extra. If you never touch a card, do not pay for it.

4. Gigabit Ethernet if calls cannot drop

Skip the jack if you only browse. Buy it if someone else in the house starts a stream during a client call. Travel hubs can omit it. A desk hub that omitted it on purpose is a different product.

Mid-September 2026 Amazon.ca prices we would actually filter toward, if the four numbers still match on the day you buy: Anker 555 8-in-1 around $55 (B0BMXQXXMW) for one screen plus charge; Plugable USBC-9IN1E around $70 (B0D9R5SNG1) if you need the extra watts or UHS-II. If a third hub prints the same four numbers for less, buy that. The brand is not the point.

Amazon.ca links below are plain product pages. We are not in Associates yet. If that changes, the same links may carry a tag and we may earn a commission. We have not lab-tested these products. Specs are from the manufacturer listing as of 14 Sep 2026. Recheck the live page before you buy. We do not stock or ship anything.