The Verdict
My pick for a normal work laptop is the Anker 555, provided your laptop supports its display and charging features. The 565 earns its place when you genuinely need DisplayPort or the additional connections. The 332 is the basic choice for someone who needs a screen and a few accessories, not an entire command center. A hub should solve the port shortage. It should not become another needy little rectangle on your desk.
These are research-based buying judgments, not results from an HBH hands-on test. Amazing, Good and Mid describe how well each fits the one-laptop home-office job. They are not permanent grades stamped on the products by the technology gods. Different needs can absolutely change the order.
The short comparison
| Model | HBH fit and limits |
|---|---|
| Anker 555 (paid link) A8383 |
Amazing for one screen. USB-A and USB-C data up to 10 Gbps. HDMI up to 4K/60Hz with a compatible host. |
| Anker 565 (paid link) A8388 |
Good for extra connections. 10 Gbps ports plus two USB 2.0 ports. HDMI and DisplayPort; Mac external screens mirror each other. |
| Anker 332 (paid link) A8355 |
Mid for expansion; sensible for basics. USB-A and USB-C data up to 5 Gbps. HDMI up to 4K/30Hz. |
Amazing for a one-monitor desk: Anker 555
The 555 combines one HDMI output with Gigabit Ethernet, SD and microSD readers, two USB-A data ports, one USB-C data port and a separate charging input. Its faster data ports are useful if the same laptop also handles an external SSD. Anker specifies up to 85W of laptop charging from a suitable 100W supply; the wall charger is separate. HDMI can reach 4K at 60Hz with the appropriate host support. Those are manufacturer ceilings, not measured simultaneous performance.
That combination makes sense for a desk with one monitor, wired internet and occasional camera-card transfers. You can leave the little collection of cables attached and reconnect your laptop when you sit down. This is the boring kind of convenience I actually like: fewer decisions before the coffee has negotiated peace with my personality.
Skip it if all you need is a mouse receiver. Skip it if you want two independent external screens, because one HDMI socket does not grow a sibling when you believe in it. Also consider the cost of the charger you already own. Buying a hub and then discovering your old charger cannot cover the laptop’s needs is an expensive way to learn subtraction.
Good when the extra sockets have a job: Anker 565
The 565 adds DisplayPort and an audio connection to a larger collection of ports. It includes Gigabit Ethernet, card readers, a 10 Gbps USB-C port and a 10 Gbps USB-A port, alongside two slower USB 2.0 ports. Those slower sockets can be perfectly appropriate for a keyboard or mouse. They are not where I would park a fast SSD and then complain that the SSD has lost its ambition.
The big qualification is its display behavior. Anker says Windows laptops can show different content across the connected screens, subject to the host’s capabilities. On MacBooks, the two external screens mirror each other in the supported modes. That distinction belongs at the beginning of the shopping conversation, not buried underneath a photo of someone looking productive.
Buy the 565 because its particular connections match your equipment. Do not buy it because eleven is larger than eight. If a DisplayPort monitor is already on your desk, the extra output could spare you another adapter. If your Mac workflow requires two different external desktops, investigate a dock explicitly suited to your exact Mac and that task instead. More holes do not repeal the computer’s display limits.
Mid for a permanent desk, practical for a light bag: Anker 332
The 332 provides HDMI, two USB-A data ports, one USB-C data port and charging input. Its data ports top out at 5 Gbps, and HDMI is rated up to 4K at 30Hz. Anker lists a 100W power input and up to 85W passed to the laptop. There is no Ethernet jack or card reader in this five-port arrangement. That makes the buying question wonderfully simple: do you need either?
For a presentation, a basic accessory and an occasional file transfer, this might be all the hub you want. For daily work on a 4K monitor, I would favor an appropriate 60Hz solution if the computer supports it. Refresh rate affects how often the screen updates; resolution alone does not tell you whether scrolling will feel the way you expect.
There is also a specific Anker note worth keeping: connect a Samsung T7 SSD through the 332’s USB-A ports for stable data transfer. Read the exact model’s notes rather than assuming every USB-C socket behaves identically. USB-C describes the connector shape. It is not a sworn promise that every feature you have ever heard of lives behind it.
Before buying a USB-C hub for a MacBook or Windows laptop
Start with the laptop’s model number and its own documentation. Confirm which port supports video output, how many external screens the computer supports, and its normal charging requirement. Then write down the monitor’s input and the resolution and refresh rate you want to use. This takes less time than boxing up a wrong purchase while muttering at the tape dispenser.
Next, sort the accessories into fast-data and basic-input jobs. An SSD and a camera-card workflow deserve a closer look at transfer limits. A keyboard usually needs very little bandwidth. The hub’s headline speed is a ceiling, and connected devices share the upstream connection. Two fast ports do not mean two independent full-speed highways back to the laptop.
Finally, check the charging chain. The wall charger, cable, hub and laptop all have to support the intended arrangement. An input rating is not the power delivered to your computer. If your laptop needs more power than the hub passes through, you may need its separate charging connection. That can still be a perfectly reasonable setup; it just is not the one-cable fantasy the product photo may have planted in your head.
Three questions people should ask before checkout
Will a USB-C data port drive my monitor?
Not automatically. On these hubs, follow the documented HDMI or DisplayPort outputs; do not assume a USB-C data socket also carries video. The laptop’s upstream port must support the required display mode too. Check both ends, including the monitor cable, before blaming the monitor.
Does 4K mean 60Hz?
No. The 332 lists 4K at 30Hz. The other models have higher single-display ceilings under compatible conditions. Multiple screens and the host’s DisplayPort capabilities can change the available modes. Shop the exact resolution-and-refresh-rate combination, not the largest number printed in the title.
Which one would Honey actually shortlist?
The 555 for a compatible one-screen work setup; the 565 when its extra connections solve a named problem; the 332 when the smaller feature set is enough. If you cannot name the job for an extra socket, you do not need to pay for that socket yet. The desk has enough emotional baggage without collecting ports for their potential.
If the room’s Wi-Fi is the actual problem, a hub alone cannot redesign your wireless coverage. Our eero comparison tackles that separate decision. Buy the fix for the bottleneck you have, and leave the imaginary future office out of today’s cart.
Compare the exact models on Amazon
Anker 555 (A8383) — check the current listing (paid link)
Anker 565 (A8388) — check the current listing (paid link)
Anker 332 (A8355) — check the current listing (paid link)
Sources and related reading
Anker 555 compatibility and charging
Compare eero mesh systems for your home
Scale: 0 to 85 W. Every bar begins at zero; the longest bar represents 85 W.
555: 85 W
565: 85 W
332: 85 W
Manufacturer limits with a suitable 100W supply; not measured charging results. The equal bars show why port count is not a charging upgrade.
Honey’s Bottom Line
The desk test: if your laptop needs one more port, a hub should add the port—not add a new chapter to your cable-management memoir. Pick the one that solves your actual shortage and leave the rest of the rectangle on the shelf.
Disclosures
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When you use an Amazon link in this article, HBH may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Editorial disclosure: This is a research-based comparison using published manufacturer information and the linked product listings. Unless specifically stated, this is not a report of hands-on testing or personal use.
Artwork disclosure: The cover image is AI-generated Honey Be Honest editorial artwork and is illustrative; it is not a photograph of the exact products compared.
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