Tips from China: UGREEN USB-C hubs for a few bucks

In the next installment of Tips from China, we’ll look at a category that ultrabooks are practically begging for – USB-C hubs. Modern notebooks often have only two ports, and you need to connect a monitor, mouse, Ethernet, and still charge. UGREEN offers solutions at prices ranging from 341 to 1,286 CZK, but not everything works as marketing promises.

UGREEN 10-in-1: Dual HDMI for 341 CZK

The cheapest model offers 10 ports at once – two HDMI (one 8K@30Hz, the other 4K@60Hz), Ethernet, three USB-A 3.0, two USB-A 2.0, USB-C, and an SD card slot. For 341 CZK, it sounds almost too good.

Reviews praise the build quality and the fact that everything works “out of the box” without driver installation. One user connected two monitors, a mouse, and a keyboard, and everything ran without issues. Another confirmed that it works just as well under Linux as under Windows.

But what’s the catch? 100W PD charging is not a true 100W. The hub takes 15W for its operation, so your laptop gets a maximum of 85W. If you have a powerful notebook, the system might report “weak charger”. This happened to one reviewer with an HP EliteBook – the hub worked, but the laptop complained about power supply.

Second problem – when you disconnect the charger from the hub, the hub remains lit. It draws power from the notebook, which means it slowly drains your battery even when you’re not doing anything. It’s not clear how much it consumes, but some reviews mention this as a drawback.

Price: 341 CZK

UGREEN 6-in-1: Best price/performance ratio

The 6-in-1 model for 555 CZK is, according to reviews, the best choice for most people. You get gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 4K@60Hz, USB-C 3.2 (10 Gbps), two USB-A 3.2, and PD 100W charging. Fewer ports than the ten-in-one, but the essential ones are there.

What works well? Ethernet. One reviewer writes that the network adapter is ASIX AX88179, which is a proven chip with good support in both Linux and macOS. 1000 Mbps speed without issues, excellent stability.

HDMI works at 4K@60Hz without flicker effect; one user tested it with a MacBook Air M4 and an ultrawide monitor at 100 Hz – no problem. USB ports transfer data at speeds up to 10 Gbps, which is decent even for external SSDs.

Where is the weakness? Power consumption. One reviewer mentions that their laptop reports “weak charger” even when using the original adapter. UGREEN simply takes its share, and if you have a high-consumption laptop, this can be a problem.

Another note – the quality is not “top-notch”, as one reviewer writes. The plastic is solid, but it’s not a premium product. For 555 CZK, however, it’s not a bad deal.

Price: 555 CZK

UGREEN 13-in-1: Triple display for 1,286 CZK

If you need three monitors at once, the 13-in-1 model offers two HDMI, one DisplayPort, and all support 4K@60Hz. Add to that Ethernet, USB-C 10 Gbps, two USB-A 10 Gbps, two more USB-A, SD/TF slots, a 3.5mm jack, and PD 100W charging.

For 1,286 CZK, it sounds like a good deal, but beware – three displays have their pitfalls. If you want to run three 4K monitors at 60 Hz, you need powerful graphics and strong power supply.

UGREEN promises compatibility with Dell XPS, ThinkPads, ZenBooks and others, but that doesn’t mean every model can handle three monitors in 4K.

Second problem – power consumption. When running 13 ports at once, the hub consumes more than 15W. This means that PD charging can drop below 80W, which for some notebooks causes the battery to slowly drain even while charging.

Price: 1,286 CZK

Conclusion: Which hub to choose?

UGREEN USB-C hubs are not a bad choice if you have realistic expectations. The build quality is solid, compatibility is wide, and prices are low.

From the offered models, I would choose the 6-in-1 for 555 CZK – it has Ethernet, fast USB 3.2, and HDMI 4K@60Hz. If you need two monitors and an SD slot, take the 10-in-1 for 341 CZK. The triple monitor setup for 1,286 CZK is interesting, but only if you have a powerful notebook.

Which USB-C Hub do you use?