USB-C hubs have been multiplying over the last three years, but I've been slightly annoyed by the one trait they all seem to share: a permanently attached USB-C cable that's often too short and makes the hub awkward to pack or keep flat on your desk. Newcomer uniAccessories launched a small crop of USB-C adapters on Amazon in 2018, and today it's launching a Kickstarter for uni's USB-C 8-in-1 Dock and 6-in-1 Hub, which are pocket-sized and feature detachable cables! At last!
The uni USB-C Hub is about the size of a Zippo lighter with:
- 2 USB-A 3.0 ports
- 1 HDMI output (4K @ 30Hz)
- 1 microSD card reader
- 1 SD card reader
- 1 USB-C input capable of up to 100W Power Delivery pass-through charging
The uni USB-C Dock is slightly larger than a deck of playing cards with:
- 2 USB-A 3.0 ports
- 1 USB-A 2.0 port
- 1 Gigabit Ethernet port
- 1 HDMI output (4K @ 30Hz)
- 1 microSD card reader
- 1 SD card reader
- 1 USB-C input capable of up to 100W Power Delivery pass-through charging
Both the uni Hub and Dock come with 2 silicone bumpers — grey and blue — as well as 2 varying length USB-C 3.1 cables for connecting them to your USB-C Chromebook, MacBook, or Android phone — both models worked with Samsung DeX on my Samsung Galaxy S9+.
I've spent a week with these hubs and it's been a great experience. The uni Hub is perfectly pocket-sized, and while you definitely need a USB 3.1 C-to-C cable in order to support the HDMI output, regular USB 2.0 cables are more than enough to use with the rest of the ports on these hubs, even with 400Mbps Ethernet and Power Delivery charging.
Being able to swap to a longer cable is a godsend: not only is my hub not hanging off the side of my makeshift laptop stand anymore, the hub is now out of the way at the back of my desk. This allowed me to de-clutter the area immediately around my computer and give my workspace a little more semblance of order. I've mostly used the Dock in my apartment for the Ethernet port, but the uni Hub is almost certainly my new go-to travel hub because of how much easier it is to break down and pack up.
You can back the uni Hub for the $39 Super Early Bird price right now ($70 regular price) and the uni Dock for $55 Super Early Bird ($85 regular price). Considering the 8-in-1 dock is just about the size of most 4-in-1 or 6-in-1 hubs, $55 sounds like a pretty great deal to me, even if the Kickstarter nature lends itself to massive delays. The Kickstarter will run until March 9. I'll be sharing more thorough reviews on the uni Hub and Dock in the coming weeks.
