Accessories for Your USB-C Laptop
We’ve reviewed this list and added new cable picks.
We've spent dozens of hours testing the best cables, hubs, adapters, and dongles to help you connect your monitors, peripherals, and accessories to your new laptop, even if it has only USB-C ports. Live that dongle life.
Essentials
USB-C hub
A hub can free you from carrying a passel of adapters and cables by giving you all the ports you lack in one package.
A portable hub with every port you're likely to need: two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, USB-C PD, HDMI, Ethernet, and both SD and microSD card readers.
The Best USB Hubs
A portable hub with every port you're likely to need: two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, USB-C PD, HDMI, Ethernet, and both SD and microSD card readers.
This hub has a great variety of ports: two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, USB-C PD, and both SD and microSD card slots, but it lacks Ethernet, and its HDMI port doesn’t pair as well with 4K monitors.
The Best USB Hubs
This hub has a great variety of ports: two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, USB-C PD, and both SD and microSD card slots, but it lacks Ethernet, and its HDMI port doesn’t pair as well with 4K monitors.
Spare charger
Your laptop has a charger, but it's handy to have a spare to keep at your desk and toss into a bag. One nice thing is that you can use the same charger for a USB-C phone, tablet, Nintendo Switch, or pretty much anything else that charges via USB-C.
This is the best replacement for the charger that came with your USB-C–charging Mac or PC.
The Best USB-C Laptop and Tablet Chargers
This is the best replacement for the charger that came with your USB-C–charging Mac or PC.
If you need more power than the average person, this compact charger has two USB-C PD ports capable of delivering 140 W apiece or 145 W total. It also includes a removable, 8-foot cable.
The Best USB-C Laptop and Tablet Chargers
If you need more power than the average person, this compact charger has two USB-C PD ports capable of delivering 140 W apiece or 145 W total. It also includes a removable, 8-foot cable.
USB-A–to–USB-C adapters
If you need only to connect a single older USB device to your laptop, an A-to-C adapter is cheaper and more compact than a hub.
Our favorite “short-cable” USB-A–to–USB-C adapter has a lifetime warranty and includes a cable tie.
The Best USB-C Cables and Adapters
Our favorite “short-cable” USB-A–to–USB-C adapter has a lifetime warranty and includes a cable tie.
Nice-to-haves
USB-C-to-Lightning cables
While most people might have a stand-alone wall plug for charging their iPhones, you can also use a USB-C-to-Lightning cable to connect your iPhone to a MacBook. It won’t juice up as quickly as with a fast-charging wall adapter, but it’ll get the job done in a pinch.
This lengthy cable is MFi-certified, sturdily built, and comfortable to grip, and it has a lifetime warranty.
The Best Lightning Cable for iPhone and iPad
This lengthy cable is MFi-certified, sturdily built, and comfortable to grip, and it has a lifetime warranty.
USB-C–to–USB-C cables
You'd think that every cable with a USB-C plug on one end and another on the other end would act the same. That would be too easy. Want fast data transfer? Laptop charging? Both? Thunderbolt 3? That's four different types of cables.
This 240 W cable can fast-charge everything from the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro to your phone.
The Best USB-C Cables and Adapters
This 240 W cable can fast-charge everything from the latest 16-inch MacBook Pro to your phone.
This durable cable offers 10 Gbps transfer speeds and 4K video-output support for a great price.
The Best USB-C Cables and Adapters
This durable cable offers 10 Gbps transfer speeds and 4K video-output support for a great price.
Display adapters
Some new monitors have USB-C ports, and some laptops still have HDMI or DisplayPort, but most people using an external monitor still need an adapter cable.
This cable comes in a range of lengths from 3 to 15 feet, and can transmit a 4K signal at 60 Hz.
The Best USB-C Video Cables and Adapters
This cable comes in a range of lengths from 3 to 15 feet, and can transmit a 4K signal at 60 Hz.
All the DisplayPort cables we tested worked perfectly at 4K resolution and 60 Hz, but this one comes in 3-, 6,- and 10-foot options and its cable and housing materials are top-notch.
The Best USB-C Video Cables and Adapters
All the DisplayPort cables we tested worked perfectly at 4K resolution and 60 Hz, but this one comes in 3-, 6,- and 10-foot options and its cable and housing materials are top-notch.
This cable supports up to 1920×1200 at 60 Hz. And unlike other, similar cables, its converter chip and DisplayPort controller aren't in a bulky plastic collar.
The Best USB-C Video Cables and Adapters
This cable supports up to 1920×1200 at 60 Hz. And unlike other, similar cables, its converter chip and DisplayPort controller aren't in a bulky plastic collar.
If you need to connect to an older projector or monitor, this 6-foot cable puts out 1920x1080 resolution at 60 Hz for a reasonable price.
The Best USB-C Video Cables and Adapters
If you need to connect to an older projector or monitor, this 6-foot cable puts out 1920x1080 resolution at 60 Hz for a reasonable price.
