AUKEY USB Hub 3.0

  • Sleek design

  • Small and space efficient

  • Affordable

  • Slow charging speeds

  • Slides around too much

The Aukey USB Hub 3.0 does exactly what it sets out to do for a perfectly reasonable price, and looks good while doing it. It should meet the needs of almost everyone.

  • Design
  • Setup Process
  • Connectivity
  • Performance
  • Price
  • Competition
  • Final Verdict
  • Specs

We purchased the Aukey USB Hub 3.0 so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full product review.

USB hubs are a wonderful and often overlooked option for those looking to increase the functionality of their workspace and broaden the USB connectivity available to them. Desktop computers often have awkwardly located ports that require a lot of back-bending and neck-arching just to connect. Laptop computers, on the other hand, often simply suffer from a lack of available ports. The Aukey USB Hub 3.0 is here to remove some of these tiny but cumulative problems by offering 4x high-speed USB ports offering up to 5 Gbps of bandwidth.

This little hub might not be much of an overachiever, but it definitely gets the job done, and looks pretty good while doing so. We tested this hub across all the categories that might matter to a potential buyer so you can determine if it’s the right fit for you or not.

Design: Small but slippery

Measuring 3.4 x 1.8 x 1.1 inches (HWD), the Aukey USB Hub 3.0 is rather small, not taking up too much extra space on your desk. Aukey made some nice design considerations that make a meaningful difference in its use. One such consideration is the tilted angle, which makes it a little bit easier to connect devices to the unit when it is facing you. Another easily-overlooked feature is the inclusion of a small indent on the underside of the device towards the front, just big enough to allow you to run the USB cable underneath it and back to your computer. Sure, it might not look like much, but it will keep your desk a tiny bit tidier in some circumstances.

We liked the brushed aluminum finish, and the hardened plastic sides of the product also feel very solid. All these details come together to make the hub feel well put together, unlike other products in this category.

The Aukey USB Hub 3.0 may not wildly exceed expectations, but it does exactly what it was designed for and looks good in the process.

From a design perspective, the only fault that was immediately apparent to us was that the feet on the bottom of the device don’t provide enough grip to prevent the hub from slipping around—at least on the desk we did most of the testing on. This probably won’t be a dealbreaker for most, but perfectionists might take an issue with this shortcoming.

Setup Process: Simple as you expect

To start using the Aukey USB Hub 3.0, simply remove the main hub from its packaging and connect the supplied USB (A-to-A) cable to both the hub and your computer. There shouldn’t be any additional steps necessary—this hub works out of the box. The manual itself contains a very cursory overview of this simple product’s use and operation. It also makes note of the power limitations outlined in the below section. 

Connectivity: Could use a few more options 

The Aukey USB Hub 3.0 comes with a rather short 1.6-foot USB (A-to-A) cable to connect to your computer. This might be too short for some users, but luckily this connection can be swapped out at any point for a longer one if you wish. 

The Aukey USB Hub 3.0 won’t fast-charge any of your devices, and will likely take a long time to charge tablets and comparable products.

The hub itself then provides four USB 3.0 Gen 1 ports, offering a maximum transfer speed of 5Gbps. For those curious, this is ten times the speed of the older USB 2.0 standard, but slower than the newer USB 3.1 Gen 2, which offers up to 10Gbps.

Performance: A slower charge 

The Aukey USB Hub 3.0 suffers a bit in the performance department, mostly because of its reliance on a single USB port from the destination device. This means that you get a maximum of 5V and 0.9A of combined power to the whole hub. This will be fine for USB thumb drives, mice and keyboards, but not enough to power multiple external hard drives that rely on USB power. Aukey is transparent about this fact on the product page, stating that the hub supports a maximum of one hard drive, and that high power devices such as Apple’s optical SuperDrive shouldn’t be connected.

This also means the Aukey USB Hub 3.0 won’t fast-charge any of your devices, and will likely take a long time to charge tablets and comparable products. Many larger USB hubs get around this limitation by providing dedicated power connectors to the wall. Even still, those devices usually have a limited amount of dedicated ports designed for quick charging.

This will be fine for USB thumb drives, mice, and keyboards, but not enough to power multiple external hard drives that rely on USB power.

Price: A fair amount

Read more reviews of the best USB hubs available to purchase online.

Does exactly what it promises.

Specs

  • Product Name
  • USB Hub 3.0
  • Product Brand
  • AUKEY
  • MPN
  • B00KOHQU58
  • Price
  • $16.99
  • Release Date
  • November 2014
  • Weight
  • 2.88 oz.
  • Product Dimensions
  • 3.4 x 1.8 x 1.1 in.
  • Color
  • Silver, grey
  • Inputs/Outputs
  • 4x USB 3.0 ports (0.9 A total)
  • Compatibility
  • Windows 2000/Win XP/Vista/Windows 7 & Mac 10.1 up
  • Warranty
  • 2 years