At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Equipped with HDMI and DisplayPort
- USB with 10 Gbps
Cons
- Memory card reader only UHS-I
- USB ports do not provide charging
- Port labels are difficult to read
Our Verdict
With the Anker 565, Mac users get a great USB-C hub with which they can do little wrong.
11 ports on a hub sounds like a lot, and is a number more often associated with a full Mac docking station. The Anker 565 is a smaller, more portable solution than a dock, measuring 5.4 by 2.2 by 0.6 inches (13.7 by 5.7 by 1.4 centimeters). The 565 has its ports distributed over three edges of its boxy design.
On one side are two USB-A 2.0 ports for devices such as a keyboard and mouse; one USB-A 3.2 port and one USB-C 3.2 port each rated at 10Gbps and suitable for storage and other devices that need faster speeds. The USB 3.2 ports deliver impressive performance, with data transfer rates of 827MBps (write) and 864MBps (read) with a LaCie Rugged Mini SSD.
It is important to know that the USB-A and USB-C ports don’t charge devices, but this does bring us to the ports on the opposite side of the 565. You’ll find a USB-C PD Input port where you can plug in a 100-watt power supply, which then charges the MacBook it is connected to at 85 watts–you need to provide your own USB-C power supply. Next to the USB-C PD Input port are an SD Card (UHS-I) reader and a microSD card reader, a DisplayPort, and an HDMI port.
The DisplayPort and HDMI port both support 4K displays at 60Hz, however, you can only use one display at a time to get those specs. The hub worked when I tested with the 4K BenQ SW272U and SW321C displays. The memory card reader remains within the specification of UHS-I, with a maximum of 79MBps (write) and 91MBps (read) measured with a Kingston Canvas Go Plus.
The third side of the 565 has a 3.5 mm audio jack and a gigabit ethernet connection with two activity LEDs. The gigabit ethernet port achieved data transfer rates of 62MBps (write) and 63 MBs (read) when tested with a network-attached storage device.
The 565 has an attractive plastic housing with an attached braided nylon USB-C cable. The ports are labeled, but the color choice for the labels makes it difficult to read on the dark silver housing.
Should you buy the Anker 565 USB-C Hub?
The Anker 565 USB-C hub is a good solution for when you need more than what a MacBook Pro or Air offers. You can’t use the USB ports to charge, but that’s not a problem if your devices don’t need charging or have their own power supplies.
The alternative Anker 555 PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB-C Hub is a little cheaper (around $15) but has fewer ports, and we rate the 565 as the better value.
If you need USB ports that charge, need more USB-C ports, or need Thunderbolt capability, consider a Thunderbolt dock in our roundup.
This article originally appeared on our sister publication Macwelt and was translated and localized from German.