We love USB-C. It’s so much faster than old USB-A, and, even better, it’s reversible so you don’t have to guess which way up the cable is when plugging in.
The trouble with USB-C laptops or PCs is that so many don’t work with the older USB devices.
All owners of USB-C computers will probably need an adapter (with multiple and varied ports) to plug in all sorts of things from USB memory sticks, to Ethernet, keyboards, projectors and SD cards. We have tested many and rounded them up into our best USB-C adapter feature.
This Cyber Monday, there are some great deals on these so you can pick up a handy adapter at a fraction of the cost you’ll find them the rest of the year.
Satechi, for example, is offering big discounts of around 30% off in its Black Friday Sale, although UK buyers need to buy a couple of items (totalling at least $100) to avoid international shipping costs.
But fear not, we are here to help you save money.
The Satechi Slim Aluminum Type-C Multi-Port Adapter V2 is discounted to $48.99 from $69.99 (a 30% saving) at the Satechi store. The adapter adds a micro/SD card reader, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), 4K HDMI and USB 3.0 ports, all from its single USB-C port.
UK buyers will be hit by shipping fees, but Amazon is selling it at 30% off at £41.99, down from £59.99.
A great adapter for 13in and 15in MacBook Pro users is the Satechi Type-C Pro Hub Adapter, with a Thunderbolt 3 port, 4K HDMI (30Hz) video output, USB-C data port, two USB-A ports, and Micro/SD card reader. Sadly at £80 / $80 this isn’t in the Black Friday Sales, but you can get £5 off or $5 off when you buy from Amazon, by clicking on the voucher box.
There’s a different adapter for the same laptops that is much cheaper this weekend: Flyland’s USB-C Hub (with one pass-through charging Thunderbolt 3 port, three USB-A ports, and an SD/Micro SD card reader). While it lacks the HDMI, it covers the basics well. With 37% off at Amazon, it costs just £19.54.
If you need an adapter at the very lowest price, Ugreen has a couple that will save you big time.
Its 6-In-1 USB-C Hub features a 4K HDMI output port, a Type-C pass-through PD charging port, an SD/TF card reader, and 2 USB 3.0 ports. Amazon has it down 22% at just £20.39 this weekend.
The RCA 6-in-1 USB-C Hub combines three USB-A ports (5Gbps), one 4K HDMI port (3,840-x-2,160 at 30Hz), one TF card reader and a SD card reader (50MB/s). For Black Friday it’s a mere £16.79 or $23.99 on Amazon.
Author: Simon Jary, Contributing writer
Simon was Editor of Macworld from the dark days of 1995 to the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the launch of the iPhone. His desk is a test bench for tech accessories, from USB-C and Thunderbolt docks to chargers, batteries, Powerline adaptors and Fitbits.