Review on 🔌 VANMASS Full-Scene Aluminum-Glass Slim USB C Hub: 4K Ultra HD HDMI, Hyper Speed USB 3.1, TF/SD Card Slots, PD Charging for MacBook, Type C Laptop, iPad Pro & More by Greg Boulden

Having recently upgraded to a USB-C only 13-inch MacBook Pro, I needed a USB-C hub to connect my other devices. So I bought it for work, but after realizing the convenience of connecting all your devices to the same USB-C cable, I realized I'd probably need another USB-C hub for home/ when traveling and this search led me to this device. One line review summary: This is the perfect hub for the iPad Pro, this is now my favorite home/travel hub, and it would be my favorite USB-C hub for the office if it had an Ethernet connection. First of all: I would add the hub optically, it is really nice. There is a small logo on the top that lights up when the unit is on (see photo) and this is both good diagnostics and very nice. As you can see in the promotional images above, the rectangular USB-C connector is larger than your regular plug, and while I appreciate its reliability, I can see how it can be too bulky for some (although I think the angled connector should also alleviate most of these problems). The rubber feet on the bottom keep the hub well from slipping. Overall, the device makes a well thought-out and well-made impression. The only thing different about this hub: IT HAS A USB-C DATA PORT! In all the time I've looked at different hubs, I don't think I've seen many USB-C hubs with this feature, and for single-port devices like the latest iPad Pros, that means you always can still connect a USB port port. -C drive after connecting this hub. Another benefit of the USB-C data port is that it is based on the USB 3.1 specification compared to the other two USB-A ports which are based on the USB 3.0 specification. So if you have a device that supports this, you could potentially work faster. USB-C transfer rate (I don't have any USB-C devices to test the speed and confirm this). I think having this USB-C data port will become more important as there will be more USB-C devices around us, and I think you'll see other hubs using this feature eventually, but for now I think that would be the reason to get this hub over others. Given the extra USB-C port and headphone jack, I think this would be the perfect USB-C hub for the new iPad Pros. The only thing it lacks is an Ethernet port. because I need it for office work. I don't have these requirements for travel or at home so it stays at home/in my pocket which I think is ideal. Some small notes that I think are worth mentioning: As far as I know, the USB-C data port CANNOT be used for video, only for data transfer according to the USB 3.1 specification. It shouldn't matter since you have an HDMI port, but be aware that these are limitations if you're dreaming of connecting two displays to this hub (you'll probably need a TB3-based hub for these needs). - iOS compatibility may require the latest version of iOS13. So if you're having trouble, make sure you're using the latest OS version. The headphone jack on the hub is TRRS compliant, which means you can connect 3.5mm EarPods and use the built-in microphone for FaceTime, conference calls, and more. You need to find out about the power rating of your headphones USB-C charger. Another USB-C hub of mine warned that powering the hub below 40W could cause anomalous behavior when powering connected devices, and I suspect something similar for this device as well. The iPad Pro charger is only 18W, the MacBook Air comes with a 30W charger, which can be problematic if you want to connect devices like hard drives that require USB bus power. My MacBook Pro 13" came with a 60w charger and it should be fine. I suspect a lot of the reviews you read about hubs overheating are because you want something more powerful like that Use the 87w charger that comes with the MBP 15" but the manufacturer says it's all good as long as you provide adequate ventilation (i.e. don't put it under your pillow) so I'll take it her word for it. The hub itself consumes 8 watts (according to the brochure that came with the device). So note that charging your laptop through the hub is slightly slower than connecting directly, although in practice I don't notice any difference.