With the introduction of the 2016 MacBook Pro’s and with countless of Windows laptops, the adoption of USB-C has been growing rapidly. While Apple sells their own USB-C adapters they come at a higher price, and not all third-party adapters are made equally.
Incipio currently offers two USB-C hubs which I have been testing with a 2016 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and a 2015 MacBook. The Dual Port Adapter and Digital AV Multiport Adapter all convert one USB-C port into several other ones. Unfortunately, they only come in one black color-I hope in the future they expand the offering to Silver, Space Grey, Gold, and Rose Gold.
The Dual Port Adapter has a retractable USB-C port, which makes it easy for stowaway storage. The Digital AV Multiport Adapter has a USB-C port attached via a cord that can get tucked away. Two USB 2.0 Ports are found on the Dual Port Adapter, and while they are not 3.0, the speeds will get the jobs done for most tasks. There is also no second USB-C adapter on this hub.
The Digital AV Multiport Adapter does feature a USB-C port that can be used for power pass through. This way even with the hub plugged in you can still charge the device; this is quite important for the MacBook as it has one port. You also get an HDMI port which allows you to have an external display or to connect with a television. Lastly, a single USB-A 2.0 port is on the hub as well.
Both of these hubs are relatively light and are easy enough to bring along with you while you’re on the go. The Dual Port Adapter is very affordable at just $29.99, and the Digital AV Multiport Adapter comes in at $59.99. The latter of the two is considerably cheaper than Apple’s adapter that includes an HDMI port.
