(Last Updated On: April 28, 2020)

If you have a laptop or tablet that uses a USB-C port, then there’s a chance that the device that you’re using has few other ports than the USB-C ports, or in some cases, all you have are USB-C ports.

Apple is guilty of having few USB-C ports on their MacBooks, as this causes issues for when users want to connect multiple devices at once. The same thing can be said about tablets that only use a single USB-C port, you can’t connect more than a single device at a time.

That is why USB-C hub adapters have been on the rise in recent years, to allow users to be able to connect multiple devices at once. In this review, we’re taking a look at Aukey’s 7 in 1 CB-C71 USB-C adapter that can take the limits of a single port, and turn it into seven ways to use it.

Power

The main thing to know before getting an adapter is what ports does it feature and how you’ll be able to utilize them. Let’s take a closer look at the sevens way to use this adapter. The first thing to know for this review is that we used this Aukey adapter with a Microsoft Surface Go. It’s a tablet PC that only has a USB-C port for connectivity and a Surface Connect port for charging. The USB-C port on the Surface Go can also be used for charging, but there are no full-sized USB-A ports on the tablet, so it’s a great device to use with a USB-C hub adapter.

Two USB 3.0 ports and One USB 2.0 Port

One side of the Aukey adapter is where you’ll find two USB 3.0 adapters which can prove to be useful for when you want to transfer files from your phone or other devices to your computers.

On the other side of the adapter, there is another USB-A port, but it’s a USB 2.0 port. Just to give you a quick rundown, USB 2.0 ports are capable of transfer speeds of 480 Mbps, while USB 3.0 ports are capable of transfer speeds of 4.8GB Gbps. So, in this case, it’s going to be best to connect your phone or whichever device you want to share files with to the USB 3.0 ports, and not the USB 2.0 ports.

For our test, we were able to connect the LG G7 ThinQ smartphone to the USB 2.0 port, and it connected to the Surface Go tablet. Additionally, we also connected a wired keyboard to one USB 3.0 port and a Bluetooth receiver for a wireless Logitech mouse to the other USB 3.0 port. Both the keyboard and the mouse was able to connect to the Surface Go and were usable with no flaws.

SD and Micro SD Card Slots

On the same side where the USB 3.0 ports are, there is also an SD card and a Micro SD card. Another way to share files from your phone, camera, or other devices.

Ethernet Port

The Microsoft Surface Go does have Wifi, but since the Aukey CB-C71 HUB adapter has an Ethernet port, we connected an Ethernet cable to see if it was possible to have a wired connection to the internet, and it worked perfectly.

HDMI Port

There is an HDMI port on the adapter that can be used to share your screen with another monitor and the great thing about HDMI port is that supports 4K resolution screen sharing.

USB-C Power Delivery Port

If you’re using this Aukey adapter with a device that only has a USB-C port, then you might be wondering how on earth are you going to charge a device. The answer is that the adapter itself has a USB-C Power Delivery port that is capable of accepting 100W of charging power.

The Surface Go that we used here does have a Surface connect port for charging, but using a USB-C charger with the USB-C PD port on the adapter is more convenient. In this case, we used Aukey’s PD wall charger to charge the Surface Go through the USB-C port.

Design

Size and Weight:

Even with everything that it features, one of the most surprising things about this hub adapter and many others is how small they are. The HUB itself has a length of 4 inches, a width of 2.2 inches and a thickness of 0.5 inches. The weight of the hub is 2 ounces.

It won’t be taking up much space at all next to the device that you’re plugging it into.

Functional Components:

When it comes to using the adapter, all you have to do is plug it into a USB-C on your device with the built-in USB-C cable on the adapter. Once, that’s done, you’re ready to use the adapter and all of its ports. There are no drivers or anything to install.

Once plugged in, the adapter has a green light at the top that turns on to show that it’s ready to use.

All the ports are to the sides of the adapter. One thing that could be improved is the length of the USB-C cable. The cable is short, we found that it was somewhat suspended in the air when we had many devices connected to it at the same time. Not a big deal, but it would be nice to have some wiggle room on where you want to place the adapter.

Build

Structure and Material:

The build of the adapter is good, but it’s all plastic. While Aukey does have higher build quality hub adapters such as the CB-C70 that is made of Zinc Alloy at the bottom, while the bottom of this adapter is made of plastic.

It’s fine though, the adapter’s cable is great quality, which is the most important built part because if that breaks, the adapter is useless. It will last you for a while.

Tech:

Since you’re able to connect sevens things in at once, only one of them is capable of causing heating, and that would be the USB-C Power Delivery charging. Connecting other devices does not cause heating issues.

As for the speed for this adapter for connecting devices, it’s relatively fast because it’s using a USB-C connection, and the USB 3.0 ports are especially fast.

Reliability

Laptops and tablets that use USB-C ports are great, they make it easier to charge, they’re slimmer and more lightweight. However, the sacrifice is the lack of ports and how unreliable they are for connecting many devices at the same time.

That’s what makes this Aukey HUB adapter so reliable. It gives you the ability to expand on the few USB-C ports that you may have on your laptop or tablet.

Summary:

Power:

In terms of features, the adapter has a lot to offer for connecting multiple devices at once, you can connect an SD card, a Micro SD, an HDMI port, an Ethernet cable for a wired internet connection, two USB 3.0 ports, a single USB 2.0 port, and a Power Delivery port.

Design:

The adapter is small and slim. It’s easy to use as you only have to plug the cable into your device and green light is at the top to show it’s powered and ready to use. The only real flaw is that the built-in USB-C cable is quite small and difficult to maneuver the adapter around.

Build:

The build is good, but the entire adapter is made of plastic, which does make it lightweight.

Reliability:

HUB adapters are made to make the device that you’re using more reliable, as you can connect more devices at the same time to your tablet or laptop. This Aukey adapter does just that, and it allows you to charge your device.

Conclusion:

Aukey’s CB-C71 USB-C 7 in 1 HUB adapter is a useful hub that allows you to connect many devices at the same time with ease.

No products found.