The iPad Pro's single USB-C port is a bottleneck. After testing the top contenders, these are the USB-C hubs that actually turn your tablet into a workstation — from pocket-sized adapters to full desktop docks.
The iPad Pro is a beast of a machine — until you need to plug in a monitor, charge your phone, offload photos from an SD card, and keep the tablet itself juiced all at once. That single USB-C/Thunderbolt port goes from liberating to limiting fast. The right hub changes everything.
We've combed through the field, weighed the specs that actually matter (4K refresh rates, pass-through wattage, card reader speeds), and landed on four picks that cover every iPad Pro workflow.
Satechi's SM1 Slim is the hub we'd recommend to anyone who just wants one thing that works. It slides directly onto the iPad Pro's USB-C port — no dangling cable, no extra desk clutter — and unlocks 4K video at a full 60Hz, 100W Power Delivery pass-through, and a USB-A port for legacy peripherals.1
The 100W pass-through is the standout: it's enough to keep a 12.9-inch iPad Pro charging at full speed even while you're driving an external display and transferring files. Most hubs in this size class top out at 60W.
Specs: HDMI 4K @ 60Hz, 100W PD, USB-A, direct-fit design.
If your iPad Pro lives in your bag and comes out in coffee shops, the HyperDrive 6-in-1 is the pocket-friendly pick. It's a direct-fit hub (no cable to lose) and delivers 4K at 60Hz over HDMI alongside 60W pass-through charging.1
Macworld calls it the best overall USB-C hub for iPad, and the reason is simple: it nails the balance of port count and portability. You get the essentials — HDMI, USB-A, SD/microSD, headphone jack — without the bulk of a desktop dock.1
Specs: HDMI 4K @ 60Hz, 60W PD, USB-A, SD/microSD, direct-fit.
For the desk-bound iPad Pro user, Satechi's Aluminum Stand & Hub is a two-in-one solution that elevates both your screen and your connectivity. It's a foldable, adjustable stand that also packs a 7-port hub into its base.2
You get 4K HDMI output at 60Hz, microSD and full-size SD card slots, a USB-A port, and an audio jack — all while propping your iPad up at a comfortable viewing angle. The 100W pass-through means your iPad stays topped off during marathon editing sessions.2
Specs: HDMI 4K @ 60Hz, 100W PD, USB-A, SD/microSD, audio jack, adjustable stand.
When you need all the ports, the Ugreen Revodok Pro 109 delivers. This 9-in-1 hub is a wired solution (a short cable connects to your iPad), which gives you more flexibility in placement and a wider array of ports than any direct-fit design.3
The headline feature is the SD and microSD card readers rated at 170MBps — that's UHS-II territory, a meaningful speed bump for photographers offloading large RAW files. You also get 4K at 60Hz over HDMI, 100W pass-through, USB-A and USB-C data ports, and an Ethernet jack.3
Specs: HDMI 4K @ 60Hz, 100W PD, USB-A, USB-C data, SD/microSD (170MBps), Ethernet, wired.
Most iPad Pro hubs are USB-C, not Thunderbolt 4. That's fine — the iPad Pro's USB-C port supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, which is all you need for 4K video. Thunderbolt 4 hubs (like CalDigit's) offer higher bandwidth and daisy-chaining, but they're overkill and overpriced for iPad use.
Pass-through charging wattage is the spec most people overlook. A 60W hub will keep an iPad Pro charged during light use, but a 100W hub ensures it stays full even under heavy load — external display + file transfer + charging. For the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, which can draw up to 35W on its own, 100W gives you real headroom.
If you shoot photos or video, card reader speed matters. UHS-I readers top out around 104MBps; UHS-II readers (like the Ugreen Revodok Pro 109's) hit 170MBps or more. That difference shaves seconds off every large file transfer — and those seconds add up fast on a shoot day.
The iPad Pro's single port is a limitation, but it's one you can solve for under $100. Whether you need the pocket-friendly HyperDrive, the desk-elevating Satechi Stand & Hub, or the port-packed Ugreen Revodok Pro 109, the things actually worth buying are the ones that match your workflow — not just the one with the most ports.
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Each contender was set up from the box and lived with for a week of normal use — judged on the things that actually matter for this category (performance, battery or latency, build and fit) and scored against its price, never spec sheets alone.
