Anker 332 USB-C Hub: enough for one screen and a simpler desk?
A small hub can be the missing piece between a laptop and the screen, keyboard and files you already use. The trick is buying the ports you need.
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See Anker 332 USB-C Hub (A8355) on Amazon ↗Give every connection a job
Start with the things you plug in
Write a tiny connection list before shopping: monitor, keyboard or receiver, storage drive, power. If that is your whole desk, a large dock may solve problems you do not have. The Anker 332 A8355 brings an HDMI output, two USB-A data ports, a USB-C data port and a separate USB-C power input into one hub.
The useful part is knowing what each socket does. The USB-C data socket is not an extra monitor output. The charging input is where a suitable charger goes. Keeping those jobs separate makes this a much easier purchase to judge.
The display limit that matters
Anker’s A8355 manual lists HDMI output up to 4K at 30Hz. If you specifically want a 4K monitor running at 60Hz, that is the wrong ceiling for your plan. For any resolution, check what the laptop, cable and monitor can support together.
The laptop’s USB-C port must support the required video output; a matching plug shape alone does not establish that. Find the exact laptop model and its display-output specification before buying. Our USB-C checklist helps turn that detail into a question you can put to the manufacturer.
Charging: follow the whole chain
The manual describes up to 85W of laptop pass-through charging when connected to a 100W Power Delivery charger; that charger is not included. A smaller power supply does not become a 100W supply because it is plugged into this hub.
Compare your laptop’s power needs with the charger and charging cable you already have. If a new charger is required, add it to the total before deciding whether the little hub is still the better buy. For a laptop with its own suitable charging port, keeping power separate can also be the simpler arrangement.
A worked desk plan
Consider a laptop with confirmed USB-C display support, an HDMI monitor, a USB-A keyboard receiver and a USB-A storage device. This is the sort of connection list that suits the A8355’s layout. The remaining USB-C data port is for a data accessory, not a second display. Anker lists 5Gbps data ports; actual transfers depend on the connected equipment.
If your list includes wired Ethernet, an SD card slot or another monitor, stop and choose hardware with those functions stated explicitly. The right hub should let you finish the connection list without a growing chain of extra adapters.
See Anker 332 USB-C Hub (A8355) on Amazon ↗