Oliver Haslam on August 21, 2020, 8:06 pm

Review: Lauco 100W USB-C Wireless Charger Is A 12-In-1 Hub For Your Mac And Laptops

Nobody – nobody – ever seems to have enough connectivity for their computer. For those people – everyone, as we just ascertained – something like a USB-C hub can be a great way to turn a single port into almost anything.

The Lauco 100W USB-C Wireless Charging Hub is a great example of that and I’ve been testing the 12-port version for a couple of weeks now; and it’s good.

Let’s start with the specification because a hub lives and dies by its ability to offer enough of the right ports when you need them. The Lauco offering comes in an eight and 12-port configuration and the company was kind enough to send me the big boy version.

Here’s what it offers up from a single USB-C port on the back of my Mac mini.

USB-C PD 100W
HDMI 4K60
HDMI 4K60
USB-C 3.0 5Gbps
USB-C 3.0 5Gbps
USB-C 3.0 5Gbps
USB-C 3.0 5Gbps
USB-C 3.0 5Gbps
SD 3.0 UHS-I
MicroSD 3.0 UHS-I
Gigabit Ethernet
10W Wireless Charger

Yes, that wireless charger isn’t a port as such, but that’s just being picky! That’s 12 different ports from a single USB-C port on the back of a Mac. And this thing is super small, too.

I won’t get into the details of all of those ports because, honestly, it’s all very boring. The important thing to note here is the 60Hz spec next to those 4K HDMI outputs. Many bits of kit like this only offer 30Hz and Lauco really differentiates itself here by offering 60Hz not just on one port, but both.

The hub itself is solid and not at all flimsy. It has rubber feet to stop it from sliding around your desk when a cable is pulled or you insert a card. The hub is so small that you can put it basically anywhere as well – it’s smaller than my iPhone 11 Pro, and by some distance.

Another important point here is the maximum 85W USB-C PD output that this thing offers, allowing it to charge many notebooks and all phones. So long as you have the right cable and wall adapter, of course.

Wireless charging – now, that’s a little less useful depending on where you place this thing. I have it under a desk and sat on top of my Mac mini so it’s useless. But if you had the hub on a desk, you could definitely charge your phone without any problems. The maximum 10W charging power will top everything up nice and quickly, with iPhones topping out at 7.5W thanks to Apple’s limitations.

Finally, there’s price. The model I tested is available for order from Kickstarter now with 40% off. That means you’ll pay just $89 with shipping available anywhere in the world and set to start in October. The 8-port option is a little cheaper at just $59, too.

I’d definitely recommend either of these hubs, with the 12-port option clearly the one for those who want the ultimate in flexibility. Get an order in soon though – those discounts won’t last forever.