Help with purchasing a hub for M1 Macbook Air

I bought the M1 Macbook Air earlier this year and have struggled with just two ports.

I’m looking for a hub to give me more USB ports, and maybe SD. I don’t need ethernet.

What do you recommend?

Something like this? PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB-C PD Media Hub - Anker

I have this hub on my desk and it’s one of the best I’ve used at the price point!

I also bought a USB-C extension cable so I can tuck it away under my desk.

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I got something very similar from Amazon. Works well - and it’s just one cable to plug / unplug when I’m wanting to take the MacBook someplace other than my desk. :slight_smile:

If there’s any chance at all that you’ll want to connect an external display or output to a TV, I recommend one that can output 4K at 60Hz. Otherwise the one you linked looks great. I tend to avoid no-name components (especially ones that will be involved in charging my devices); Anker has a good reputation and I’ve never been disappointed with anything of theirs that I’ve purchased :slight_smile:

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I’m also looking for a new dock for the MP 14. I want one that I can hide behind my monitor and get rid of the spaghetti. I’m looking at the CalDigit Soho and the 12South StayGo.
Anybody have any thoughts or experiences to share? Any other suggestions?
I’m leaning towards the Soho because of the higher refresh rate.
Thanks

How many monitors and what resolution?

As of now I have a single 27” monitor with a 1920x1080 resolution (60mhz refresh rate).
The 12 south only has one HDMI but a lot of ports. The SOHO can support 2 but has less ports. My head hurts

M1 devices don’t support more than 1 external monitor.
Edit: Sorry, didn’t realise the topic had moved onwards to the 14"

The M1 pro supports up to 2 external (w/ thunderbolt)

Video Support

Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at 1 billion colors and:

  • Up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Pro) or
  • Up to three external displays with up to 6K resolution and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz at over a billion colors (M1 Max)

MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) - Technical Specifications

On the topic: I have the CalDigit Thunderbolt 3 Pro Dock which I will be using with my new MBP 14 but haven’t yet; it’s been solid with the Intel 15", so I can at least assert that the brand seems to make generally reliable kit.

For a single, 1080p dispaly, I think that either one of these will work. If you think that a 4K display is in your future then the CalDigit one supports 60Hz, which is (for me) absolutely necessary; I can’t stand 30Hz.

If you’re considering more than one dispaly then I’d look into a Thunderbolt dock. They’re more expensive, but for that kind of application I think they work better.

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Take a look at the CalDigit Element. Adds USB-A and USB-4/Thunderbolt ports. No HDMI or Ethernet.

That’s a good idea re: extension cable. I hadn’t thought of that.

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