NOVOO 8-in-1 USB-C Hub Review

If you have purchased a new Apple MacBook over the last few years or a new 11-inch Apple iPad, you may be looking for a USB-C hub that allows you to connect older devices and peripherals to your USB-C only Apple laptop or iPad. The USB C Hub from NOVOO is such a device that features a number of ports that will allow you to connect your Apple MacBook or USB-C device up to eight devices or peripherals.

Out of the box, the NOVOO 8-in-1 USB-C hub packs a relatively small form factor. Its size is around 4.6-inches by 2.1-inches. The metal exterior matches the same Apple space grey colour of an Apple MacBook, but its black plastic D-ring and its different space grey-shaded USB connector lower this hub’s aesthetic a little bit.

It’s connecting USB-C cable loops around the D-ring at the top of the hub and docks (quite awkwardly) back into itself. The cable neatly tucks away and it keeps the whole hub very tidy and compact. Once undocked the USB-C cable stretches just over 4.5-inches long, so this can be fairly short for some people, but as a travel accessory, this length just about long enough.

This hub packs a lot of tech in something smaller than the size of an iPhone X, albeit twice as thick. On one side you have 3 USB 3.0 ports, whilst at the bottom you have an 100/1000M Gigabit Ethernet port and a 4K HDMI 1.4 port, that supports a resolution up to 3840×2160@30Hhz. Over on the other longer side of the hub, with the cable undocked this reveals a single USB-C port. This port is power only, which is a shame, but it at least supports Power Delivery. Finally, alongside this you have a micro-SD and a standard SD card reader slot.

Through all 8 available ports, the NOVOO hub offers a well rounded IO port setup that suits the everyday needs on your MacBook or the latest 11” and 12.9” iPad Pro. If you’re a budding photographer you’ll relish access to the SD card ports, whilst the iPad Pro user can also charge through the single USB-C Power Delivery charging port. 

Unfortunately, simultaneous access to the two SD card slots isn’t possible. It was disappointing to find out that you can’t insert and access a micro-SD and standard SD cards at the same time. Only removing both cards from the slot and reinserting the one you wish to access worked for me. Other hubs, such as the Anker 7-in-1 does allow this functionality, so this was expected from the NOVOO, but sadly simultaneous access just isn’t possible.

The HDMI port with 4K support allowed me to easily cast sharp visuals from my MacBook Pro to a nearby display when casting over Wi-Fi via a Chromecast didn’t cut it. Finally, there is the pass-through power USB-C port, which I am sure would benefit any device that’s limited to a single USB-C port, such as the latest Apple iPad Pros or the early retina MacBooks.

Overall, the NOVOO USB-C 8-in-1 Hub is a handy accessory to have in your backpack or laptop bag alongside your Apple MacBook or iPad Pro. You just never know what situation you may face where you rely on various ports it can offer you. Retailing at $29.99 from Amazon using our promo code I99ZF6WB before 2019-7-31 23:59PDT the NOVOO hub is priced fairly competitively against its rivals, such as the 7-in-1 hub from Anker that we have also reviewed.

Its build quality is good, however, my main concern with this hub is the act of undocking and docking the main USB-C cable can put any off. It certainly keeps the cable secure, but for me, I would prefer it to be much easier to remove from the hub, especially if you are using this hub on a regular basis. If you can work around this issue, perhaps you won’t be reconnecting this hub often, then it is worth checking out the NOVOO 8-in-1 USB-C hub, just be weary of its few port limitations.