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CalDigit Element Hub with 8 Ports is the Best Thunderbolt 4 USB4 Hub for Mac and PC

6:18 video

This is the CalDigit Element Hub, the first 8-port Thunderbolt 4 hub, one of my favorite accessories for my new M1 MacBooks. CalDigit sent me the hub to make a video but isn’t paying me and didn’t review the video.

What it is

A compact hub, about 4.5 by 3 inches:

  • Front: four USB-A ports at up to 10 Gbps, fast enough to run most external SSDs (like the Samsung T7 or CalDigit Tuff Nano) at full speed.
  • Back: three Thunderbolt 4 ports and a power port that powers both the hub and whatever you connect it to.
  • Side: the host port for connecting to your computer.

Compatibility

Thunderbolt 4 means it works with any computer or tablet with a USB-C connection: Thunderbolt 4 covers Thunderbolt 3, USB4 and USB-C, and the hub adapts to what your computer supports. With Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3 or USB4, you get up to 40 Gbps; with USB-C Gen 1 or Gen 2, you get 5 or 10 Gbps. I’ve used it for a few weeks with my M1 MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro and a Surface Go, and it works great with all of them. I’ve also tested it with my iPad Pro to connect a display and external drives. With a Thunderbolt SSD like the Samsung X5, I get over 2,500 MB/s.

Physical design

The hub is reversible, so you can use it on either side of your computer. CalDigit includes rubber feet to keep it in place, with the power and Thunderbolt cables pointing away from you. The included Thunderbolt 4 cable is a good length, so you can keep the hub out of the way or even use it with a desktop computer behind your desk.

Power

It provides up to 60 W to your laptop or tablet. Unlike some hubs, you don’t lose any of that 60 W when you plug in external drives or accessories: you always get a constant 60 W to the computer, even with a bunch of drives, a display and a phone connected. And with its offline charging, you can charge your phone, smartwatch or other USB-powered items even when the hub isn’t connected to a computer.

Displays

You can pass displays through the hub. With a Thunderbolt or USB-C display, connect it directly to the hub for a single 5K, 6K or 8K display, or two 4K displays. With DisplayPort or HDMI, you can run up to two 4K displays using adapters. Display support depends on the computer and OS: with an Intel Mac or a PC with Thunderbolt, you should be able to run two 4K displays at 60 Hz; an M1 Mac can only push a single display through Thunderbolt at this time; and Windows PCs depend on their hardware.

Daisy-chaining

Because it’s Thunderbolt, you can daisy chain: a Thunderbolt storage array and then a display on the same output from the hub, or an eGPU connected to the computer with the hub downstream. If you already have a dock that works well, like the TS3 Plus, you can add the Element Hub to increase the number of Thunderbolt and USB ports.

Takeaway

Until now, Thunderbolt docks were limited to two Thunderbolt ports; the Element Hub has four (counting the host), plus four 10 Gbps USB-A ports. You can connect nearly any accessory, and it will power almost any laptop and your devices. If you regularly connect multiple displays, external drives or other things to a desktop, laptop or USB-C tablet, this could solve your problems. If you have a 16-inch MacBook Pro and need 94 W of power, see my overview of the USB-C HDMI dock, and add the Element Hub if you need more ports.

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

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