With a longer cord than Apple’s similar adapter, a brushed aluminum styling, and a better placement of ports, the Anker is my top choice for a portable hub to support an external monitor.
The Anker hub has built in pass-through power over USB-C, HDMI support up to the 4K resolution supported by a 12-inch MacBook (via DisplayPort 1.2/HDMI 1.4b), and two USB 3.0 Type-A ports. The $60 Anker Premium USB-C Hub with HDMI and Power Delivery (available at ) fits the bill nicely with more ports, better flexibility, and a lower price.
I’ve been particularly waiting for affordable, portable alternatives to Apple’s $80. That’s at least a USB-C power adapter supplied by Apple, but more options have started to appear in the form of mini-hubs and full-fledged ones. No 12-inch is an island every portable of this line requires some kind of main connection.
