StarTech.com 4-Port USB-A Hub, 5Gbps, Bus Powered, USB-A to 4x USB-A Mini Hub, Extra Long 2ft/61cm Host Cable, PCR Plastic, Portable Desktop / Laptop USB Hub

Product Overview

AI-generated summary

At **£12.06 ex-VAT**, this is the kind of cheap, practical USB hub you keep in a drawer and pull out when a laptop just doesn’t have enough ports. It’s **bus-powered**, so for everyday office use (keyboards/mice, Wi‑Fi dongles, small USB peripherals, charging where supported) it’s generally fine. The **long host cable** is a real quality-of-life win in desks where the laptop sits slightly out of reach, or where you want the hub tucked next to your docking station/monitor without yanking cables around.

That said, I wouldn’t call it a “do everything” hub. **All the power comes from the laptop**, and hubs at this price typically aren’t built for multiple power-hungry devices. If you’re thinking printers, external HDDs, or anything that draws serious current, this is where you’ll see flaky connections or devices not being detected reliably. For that use case, you’d be better off spending a bit more on a **powered** hub instead. But for a small team buying a simple backup hub for meetings, admin desks, or general peripherals? It’s good value and likely to earn its keep.

**Who should buy:** anyone needing a lightweight, low-cost extra USB port for “light” peripherals, especially where cable reach matters. **Who shouldn’t:** anyone routinely connecting storage devices, bus-powered drives, or multiple power-hungry USB gear—go powered if that’s your reality.