Most thin-and-light laptops these days don't include a lot of ports, and that goes for even the best ones. If you need to bring your laptop between work, home, and other places, this might pose a problem. Trying to connect a laptop to desk setup essentials, like an external monitor and an Ethernet cable, becomes difficult. You can buy a great USB docking station to add to your setup, but what if you want a portable solution that can be moved between setups easily? That's where the Ugreen Revodok Pro 109 comes into the picture, and I've been testing it with my M2 MacBook Air.

The Revodok Pro 109 is far from the only USB-C hub on the market, but it has the best port selection of any one I've tested. You get a few USB-C ports, another three USB-A ports, an HDMI port that can supply 4K video, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, and SD card slots. In other words, everything you'd need to connect a laptop to a desktop workstation. This is all while the Revodok Pro 109 remains (relatively) small and features premium build quality, evidenced by inclusions like a braided cable. If you have the need for a 9-in-1 USB-C hub and about around $50 to spend, this is a great option.

About this review: Ugreen sent me a Revodok Pro 109 for review. The company had no input in this article, and did not see its contents before publishing.

Pricing and availability

Ugreen's Revodok Pro 109 is part of the company's Revodok lineup, which includes portable USB-C hubs and dedicated docking stations. The Revodok Pro 109 connects to a laptop or desktop with an inbuilt USB-C cable and provides nine extra ports. It retails for $70 at full price, but it can be frequently found on sale at Amazon and Ugreen's official website. This hub is compatible with macOS, Windows, Linux, iPadOS, and more operating systems, but there are some compatibility caveats that we'll discuss later.

Specs

What I like

It's the perfect selection of ports for the digital nomad

For people that need only a handful of extra ports, there are plenty of very cheap and reliable USB-C hubs you can grab on Amazon that'll get the job done. In fact, I own a no-name USB-C hub with an HDMI port, two USB-A ports, and a USB-C port that cost all of about $20 and still works today. The problem is, if you need more than just basic USB and HDMI ports, the options get slimmer. Upgrading to a more robust hub often brings along excess ports that you might not really need. Well, the Ugreen Revodok Pro 109 is unique in that it provides everything you need without the extras. That's a good thing, because excess ports make a dock more expensive and less portable.

This USB-C hub is tailored to a specific kind of use case, and that's for connecting a laptop to a desk setup. What exactly does that entail? The Revodok Pro 109 includes an HDMI port that can support 4K video at 60Hz, which is serviceable for connecting to an external monitor. A Gigabit Ethernet jack opens up the possibility of interfacing with networking hardware, or simply benefiting from faster internet speeds. One USB-C port takes 100W power delivery passthrough and supplies it to your laptop, which is a nice feature. Then, there's the other USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting to peripherals, and the SD and microSD card slots for creatives.

Often, getting a USB-C hub with the SD card slots and Gigabit Ethernet jack will also come with multiple display output ports and other connectivity options that are unnecessary for most users. Versatility is a good thing, but having ports that you'll never use on your USB-C hub isn't.

The design is sleek, premium, and small

The Revodok Pro 109 certainly isn't the tiniest USB-C hub you'll find on the market, but it is a great size for the number of ports it offers. The hub is only slightly thicker than the biggest port it provides — the Ethernet jack — and is about the size of a smartphone overall. You can fit it in your pocket, a bag, or even a laptop sleeve for maximum portability.

The build quality is excellent, too. Nearly the entire casing is made of aluminum, and it feels great in the hand. This adds a bit of weight to the hub compared to plastic, but it's worth it. There's also the USB-C cable that's built into the hub, and the choice to make it braided will be excellent for durability over time.

What I don't like

There are way too many compatibility caveats

In general, this USB-C hub does exactly what it claims to do. However, the Revodok Pro 109 comes with some compatibility nuances that you should know before you buy. Ugreen says that this hub supports a variety of operating systems, including macOS, Windows, Linux, iPadOS, and probably others. It won't necessarily be plug-and-play with every laptop or desktop computer, though.

For starters, the Ethernet port might not work properly right out of the box without first installing drivers. This isn't a dealbreaker, but it's certainly something to note. More importantly, the HDMI port only supports 4K resolution with USB-C ports that also support DisplayPort 1.4 via DP Alt Mode. This shouldn't be a problem on most new laptops, but it will limit compatibility. Additionally, all the USB ports — aside from the one USB-C port supporting 100W PD — are designed to be data-only ports.

Should you buy the Ugreen Revodok Pro 109?

You should buy the Ugreen Revodok Pro 109 if:

• You need a portable USB-C hub with a versatile port selection
• You only need to connect to one external display over HDMI
• Your laptop or desktop meets the Revodok Pro 109's compatibility requirements

You should NOT buy the Ugreen Revodok Pro 109 if:

• You're looking for a USB-C hub or docking station primarily for desktop use
• You need to connect to multiple external displays
• You need Thunderbolt support

I've reviewed a lot of great USB-C hubs, but many of them either include too little or too many ports. The Ugreen Revodok Pro 109 finds the right balance, including ports that are essential for connecting a laptop to a desk setup. A laptop makes more sense for use with this USB-C hub, since it is designed to be portable. For desktop users, something like the Ugreen Revodok Max 313 is better fit to be a permanent fixture of your workstation. By comparison, the Ugreen Revodok Pro 109 is the ideal product for connecting a laptop to multiple setups, like one at work or at home. At a price that can dip under $50, it's easy to recommend — as long as your laptop meets the compatibility requirements.