Anker 555 USB-C Docking Hub Review UK 2026

Look, I’ve tested dozens of USB-C hubs over the years, and I can tell you right now that spec sheets rarely tell the whole story. You want to know if this thing actually works when you’re plugging in your monitor at 9am on a Monday, or if it’ll overheat after an hour of use. That’s what I’m here for.

I’ve spent several weeks with the Anker 555 USB-C hub, using it daily with both a MacBook Pro and a Dell XPS. I’ve pushed data through those 10Gbps ports, run 4K displays, and tested whether that 85W power delivery claim holds up when you’re actually charging a laptop whilst transferring files. Here’s what I found.

That 85W power delivery? It’s real. I tested it with a MacBook Pro 16″ (which needs about 96W at full throttle) and it maintained charge even whilst running an external display and transferring files. You won’t get the fastest possible charging, but it’ll keep your laptop topped up during normal work. With smaller laptops like the MacBook Air or 13″ models, you get proper fast charging.

The 10Gbps USB-C port is properly fast. I transferred a 50GB video project folder and got consistent speeds around 850-920MB/s with a Samsung T7 SSD. That’s within spitting distance of the theoretical maximum, which tells me Anker hasn’t cut corners on the controller chip.

One thing to note: the USB-A ports are 5Gbps (USB 3.1 Gen 1), not 10Gbps. That’s fine for most uses – keyboards, mice, external hard drives – but if you’re connecting a fast SSD via USB-A, you’ll max out around 450MB/s. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing.

The HDMI port supports 4K at a proper 60Hz refresh rate. I tested this extensively with both a Dell U2720Q and an LG 27UK850, and it handled desktop work, video playback, and even some light gaming without issues. No flickering, no dropped frames, no weird colour shifts. It just works.

Right, let’s talk about what actually matters when you’re using this thing every day. I set up a proper test scenario: MacBook Pro connected to a 4K display via HDMI, Ethernet cable plugged in, external SSD on the USB-C port, wireless mouse dongle in one USB-A port, and a wired keyboard in the other. This is how most people will actually use it.

Data transfer speeds were impressive. Moving large video files to my Samsung T7 SSD, I consistently saw 850-920MB/s. That’s about 90% of the theoretical maximum for 10Gbps, which is excellent. Compare that to some cheaper hubs that claim 10Gbps but deliver half that in practice.

The power delivery held up well. With everything connected and the laptop under moderate load (Chrome with 20 tabs, Lightroom editing photos, Spotify playing), the MacBook maintained charge and even gained a few percent over an hour. The hub itself got noticeably warm – around 43°C according to my thermal camera – but that’s normal for hubs pushing this much power and data.

Port alignment is spot-on. I’ve tested cheaper hubs where you have to wiggle cables to get them to seat properly, but every port on the Anker accepts connections cleanly. The HDMI port has a satisfying click, the USB-C connections are snug without being overly tight, and the card readers accept cards smoothly.

My main durability concern is the attached USB-C cable. It’s about 15cm long, which is fine for most setups, but it’s permanently attached. If that cable gets damaged (and cables do get damaged over time), you can’t just swap it out. This is a common design choice for hubs at this price point, but it’s worth considering if you’re rough on cables.

The hub measures roughly 11cm x 5cm x 1.5cm, so it doesn’t take up much desk space. There’s no rubber base though, so it can slide around a bit on smooth surfaces. Not a huge issue, but I ended up sticking a few small rubber feet underneath mine.

The single-cable workflow is brilliant once you’re used to it. Leave the hub on your desk with everything connected – display, Ethernet, keyboard, mouse, external drive. When you need to leave, unplug one cable from your laptop. When you return, plug that one cable back in and boom, you’re back to your full desk setup in seconds.

I did encounter one quirk: occasionally when waking the MacBook from sleep, the display wouldn’t reconnect immediately. I’d have to unplug and replug the hub. This happened maybe once every 10-15 wake cycles, so it’s not a constant annoyance, but it’s worth mentioning. This seems to be more of a macOS issue than a hub problem – I’ve experienced similar behaviour with other hubs.

Cable management is straightforward. The 15cm attached cable is long enough to reach your laptop without stretching, but short enough that you don’t have excess cable cluttering your desk. Personally, I’d prefer a slightly longer cable (maybe 20cm) for more flexibility, but it works.

The CalDigit USB-C SOHO is the step-up option. It offers 100W power delivery (versus 85W), slightly better build quality, and a more robust attached cable. But it costs roughly twice as much. Is that extra 15W of charging and marginally better construction worth the premium? For most users, probably not.

The Belkin Connect is cheaper and offers similar port selection, but there are compromises. The HDMI is limited to 4K@30Hz (which looks noticeably less smooth), the USB-C port is only 5Gbps, and there’s no Ethernet. If you don’t need wired networking and can live with 30Hz refresh, it’s decent value. But for most desk setups, the Anker is worth the extra spend.

Where the Anker 555 really shines is reliability. I’ve tested plenty of budget hubs that work fine initially but develop issues after a few weeks – intermittent connections, overheating, ports that stop working. After several weeks of daily use, the Anker has been rock solid. That consistency is worth paying for.

The single display limitation is worth emphasising because it catches some buyers off guard. This hub has one HDMI port, so you can connect one external display. If you need dual monitors, you’d need to either use your laptop’s built-in display as the second screen, or invest in a proper Thunderbolt dock (which will cost significantly more).

Here’s my take on the value proposition: this hub costs about the same as a decent meal out for two, but it’ll improve your daily workflow for years. If you’re working from home even a few days a week, the convenience of a single-cable desk setup pays for itself quickly in terms of time saved and frustration avoided.

Compare it to the truly budget options (those £20-30 hubs from brands you’ve never heard of), and the Anker is in a different league. Those cheaper hubs might work initially, but they often develop issues – ports stop working, connections become intermittent, charging becomes unreliable. I’ve tested enough of them to know the pattern.

On the flip side, do you need to spend £150+ on a premium Thunderbolt dock? Only if you need features this hub doesn’t offer: dual 4K displays, 100W+ charging, Thunderbolt speeds, or the absolute coolest operation. For single-display setups with moderate power needs, the Anker delivers 90% of the functionality at 30% of the cost.

Buy this if you want a reliable, well-built USB-C hub that’ll handle a typical desk setup without drama. It’s particularly well-suited to MacBook users (the aesthetics match perfectly), but it works just as well with Windows laptops. The port selection is practical rather than excessive, and the build quality suggests this’ll still be working reliably years from now.

Skip it if you need dual 4K displays, require the absolute maximum charging speed (100W+), or want the coolest-running hub on the market. In those cases, you’ll need to step up to premium Thunderbolt docks that cost significantly more.

For everyone else? This is a proper bit of kit that’ll make your daily workflow smoother without emptying your wallet. And honestly, that’s exactly what a good USB-C hub should be.