UtechSmart - 6-in-1 USB-C Hub (UCN3273)

When it comes to computer accessories, some companies do a better job than others, and this USB-C hub by UtechSmart is no exception. While a USB hub is "just" a hub, we beg to differ. The quality of this product can't be denied, and may be the brand to end all other hubs in the market. You're looking at the best computer accessory we here at ELECTRONICSSOTROS/KCU Network has ever tried out. Let the images, including the ones above, do the talking:



We did our testing on an older Acer Predator gaming laptop. (We did a fresh install of Linux months ago, and haven't gotten around to tweaking it to our liking due to the backlog of work to be done. Please excuse the dusty condition.) This laptop has a USB-C port and plugged it in as normal. Here's all the tests we've ran through for this review:





Tested the ethernet cable was no trouble at all. Unlike other hubs, this one has a flashing LED indicating it's working and processing data as it should. You're wondering, "why hardwire the internet when you have Wi-Fi?" Easy answer: Online connection flies much faster when hardwired, in comparison to Wi-Fi which has a higher chance of dropouts. If you're video chatting, livestreaming or working from home, we recommend plugging the ethernet to your computer; You'll notice a huge difference right away. Thanks to this hub, you can do so!



Our next test involves using our USB flash drive by Patriot (64GB). The fact that it loaded and was recognized very quickly impressed us a lot. Often times, it takes a while for the system to load, recognize and mount the drives, but in this case, it was quite fast on our end (all depends on computer specs and the operating system). As mentioned earlier, we're using a computer with the Linux operating system made for gaming—16GB, a 256GB SSD drive and an Intel i7 Core processor—given that we've personally been impressed with the popular open-source system in terms of gaming. Let's digress.



We then began testing our own USB portable hard drive. Once again, it did its job and recognized the drive very quickly. (In our case, these drives are filled with recorded video game footage so fast load times and recoginition of these files are crucial for our workflow.) If you're someone who specializes in video/audio/photo production, digital archiving or management of any files that need solid transfer speeds, this hub is your best option. Given how old this laptop is, it has loaded faster than one of our modern laptops (granted, it's subjective but in comparison to our own equipment, this hub has processed peripherals better than our desktops and other laptops.)



So far, so good, and for that, we decided to do something different: We tested this hub to see if it'll power our Hyperkin RetroN Sq video game console. Much to our surprise, it worked! It's hard to see, but if you look at the image above, where the "H" logo is, it has a bit of a blue LED lit up stating that the console is powered on (another way to tell is the de-pressed POWER button). To think that this hub is sturdy and strong enough to power a console, which only requires 5 volts, is quite cool. If you have a power strip where all plugs are occupied and used, or are too lazy to plug in another device, you can use this hub to power your consoles! (Lower powered consoles, handhelds and smart devices are suggested, but we recommend referring to the manual for power options.)

Speaking of power, we also were able to use the hub's USB-C power plug to charge our solar-powered power bank. I share this power bank with my sister so I wasn't able to get pictures of it. Nevertheless, it works like a charm, so you can use the USB-C power plug to charge your devices as well.




Lastly, we tested the HDMI output and once again, it did its job. You can duplicate your desktop for presentation or tutorial purposes, you can extend your desktop to another monitor...we can't say enough good things about this. Make sure your computer has a decent video card to output to another monitor. As for the image above, our photo box was actually too far away from our computer desk, so we tested the HDMI output on our TV next to it and was impressed. We duplicated the desktop for presentation purposes, but you can duplicate, extend, change the rotation of your desktop and so on.

The cool thing about UtechSmart is they have a multitude of different hubs available for sale, even up to nineteen (19) ports! This we reviewed here is simply the 6-in-1, and it's worth every penny. Some of you may be a little tense about the prices, but you're paying for something that'll last you for a long, long time. No more buying the cheap ones, then buying again after it stops working for a few months, or even a few weeks. This is not only another hub, the performance and reliability is so good, this may be the brand to get over the others. Heck, we'll go as far to say that we've had better experience with this compared to our Amazon Basics USB hub! That's saying a lot already.

If you looked at all the images we provided for this product above this review, you may have noticed we took a picture of the item's manual. "Wow, Kris, why do I need a manual for this?" Let me put it this way: We're at the stage in technological advancement where we're expected to know things by logo (as one YouTuber says it, "it's like we're rummaging back to hieroglyphs" not seemingly knowing what all the icons mean and represent). While I agree, sometimes you also want to know the purpose of each port before use, and when it comes to charging, you'd want to know the amount of voltage it provides and if it's enough for your device(s) and your need(s). The manual is great because upon reading it, it doesn't sound like broken English; No, this speaks to you formally and clearly without the fluff. Finally! No need to read the manual, seeing sentences like, "if device working after light blinks, be happy lots of times !!!" Yeah, certainly: When the device works, I should be happy "lots of times." Very cute, very cute...

Compatibility? According to the manual (a ha!), devices like the iPad Pro and Nintendo Switch won't work with this hub. However, it has stated they're working on a fix for this so that's possible good news for Switch gamers. Even though our system wasn't mentioned on the manual, the hub worked wonderfully for us. While it should work both the Windows and Mac systems, we have no way of testing its compatibility for other systems such as BSD Unix, Unix, Solaris etc (oh, how we miss Sun Microsystems).

To top everything off, the ports are strong and tight. When used properly and gently, the ports don't wiggle, giving you a peace of mind when using peripherals like hard drives for file transfers, a USB mouse, keyboards and more. I did say "when used properly," since people tend to carelessly mistreat their belongings. Mistreating devices you purchased and own isn't a good indictor of a nice person; There, I said it. Take good care of your stuff, because destroying your device in anger will never solve your problem(s). There's nothing worse than seeing someone online selling a "totaled" laptop computer and accessories for more than $2,000. When cared for, this hub will satisfy all your computer work whether at home or office (to all businesses making investments in computer accessories, look no further!).

I want to thank UtechSmart for this device as it is the best one we've tested and seen. This lightweight yet humble hub packs a wallop, and comes in a variety of different colors to compliment your workplace, tastes, birth stone or whatever entices your eyes. This is the happiest we've been over a USB hub, and in all honesty, I wouldn't look at anything else.

STRONGLY recommended! Check them out at https://www.utechsmart.com!


(NOTE: We may not be open to answer everyone's concerns and complaints about electronics like these, but if you have any questions or need some help, you are welcome to contact us!)


(NOTICE: This item was sent to us personally for review. In no way did our network's communication and involvement with the company alter nor change the perspective and opinions of our review featured here, and is presented as such. Any clarification or confusion, please refer to our review information page for a better understanding of the work being done here.)

Kris Caballero

Founder and operator of KCU Network, Kris has been writing since he managed a personal blog made back in late 2005. Officially retired from video production and going back to the computer sciences, Kris enjoys studying Math, Quantum Computing, playing old video/DOS games, and listening to sports radio.

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