Satechi USB-C hub and iMac stand review: Solves two problems at once

I love iMacs. Always have. But, they have one fatal flaw that's been around since at least the unibody design was first introduced forever ago; they aren't the right height.

For some inexplicable reason, iMacs always seem to be shorter than you want them to be when you're sitting at a desk. Ideally, you should be able to look at your computer screen straight on without having to angle your neck up or down, and depending on your office set up, chair, or how tall you are, the iMac is frustratingly just short for a lot of people. The good news is you can buy little stands for your iMac that raise the computer just slightly off the desk and put the iMac at a better viewing height.

After using Satechi's USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand for a few weeks, It's become a staple in my work setup because it accomplishes two things: raising my iMac up a little bit and giving me extra ports.

Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand: Price and availability

The Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand is available in both Space Gray and Silver colorways from Satechi directly, or you can find the product on Amazon. It costs about $90.

The stand is about 1.6 inches high, so it will elevate whatever you put on it just shy of two inches. So your iMac, or monitor, or whatever else you have on it, will sit just a bit higher on your desk.

Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand: What's good

The best accessories help alleviate the pain points of using a device, and the Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand is good enough to help solve two problems.

As I mentioned before, my 24-inch iMac does sit a little low for me on my desk, which causes me to have to slightly look down as I'm working. Not optimal from an ergonomic standpoint, and I would often feel my neck getting tired after a few hours of holding that position. This stand made working on my iMac much more comfortable.

It's very sturdy, and knowing it can hold up to 50 lbs is great because if I ever got rid of my iMac in the future, this stand would still be great for a lot of monitors that aren't quite as light as the 10-pound M1 iMac. Plus, the stand has four little rubber feet on the bottom to make sure it doesn't slip and slide around your desk when you're working or plugging things in and out of it.

Of course, being a stand is only one of its tricks, as the Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand is also a USB-C hub. Right on the front are an SD and MicroSD card slot, a headphone jack, three USB-A ports, and one USB-C port. It's nice to have the ports right in the front since all the ports on the iMac itself are all on the back of the all-in-one computer.

I've used plenty of other great USB-C hubs with my iMac, but I always felt they were a little annoying because they would just hang down and sit on your desk on the right side where the ports were. They depend on the type of hub and you might have to move it around anyways to find the port you want. All of that is gone with the Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand — you just plug it in, put your iMac on it, and forget it's there.

Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand: What's not good

While I personally don't have much bad to say about the Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand, there are a few things that may make it a dealbreaker for you. Basically, while the USB-C hub the stand provides is a great way to add extra ports, not all the ports are quite as good as they could be.

First, the SD and MicroSD card slots are only UHS-1, meaning they won't transfer data as fast as UHS-II card slots would. If you're used to using a faster port to upload all your images from your camera's SD card, you'll likely notice a difference.

Also, it's important to note that the USB-C port on the Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand does not support charging or video and is meant for data only. It's pretty fast, capable of reaching speeds up to 5 Gbps, but that still only half of what USB-C can potentially do.

Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand: Competition

If your looking for a comparable stand, the Curve Riser from Twelve south is an elegant solution that will prop up your iMac just as well. It's about 1.85-inches tall, so it will raise your iMac a little higher, but it doesn't have a USB-C hub built in. However, it does have a little shelf space that's perfect for holding hard drives, audio interfaces, or even your favorite USB-C hub.

When it comes to the USB-C hub on the Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand, it is good enough for a lot of people. Still, power users may want more ports and higher data transfer speeds. If that's what you're looking for, something like Satechi's USB 4 multiport adapter with 8K HDMI may be better suited to your needs. With more ports, faster data speeds, and important connections like gigabit ethernet and HDMI, a standalone USB-C hub can be crucial for your setup, even if that means you don't get a stand for your iMac.

Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand: Should you buy it?

• You need an iMac Stand and a basic USB-C hub
• Don't need the highest data transfer speeds

• Don't need an iMac stand
• Want a USB-C hub with more options.

At the end of the day, the Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand is a great product for a lot of iMac users out there. It raises your iMac up to a much better height and gives you convenient access to ports you'll need to plug in your favorite peripherals.

If you desperately need more ports or faster transfer speeds than the Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand offers, looking elsewhere may be in order.

It's nice when a simple product gives you a simple solution; it's even nicer when that product solves two problems for you at once. If you aren't too concerned about speed and you have an iMac, the Satechi USB-C hub aluminum iMac stand is almost a no-brainer.