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USB-C-to-USB dongles that are cheaper than Apple's

Apple wants $19 for each port you want to make compatible with existing USB devices. Fortunately, there are cheaper alternatives.

rickbroida
rickbroida
Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
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Rick Broida
2 min read

Looks like the rumors were true: Apple 's new MacBooks have done away with old-school USB. From here on out, it's all USB-C.

That's good news if you like fast throughput and easy insertion (no more upside-down aggravation!), but a bummer if you want to connect any of your current USB devices: flash drives, hard drives, cameras , printers and, oh yeah, iPhones and iPads.

Unsurprisingly, Apple sells a USB-C-to-USB adapter. Also unsurprisingly, it's not cheap: Each one will cost you $19. Assuming you need one for each port on your new MacBook , better set aside an extra $76.

Thankfully, you don't have to choose the Apple option. Loads of third-party companies offer similar (and in some cases better) adapters for a lot less. A few examples:

Never-heard-of-it brand Rankie (one of many) sells a two-pack of USB-C-to-USB adapters for $6.99, a price that includes shipping if you're an Amazon Prime subscriber. These are different from Apple's adapters in that they're dongles, not short cables.

Also at Amazon, the inexplicably named Beegod is a USB-C hub that turns one port into four: two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 and one USB-C charging port. It currently sells for $18.45, still less than the price of a single Apple adapter.

nonda-usb-c-to-usb.jpg

Nonda claims to have engineered the world's smallest USB-C-to-USB adapter.

 Nonda

The $9.99 Nonda USB-C to USB 3.0 dongle features an aluminum body and a small LED that lights up to indicate drive activity.

Want an actual cable, something to add some distance between your USB device and your MacBook? The Cable Matters USB-C to USB-A cable measures 3.3 feet and sells for just $5.95.

Needless to say, you can find plenty of adapters that cost way less than Apple's. If you've already found one you like, hit the comments and share the name and price!