Satechi has offered several options for iMac stands over the past few years, allowing customers to upgrade their iMac for a more ergonomic workspace and gain access to a limited number of ports.
Now Satechi has released the Type-C Aluminum Monitor Stand Hub for iMac, an all-new iMac stand that’s a bit of a combination of the two previous accessories, offering more useful ports under your iMac and some added height.
Design
Satechi’s new iMac stand is designed with a brushed aluminum finish and unibody construction, perfectly matching any modern iMac with a silver aluminum finish. The stand’s front plate is matte black, mirroring the silver and black of the iMac, and this is the area where you’ll find the stand’s seven ports. To the right of the ports is a very faint white LED that indicates a successful connection to the iMac
In total, there is a microSD card slot, SD card slot, audio jack, three USB-A ports and a USB-C data port (not for fast charging). The stand itself includes a USB-C cable for connecting to Thunderbolt 3-capable iMacs, and it comes with a small USB-C to USB-A dongle adapter so it’s compatible with any iMac. As a note, I have a late 2015 27-inch Retina iMac– and haven’t encountered any issues with the adapters and ports on the Satechi stand.
In terms of height, the Satechi accessory is about 1.63 inches tall, with small rubber feet that ensure your entire workstation is stable after placing the iMac on the stand (maximum load 50 pounds). Satechi’s stand has no storage compartments or drawers, but the small amount of space created between your desk and the bottom of the stand provides a small hole perfect for external storage, flash drives, and other small devices.
There’s also no locking mechanism to keep the iMac’s base on the stand. The iMac still sits securely in place given how heavy it is, but if you force the iMac against it, it brushes easily along the silver aluminum of the Satechi stand. Some sort of rubberized coating in the center of the top of the stand can reduce this a bit.
port usage
I’ve been in the market for a USB hub for my workstation for a few months now, mainly because the corner of the wall near my iMac makes it difficult to access the ports on the back of the computer. Satechi’s device solves this at once, providing enough ports for my daily use.
All three USB-A ports worked as expected during my testing, registering on my iMac–desktop just as they did when plugged into the back of the computer. The USB-C port is only intended for data transfer and not for charging, although I was able to charge my iPhone X via a USB-C to Lightning cable. However, it was not fast charging as the charging method is not supported by Satechi’s accessory, as the device does not support the USB-C power delivery protocol.
The Satechi stand is perfect for adding some charge to your iPhone while you work through the USB-A port, and you can expect normal refueling times with the basic Lightning to USB-A cable. The USB ports offer speeds of up to 5 Gbps, so are great for basic accessory needs but anyone looking for a fast USB connection may be disappointed.
A major disadvantage of the stand design is that all these port accesses will immediately clutter your workspace if your keyboard is sitting directly in front of it. Any flash drive inserted into the stand, or charger attached to your nearby iPhone will easily come into contact with your keyboard.
It’s easy enough to rearrange the stand to your advantage to free up space for a flash drive and tuck some cables into the space below the stand, but that’s definitely a downside for those who dislike visual clutter on their desks.
Satechi vs. Twelve South
I’ve basically been using Twelve South’s original HiRise iMac Stand the entire time with my 2015 iMac, and there was no adjustment time going from the HiRise to the Satechi stand. Twelve South’s HiRise is just under 3.5 inches tall and has adjustable brackets for many height levels, so it offers more options for my iMac than the Satechi stand.
But, it’s not a good idea to be too tall for your computer monitor, and I sat my Twelve South Highrise around the middle bracket, which was about the exact height of the Satechi Dock, just a little higher. In general, a good rule of thumb to follow for an ergonomic workspace is to position your monitor so that the top of the display is level with your eyes and your neck is slightly bent to fall in the middle of the screen.
Following this rule, the satachi stand was perfect for my height. It’s been comfortable to work with over the past few weeks, and I’ve never once felt neck strain due to the position of my monitor (which was before I owned the Highrise). The downside is that Satechi doesn’t allow you to customize the height, so the accessory may not be right for everyone at all height levels, but its default position should hit the sweet spot for most people.
The main thing I miss when I’m not using the Hirise is its enclosed compartment, where I can stash flash drives, external storage, an Apple TV remote, and my favorite Apple Watch bands. The trade off of having the USB port on the Satechi stand is something that will probably benefit me more in the long run, so from now on I’ve decided to keep the Satechi dock under my iMac for the foreseeable future.
bottom line
The Satechi Type-C Stand for iMac is a great, versatile accessory with plenty of easy access to useful USB ports and an ergonomic height bonus for those who work on iMacs all day. It lacks the hidden compartment organization and customizable height options of rival accessories like the Twelve South Highrise, but the option of having a front-facing USB port on an ‘iMac’ workstation will likely outweigh the negatives for many users.
You can buy the Satechi Type-C Stand for iMac in silver or space gray for $89.99 on the company’s website.
Note: Satechi provided MacRumors with a silver Type-C stand hub for the iMac for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an authorized partner with Satechi. When you click on a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps keep our site running.
