Powered or non-powered USB hub?

[macstatic]

When is it OK to use a non-powered USB hub and when is power needed? I'm guessing that for keyboards, mice, audio interfaces, card readers, drawing tablets, flash drives etc. you don't need additional power while external HDDs and SSDs need extra power?

 

[Fishrrman]

POWERED, always.

Unless there is NO other alternative.

 

[TheIntruder]

It's fine if you don't expect to connect enough things that will eat up the curent capacity of the host port.

Powered would of course be better, and there are hubs that have power ports, even if they may not bundle one in the package.

Some of them even use standard Micro-USB connectors for power, so if you have a spare wall adapter and cable, there would be no need to acquire a power source. One with a barrel-connector power port would be harder, but not impossible.

 

[macstatic]

Gotcha! I was hoping for less cable clutter.
That's what I like about my Mac Pro: just about everything contained inside one box, with one power button.
Good point about hubs using USB connectors for power!