ProGrade’s Magnetic PG20 Thunderbolt 4 Hub Promises Improved Photo Workflow

Jan 07, 2025

Jeremy Gray

A sleek, rectangular ProGrade PG02 Pro Hub is shown from a top angle, featuring a USB 3.2 port and power button on the front. The hub is gray with a minimalist design, displaying the ProGrade logo on the top surface.

ProGrade Digital announced the PG20 Pro Thunderbolt 4 Hub, a new hub capable of speeds up to 40 Gb/s that is designed to work alongside ProGrade’s various magnetic peripherals, including card readers.

The PG20 Pro Hub includes one Thunderbolt 4/USB4 85-watt charging upstream port, three Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 15-watt downstream ports, and a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A USB port.

Looking at the top of the hub, there’s a raised edge all the way around, which creates a perfectly sized magnetic cradle for ProGrade’s various card readers. The PG20 also fits seamlessly with ProGrade’s PG10.5 and Pro Mini SSD. The Pro Hub itself features a magnetic base and ships with an adhesive metal plate to enable users to mount it on any work surface.

Dual-slot CFexpress card reader with USB 3.2 connectivity. The top section has slots labeled CFexpress A and B, and the bottom section has a USB port and power button, branded as ProGrade PG04 Pro Hub. — The ProGrade PG20 has a magnetic top base that is perfectly sized for ProGrade’s various card readers.

“We are extremely excited to be announcing our entry into the complementary category of Thunderbolt hubs to our line of professional workflow solutions,” says Wes Brewer, Founder and CEO of ProGrade Digital Inc.

A close-up of a ProGrade memory card reader connected to two memory cards. There are additional memory cards placed in front on a gray surface. A cable extends from the device towards the background.

“While the marketplace of Thunderbolt 4 based hubs is fairly crowded, we have spent the time to think about how professionals work with our card readers and what they need to maintain a clean workspace in designing our new PG20 Pro Hub. Utilizing our patented magnetic base, we have enabled the customization of how professionals can mix and match their card readers while also enabling a very clean workspace. With the three downstream Thunderbolt 4/USB 4.0 ports, the hub can support two of our USB readers while still having one port available for attaching other peripherals like our PG10 Professional SSD.”

A person uses a black external docking station connected to a computer. The docking station has multiple cables plugged in, and two SD cards are placed on the white desk near the devices. — The ProGrade PG20 Hub is designed to fit nicely into existing photo and video workflows.

The ProGrade PG20 Pro Hub ships with one of the company’s excellent Thunderbolt 4-certified high-speed cables and works alongside ProGrade’s custom-designed six-inch short cables, which are sold separately.

Two ProGrade digital card readers are connected on a grey surface. Three memory cards are placed nearby, with visible ProGrade branding and different storage capacities. — The new cables seen coming from the back of the two card readers here are sold separately.

Pricing and Availability

The ProGrade PG20 Pro Thunderbolt 4 Hub is shipping now and costs $169.99. The device includes a Thunderbolt 4-certified cable and external power source. The company’s PG20 press materials also referenced PG10.5 and PG30 products, which PetaPixel will report on as soon as information becomes available.

Image credits: ProGrade Digital