I've been through this rodeo myself. I've been happily using for years docks made by Hyper over USB-C (and now over TB4). When on the go, I use the official Apple dongle for HDMI and USB. If I need more ports, Hyper and Anker both make USB-C hubs that are very solid and actually work.
I totally agree with the author, most of the products on the market are garbage, and many are the same garbage with different names. To a large degree to solve this issue you need to stop shopping on Amazon. Almost everything listed on Amazon not made by Anker doesn't work. Either buy directly for Apple, or buy from directly from small companies that focus on solving accessories for the Apple market (e.g. Rain Design, 12South, Hyper, CalDigit, et al). This is definitely not limited to USB-C hubs, and encompasses nearly all products. Buying direct from high-quality companies is always better than trying your luck with random brand-named Aliexpress specials sold through Amazon.
I've found the Macbook hubs from Hyper to be quite reliable over the years. And in addition, they're the only ones that can output to 2 monitors at once (one TB3 port, one HDMI) with a reasonable resolution and refresh rate, AND allow you to plug a charger into the non-TB3 Type C port. I haven't found anything else with similar specs in the same form factor.
I totally agree with the author, most of the products on the market are garbage, and many are the same garbage with different names. To a large degree to solve this issue you need to stop shopping on Amazon. Almost everything listed on Amazon not made by Anker doesn't work. Either buy directly for Apple, or buy from directly from small companies that focus on solving accessories for the Apple market (e.g. Rain Design, 12South, Hyper, CalDigit, et al). This is definitely not limited to USB-C hubs, and encompasses nearly all products. Buying direct from high-quality companies is always better than trying your luck with random brand-named Aliexpress specials sold through Amazon.