Good laptops can do all the pieces desktop computer systems can do, plus they slot in a backpack when it’s time to work or play elsewhere. One notable distinction, although, is the variety of ports on a conveyable laptop versus a tower setup. If you’d like in depth connectivity whenever you’re at your desk, whereas nonetheless reserving the power to pack up and go at a second’s discover, docking stations can get you there. Counting on only one USB-C port in your laptop computer and a DC energy provide, a docking station enables you to plug in your wired mice and keyboards, hook up a monitor with HDMI or DisplayPort jacks and switch knowledge to exterior drives and SD playing cards. Figuring out the most effective docking station will depend on precisely which ports you want and whether or not the supported requirements of every port will ship the speeds or resolutions you’re on the lookout for. We examined greater than 15 extremely rated docks that can assist you decide the most effective laptop computer docking station in your wants.
What to search for in a docking station
Before everything, think about what you could plug in. This can doubtless be the deciding issue whenever you go to truly purchase a docking station. Do you want three screens for an expanded work view? A fast technique to add images from an SD card? Are you seeking to plug in a webcam, mic and streaming mild, whereas concurrently making the most of sooner Ethernet connections? When you’ve settled on the kind of ports you want, you might also need to think about the era of these ports as properly; even ports with the identical form can have totally different capabilities. Right here’s a quick overview of the connectivity totally different docking stations supply.
Monitor ports
Exterior displays usually want one in all three ports to hook up with a PC: HDMI, DisplayPort or USB-C. HDMI connections are extra widespread than DisplayPort and the cables and units that use them are generally extra inexpensive. The preferred model of the DisplayPort interface (v1.4) can deal with larger resolutions and refresh charges than the commonest HDMI model (2.0). The entire docking stations with HDMI ports that we suggest right here use model 2.0, which might deal with 4K decision at 60Hz or 1080p as much as 240Hz. The DisplayPort-enabled docks assist both model 1.2, which permits for 4K decision at 60Hz, or model 1.4, which might deal with 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 120Hz.
It’s also possible to use your dock’s downstream (non-host) Thunderbolt ports to hook up your displays. In case your exterior show has a USB-C socket, you possibly can join instantly. When you have an HDMI or DisplayPort-only monitor, you should use an adapter or a conversion cable.
After all, the variety of displays you possibly can join and the resolutions/charges they’ll obtain rely upon each your laptop’s GPU and your displays — and the extra displays you plug in can carry down these numbers as properly. You should definitely additionally use cables that assist the bandwidth you’re hoping for. MacOS customers ought to needless to say MacBooks with the usual M1 or M2 chips assist only one exterior monitor natively and require DisplayLink {hardware} and software program to assist two exterior shows. MacBooks with M1 Professional, M2 Professional or M2 Max chips can run a number of displays from a single port.
USB ports
Most docking stations supply a number of USB Sort-A ports, that are nice for peripherals like wired mice and keyboards, bus-powered ring lights and flash drives. For sooner knowledge switch speeds to your flash drive, go for USB-A sockets labeled 3.1 or 3.2 — or higher but, use a USB-C Thunderbolt port.
Sort-C USB ports are available many various flavors. The Thunderbolt 3, 4 and USB4 protocols are newer, extra succesful specs that assist energy supply of as much as 100W, a number of 4K shows and knowledge switch speeds of as much as 40Gbps. Different USB-C ports are available a variety of variations, with some supporting video, knowledge and energy and a few solely capable of handle knowledge and energy. Switch charges and wattages can range from port to port, however most docks listing the wattage or GB/s on both the dock itself or on the product web page. And once more, attaining the quickest speeds will rely upon components just like the cables you utilize and the units you’re transferring knowledge to.
Almost each dock out there right now connects to a pc by way of USB-C, usually Thunderbolt, and people host ports are practically at all times labeled with a laptop computer icon. In addition they enable energy supply to your laptop computer: out there wattage varies, however most docks are rated between 85 and 100 watts. That must be sufficient to maintain most computer systems powered — and it additionally means you gained’t must take up an additional laptop computer connector for charging.
Different ports
None of our at the moment beneficial laptops embody an Ethernet jack; a docking station is a good way to get that connection again. Everyone knows objectively that wired web is quicker than Wi-Fi, however it would possibly take working a fundamental velocity comparability take a look at to actually get it on a intestine degree. For reference, on Wi-Fi I get a couple of 45 megabit-per-second obtain velocity. Over Ethernet, it’s 925 Mbps. If you happen to pay for a high-speed plan, however solely ever join wirelessly, you’re in all probability leaving a variety of bandwidth on the desk. Each docking station I examined contains an Ethernet port, and it may very well be the connector you find yourself getting probably the most use out of.
Simply two of our favourite laptops have SD card readers, and should you want a fast technique to add information from cameras or audio recorders, chances are you’ll need to get a dock with a type of slots. Of the docks we examined, about half had SD readers. For now, most (however not all) laptops nonetheless embody a 3.5mm audio jack, however should you favor wired headphones and desire a extra accessible place to plug them in, many docking stations will present.
If you’re counting up the ports in your new dock, keep in mind that most corporations embody the host port (the one which connects to your laptop) within the whole quantity. So should you’re on the lookout for a dock with three Thunderbolt connections, make sure you examine whether or not one in all them will likely be used to plug in your laptop computer.
Design
Most docking stations have both a lay-flat or upright design. Most docks put the extra “permanent” connections in again — reminiscent of Ethernet, DC energy, monitor connections and some USBs. Up-front USB ports can be utilized for flash drive transfers, and even plugging in your cellphone for a cost (simply be sure that the port can ship the facility you want). USBs within the rear are finest for keyboards, mice, webcams and different belongings you’re more likely to at all times use. Some docks place the host port up entrance, which could make it simpler to plug in your laptop computer whenever you return to your desk, however a bunch port in again could look neater general.
How we examined
We began out by taking a look at on-line critiques, spec sheets from varied manufacturers and docking stations that our fellow tech websites have lined. We thought of manufacturers we’ve examined earlier than and have appreciated, and weeded out something that didn’t have what we think about a contemporary suite of connections (reminiscent of a dock with no downstream USB-C ports). We narrowed it right down to 12 contenders and I examined every dock in a house workplace, utilizing an M1 MacBook Professional, a Dell XPS 13 Plus and an Acer Chromebook Spin 514. I plugged in and evaluated the standard of the connections for 12 totally different peripherals together with a 4K and an HD monitor, a 4K and an HD webcam, plus USB units like a mouse, keyboard, streaming mild and mic. I plugged in wired earbuds, and transferred knowledge to a USB-C flash drive and an exterior SSD. I ran fundamental velocity checks on the Ethernet connections in addition to the file transfers. I judged how simple the docks have been to make use of in addition to the assorted design components I described earlier. I made spreadsheets and had sufficient wires snaking round my work space that my cat stayed off my desk for 3 weeks (a brand new report).
Finest docking stations
Photograph by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Host connection: 2 x USB-C | Energy supply to host: 75W (USB-C) | USB-C: 1 x USB 3.0, 1 x 3.1 | USB-A: 2 | Monitor: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 | Aux 3.5mm: No | SD Card: No
The Satechi Twin Dock Stand is totally different from all the opposite docks we examined in two respects: it doesn’t require an influence supply and it goes beneath your MacBook as a substitute of beside it. You can virtually classify it as a hub, however I believe the excessive variety of ports earns it docking-station standing. It plugs into the 2 USB-C ports along with a Mac, which permits MacBooks with M1, M2 or M3 Professional or Max chips to function twin displays in prolonged mode. Sadly, MacBooks with normal M1 or M2 chips, can natively solely energy a second exterior show in mirrored mode. The brand new MacBook Air with the M3 chip can solely energy two shows in prolonged mode with the laptop computer lid closed. When you have a Mac with a normal chip and wish two displays, you will want a docking station that helps DisplayLink {hardware} and software program, such because the Kensington SD4780P, which is our prime decide for Chromebooks.
Because the Twin Dock works with out energy, it’s rather a lot simpler to arrange than different docks with transformer bins and DC cables. I discovered it made probably the most sense to simply use the MagSafe connector on the laptop computer, however you too can provide energy to the dock utilizing the non-data USB-C port and it’ll cross 75 watts to your machine.
Each the 4K and HD displays I examined appeared nice and labored properly in prolonged mode. There are two USB-Cs for a webcam and mic, plus two USB-As which may very well be used for a dongle mouse and a streaming mild — that’s doubtless sufficient ports for conferencing or perhaps a fundamental video creator setup. The dock is in the end restricted by the truth that not one of the USB-C connections are Thunderbolt and there are solely two USB-A sockets to work with. But it surely’s a terrific selection for extending productiveness in a method that tucks beneath a MacBook, neatly transferring the cords to the again of the machine and out of the way in which.
- Distinctive design enhances MacBooks
- Can energy two displays on Macs with M1 Professional or M2 Professional chips
- Good number of ports
- Simply two USB-A ports
- No Thunderbolt ports
Photograph by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Host connection: Thunderbolt 4 | Energy supply to host: 96W (DC) | USB-C: 3 x TB4 | USB-A: 2 | Monitor: 2 x HDMI 2.0 | Aux 3.5mm: Sure | SD Card: Sure
It’s as if Satechi known as me up and requested for the design of my ultimate docking station. They didn’t, to be clear, however the manages to get proper what so many docks virtually do. First off, there are sufficient downstream USB4 ports to deal with quite a lot of setups, whether or not you want a monitor array or simply need to run a USB-C keyboard concurrently your webcam and nonetheless have a port left over. You additionally get two HDMI 2.0 connections, an Ethernet jack, two USB-A ports, an SD card slot and a headphone jack.
That’s solely a complete of 10 downstream ports however for most individuals they’re those that supply probably the most versatility. The trio of Thunderbolt 4 ports can assist as much as 8K displays at 60Hz and 40Gbps knowledge transfers. They’ll even ship 15 watts of energy should you simply have to cost your cellphone whilst you work.
It’s also possible to hook up your screens by way of HDMI. MacBook customers might want to set up the DisplayLink driver to work round Apple’s prolonged monitor limitations. With the software program, even M1 and M2 MacBooks can hook up two exterior displays in prolonged mode. Home windows laptops and M2/M3 Professional and Max chips can have as much as 4 prolonged displays linked — two by way of the Thunderbolt ports and two by means of the HDMI connections (once more utilizing DisplayLink tech).
Along with the goldilocks port choice, the association of these ports is kind of logical. From this slim and modern slab, a bunch connection lives on one facet, permitting for one neat line to your laptop. Connections which can be more likely to keep put (displays, DC energy, Ethernet and Thunderbolts) are throughout again, whereas the jacks you’ll in all probability change up extra usually, such because the USB-A for thumb drives, the three.5mm jack for headphones and the SD card reader, are within the entrance. Proper subsequent to these is a helpful on-off change, so you possibly can simply flip off all of your peripherals at night time to cut back your energy draw.
The dock delivers on the promise of its intelligent port choice and association. My twin prolonged displays appeared nice and achieved the marketed refresh charges and resolutions, the information transfers have been smoking fast and I used to be capable of (lastly) totally join my very fundamental setup with out compromise: Two displays, a webcam, streaming mild, microphone, keyboard and mouse. I did discover my 4K monitor had the slightest lag when the second monitor was plugged in, however it was minor and solely noticeable when displaying the webcam video.
One minor criticism is the DisplayLink and Thunderbolt branding throughout the entrance and prime. They distract from the in any other case elegant look of the high-end aluminum exterior. One not-so-minor concern is how heat the unit acquired as I used it over the course of a pair days. At occasions, it was practically too sizzling to carry my hand on comfortably. I by no means seen any antagonistic efficiency results in consequence, however it’s doable that would develop into a problem in the long run. As for worth, it’s listed at $300; that’s not the most costly dock we’ve examined, however it’s actually not the most cost effective. However for the efficiency and considerate design, it’s a Thunderbolt dock that may very well be price it for lots of people.
- Wonderful array of ports
- Ports cleverly organized
- Can assist as much as 4 exterior displays
- DisplayLink driver permits for twin prolonged displays on standard-chip MacBooks
- Lay-flat design can take up a variety of desk house with no mount
- Unit runs extremely popular
Photograph by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Host connection: Thunderbolt 4 | Energy supply to host: 98W (DC) | USB-C: 2 x TB4, 3 x 3.2 | USB-A: 5 | Monitor: 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 | Aux 3.5mm: 1 x audio combo, 1 x audio in, 1 x audio out | SD Card: SD and microSD
There’s rather a lot to understand about CalDigit’s TS4 docking station: It has a sturdy, upright design with a bunch connection on the rear and a whopping 5 downstream USB-C ports, two of that are Thunderbolt 4. Up entrance, you get an SD and a microSD card slot together with a headphone jack, two USB-C and a USB-A connector. In again, there’s room for 4 extra USB-A units and two 3.5mm jacks, one for audio in and one for audio out. One space the place the dock could really feel missing is in show inputs. It solely has one DisplayPort 1.4, however it has loads of TB4 ports, which you’ll be able to simply use to outfit a full command middle (should you don’t have a USB-C monitor, there are many adapters).
The multi-gig Ethernet jack can deal with as much as 2.5Gbps, so should you’re paying for a screaming-fast web plan, this dock will help you benefit from it. The TS4 can ship as much as 98W of energy to your laptop computer, although like every docking station, the wattage goes down when different gadgets are additionally drawing energy.
The TS4 labored equally properly with my MacBook Professional and the Dell XPS13 Plus and was even appropriate with a Chromebook. I examined learn/write speeds on a Samsung T7 SSD by way of a Thunderbolt port and acquired 734 MB/s learn and 655 MB/s write speeds on the Mac and 1048/994 on the Dell. In comparison with the opposite docks, that was within the lower-middle vary for the Mac and the quickest general for the PC. On PC, it additionally dealt with a 1GB folder switch to a flash drive sooner than some other dock and delivered the quickest connection speeds over the Ethernet. It’s the one unit that permit me plug in each single peripheral I had available without delay. If you happen to’ve acquired numerous tech you need to use concurrently (and cash isn’t a priority), that is the one to get.
- An abundance of ports
- Compact, upright design
- 2.5Gbps Ethernet port
Photograph by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Host connection: USB-C | Energy supply to host: 100W (DC) | USB-C: 1 x 3.1 | USB-A: 5 | Monitor: 2 x HDMI 2.0, 2 x DisplayPort 1.2 | Aux 3.5mm: 1 x audio combo | SD Card: No
The Kensington SD4780P Twin 4K usually requires a DisplayLink driver, however any Chromebook made after 2017 helps the connection from the bounce. Discovering a docking station that works with ChromeOS is hard; of the 12 models I examined, solely 4 linked in any respect with the Acer Chromebook Spin 514, and a type of 4 couldn’t run two displays. The SD4780P makes use of a USB-C host connection, by means of which it affords a most energy supply of 100W and was capable of run each the 4K and HD screens cleanly.
It permits for a variety of USB-A peripherals by means of 5 such ports, however there’s solely a single downstream USB-C, so I wasn’t ready to make use of each a webcam and mic on the identical time. Meaning you’ll want to make use of your Chromebook’s built-in ports if you’d like greater than a type of varieties of units arrange. The plastic construct makes it look a bit low cost and I’m not loopy in regards to the lay-flat design, however the host port is within the again, which can make your setup neater. If all you’re on the lookout for is a technique to get a number of additional displays and use your wired USB equipment, this can be a good decide for Chromebooks.
- Works properly with Chromebooks
- 5 USB-A ports
- Requires a driver for non Chromebooks
- Only one downstream USB-C
Different laptop computer docking stations we examined
Plugable TBT4-UDZ
After I pulled the Plugable TBT4-UDZ Thunderbolt 4 out of the field, I used to be satisfied it might make the reduce: It has a sensible upright design, a pretty metallic end, and the host connection is TB4. Whereas there are many USB-A and monitor ports, there’s only one downstream USB-C. A contemporary dock, notably one which prices $300, ought to allow you to run, say, a USB-C cam and mic on the identical time. In any other case, it’s fairly limiting.
Anker 575 USB-C
At $250 (and extra usually $235), the Anker 575 USB-C may make for price range decide for Home windows. It carried out properly with the Dell XPS 13 Plus, however had bother with the third display screen, the 4K webcam and headphone jack when linked to the MacBook Professional. It’s fairly compact, which implies it will possibly get wobbly when a bunch of cables are plugged in, however it has a wide selection of ports and was capable of deal with my fundamental setup properly.
Belkin Join Professional Thunderbolt 4
Belkin’s Join Professional Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a contender for a Thunderbolt 4 various. It has practically the identical ports because the AD2010 (minus the microSD slot) and a pretty rounded design — however it’s $90 extra, so I’d solely suggest getting it should you discover it on sale.
Acer USB Sort-C Dock
Acer’s USB Sort-C Dock D501 prices $10 greater than our Kensington decide for Chromebooks, however it performs equally and is price a point out. It has practically the identical ports (together with the relatively limiting single downstream USB-C) however each the Ethernet and knowledge switch speeds have been sooner.
Docking station FAQs
Are docking stations price it?
Docking stations are price it when you have extra equipment to plug in than your laptop computer permits. Say you’ve gotten a USB-C digital camera and mic, plus a USB-A mouse, keyboard and streaming mild; only a few fashionable laptops have sufficient connections to assist all of that without delay. A docking station could make that setup possible whereas additionally supplying you with additional ports like an Ethernet connection, and supplying energy to your laptop computer. Nonetheless, should you simply want a number of additional USB sockets, you could be higher off going with a hub, as these are usually cheaper.
How a lot does a laptop computer dock price?
Laptop computer docking stations are usually larger and dearer than easy USB-A or USB-C hubs, due to the broader array of connections. You will discover them as little as $50 they usually can get as costly as $450. An affordable worth for a dock with a wide selection of ports from a good model will common round $200.
How do I arrange my laptop computer dock?
Most docking stations are plug and play. First, join the DC energy cable to the dock and a wall outlet. Then search for the “host” or upstream port on the dock — it’s virtually at all times a USB-C/Thunderbolt port and sometimes branded with an icon of a laptop computer. Use the supplied cable to hook up with your laptop. After that, you possibly can join your peripherals to the dock and they need to be prepared to make use of together with your laptop computer. Just a few docking stations, notably those who deal with extra complicated monitor setups, require a driver. The directions that include your dock will level you to a web site the place you possibly can obtain that companion software program.
Does a laptop computer cost on a docking station?
Almost all docking stations permit you to cost your laptop computer by means of the host connection (the cable working from the dock to your laptop). That functionality, plus the upper variety of ports is what separates a docking station from a hub. Docks can cross on between 65W and 100W of energy to laptops, and practically all embody a DC adapter.
Are all docking stations appropriate with all laptops?
No, not all docking stations are appropriate with each laptop computer. In our checks, the Chromebook had the largest compatibility points, the Dell PC had the least, and the MacBook fell someplace in between. All docks will listing which manufacturers and fashions they work with on the web product web page — make sure you additionally examine the era of your laptop computer as some docks can’t assist sure chips.
What are some fashionable docking station manufacturers?
Kensington, Anker, Pluggable and Belkin are respected and well-known manufacturers making docking stations for all laptops. Lenovo, Dell and HP all make docks that can work with their very own computer systems in addition to different manufacturers.
