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Transform your laptop or tablet into a desktop setup with one of these top USB-C docking stations
By Simon Jary
Contributing writer, Tech AdvisorJAN 2, 2024 11:35 am GMT
Laptops and tablets are so much more convenient than desktop computers for the very obvious reason of portability—you can’t (or certainly shouldn’t) lug a desktop PC between your home and office or on holiday with you.
The portable computer’s limitation, though, is screen size and often a lack of ports to plug devices into. Some laptops have just one or two ports included as standard, and you need one of those for charging. And tablets have even fewer ports for device expansion.
There are plenty of people who prefer a mouse to the laptop’s trackpad, and even a full-size keyboard to tap away on—of course, there are Bluetooth keyboards and mice that don’t require a side port on the laptop.
The perfect setup would be a laptop for flexibility, plus one or more larger external displays, some USB ports for adding hard drives or a printer, and an Ethernet port so you can enjoy wired Internet access rather than flaky Wi-Fi.
The solution is a dock or docking station that includes all these ports and lets you connect your laptop or tablet to it with one cable.
Best USB-C docks
Setup is simple. Just connect your laptop or tablet to the dock, and it instantly has access to all the dock’s ports as if they were on the laptop itself—except to have that many ports, in reality, would make your laptop as thick as a brick.
In this review roundup, we’ll look at the best docks for USB-C laptops and tablets. Some laptops—notably Apple’s MacBook range—include a faster variant of USB-C called Thunderbolt—either Thunderbolt 3 or 4. Such laptops can use USB-C docks, but Thunderbolt’s higher bandwidth (40Gbps vs USB-C’s 5Gbps or 10Gbps) will be lost if not using a dedicated Thunderbolt dock.
Many docking stations are compatible with Apple’s iPad Pro and iPad Air, and USB-C Windows tablets.
If you don’t wanta full docking station, just a handy USB-C adapter or dongle,check out our Best USB-C hub roundup. We’ve included a couple of “hubs” here because they’re often cheaper but just as capable as docks.
Plain USB-C laptops won’t work with most Thunderbolt 3 or 4 docks, although we have reviewed some here that will work with both. That makes them a great choice for hot-desking and mixedworkflow environments. Office IT doesn’thave to buy different docks for different use cases—one dock can work on anything, and without adapters or drivers.
Thunderbolt and USB4 laptops can use any of the USB-C docks reviewed here, but will lose some of their 40Gbps bandwidth and display advantages on the lower-spec docks.
Owners of Thunderbolt 3 or 4 laptops—such as Apple MacBooks—should also read Macworld’s roundup of the best Thunderbolt 3 and 4 docking stations or our own best Thunderbolt 4 docks. The docks reviewed here mostly work with any TB3/TB4 laptops unless specified, but remember that if the dock is USB-C only, Thunderbolt laptops will not be using their full bandwidth for the fastest data-transfer speeds.
After our list of the best USB-C docks, we explain what each of the ports can do for you.
Anker PowerExpand Elite Dock – Best USB-C/Thunderbolt dock for Windows
Pros
- 13 ports inc 40Gbps to TB laptop, 10Gbps to USB-C
- Thunderbolt and USB-C
- 85W PD
Cons
- One display port
- Incompatible with M1/M2 Macs
Best Prices Today:$279.99 at Amazon
• USB-C and Thunderbolt laptop compatible
• Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
• 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports (40Gbps) – one to host
• 85W PD charging, plus standalone charging
• Up to two external displays (2 x 4K at 60Hz; or 1 x 5K at 60Hz)
• 1x HDMI 2.0 port (4K at 60Hz; or 1 x 5K at 60Hz)
• 2x USB-C ports (10Gbps; one with 18W charging)
• 4x USB-A ports (5Gbps; one with 7.5W charging)
• SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II; 312Mbps)
• MicroSD 4.0 Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II; 312Mbps)
• Gigabit Ethernet port for wired Internet access
• Front-facing 3.5mm Analogue Audio In & Out port
• 180W power supply
If you need a ton of ports, Anker’s PowerExpand Elite Thunderbolt 3 dock offers 13.
With its Titan Ridge chipset, it is also USB-C compatible, and is a neat and compact vertical dock.
The PowerExpand Elite can connect up to three external displays on Windows laptops only as macOS doesn’t support MST (Multi-Stream Transport). This dock doesn’t work with M1/M2 Macs, but is suitable for older Intel-based Macs.
The HDMI plus one Thunderbolt/USB-C port would connect two displays (4K at 60Hz for Thunderbolt laptops), while the third external display would use one of the USB-C ports (4K at 30Hz). Unless your display has a USB-C connection itself, you’ll need an adapter (not included) using the Thunderbolt and USB-C connections.
One seemingly minor feature that we love is the easy-to-reach on-off switch, which will help save energy, prolong your device’s battery, and stop the dock getting too warm when left unused overnight.
Both USB-C ports are Gen. 2 at 10Gbps, where some docks boast just 5Gbps C-type ports.
Read our full Anker PowerExpand Elite Dock review.
Ugreen Revodok Pro 13-in-1 Triple Display Docking Station – Best budget triple-display USB-C dock
Pros
- 13 ports inc 3x display
- 10Gbps USB-C
- 100W PD
Cons
- Display options on Mac are limited
- No device power from USB ports
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
Best Prices Today:$129.99 at Amazon
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
- 100W PD charging
- USB-C to the host (10Gbps)
- 2x HDMI 2.0 (4K at 60Hz)
- 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 60Hz)
- 1x USB-C (for passthrough power)
- 1x USB-C (10Gbps)
- 2x USB-A (10Gbps)
- 2x USB-A (5Gbps)
- SD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- MicroSD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Requires USB-C power supply
This USB-C dock looks more like a hub but has all the firepower of a docking station, except for a separate power supply—you need to power the dock with your own USB-C charger, preferably at 100W or more. Check out our recommended best USB-C chargers for options.
Measuring just 4.8 inches (12.2cm) long, this is as compact a dock as you’ll find and is easily portable—although don’t forget that extra wall charger you need.
Its 13 ports are impressive. There are three display ports: a single DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports. In any order these support dual 4K external monitors at 60Hz for Windows laptops plus a third at 30Hz, but only one 4K at 60Hz for Mac or three Mac displays that are Mirrored rather than Extended.
There are six fast USB ports (one fast 10Gbps USB-C, one passthrough charging 100W USB-C, two fast 10Gbps USB-A and two able 5Gbps USB-A.
On top of that, there’s Gigabit Ethernet and SD and MicroSD card readers (only 104MBps UHS-I rather than faster 312MBps UHS-II but still appreciated for inexpensive portable storage).
Twelve South StayGo USB-C Hub – Best portable USB-C dock
Pros
- 9 ports
- Portable
- 85W passthrough power
Cons
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
- Ports a little underpowered
- 5Gbps to laptop
Best Prices Today:$75 at Amazon
• USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
• Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
• 85W PD charging, plus standalone charging
• USB-C to the host (5Gbps)
• 1x HDMI 1.2 (4K at 30Hz or full HD)
• 3x USB-A (5Gbps; one with 7.5W BC 1.2 charging)
• 1x USB-C (for passthrough power)
• SD Card Reader(UHS-I; 104Mbps)
• MicroSD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Requires USB-C power supply
This lightweight and compact USB-C dock undersells itself by calling itself just a hub. The Twelve South StayGo really a very capable portable dock that will fit in your pocket.
Yes, it doesn’t have its own power supply, but you can connect it to your laptop’s charger (or another) for passthrough charging at up to an impressive 85W.
It has HDMI for connecting an external display (4K at 30Hz), three USB-A ports (one of which you can use to charge your phone), SD Card reader for adding simple and inexpensive backup storage, and Gigabit Ethernet – all the basic and more.
It even comes with its own neat, short travel USB-C cable stored for protection, and ships with a 1m USB-C cable for normal desktop use.
And it’s available in either black or white.
The Ugreen Revodok Pro 13-in-1 Triple Display Docking Station, reviewed above, is also portable and so could win the crown as its ports are more powerful, but this hub/dock may be all you need.
Read our full Twelve South StayGo USB-C Hub review
Plugable's USB-C Triple Display 4K Docking Station – Best for three external displays
Pros
- 12 (usable) ports inc 10Gbps to laptop
- Three display ports
- 96W PD
Best Prices Today:$249.95 at Amazon
• USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
• Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets
• USB-C to the host (10Gbps)
• 96W PD charging
• 3x DisplayPort 1.2 (4K at 60Hz to USB-C and TB laptops)
• 3x HDMI 1.2 (4K at 60Hz to USB-C and TB laptops)
• 4x USB-A (5Gbps); 1 x USB-C (10Gbps, 20W)
• SD Card Reader(UHS-I; 104Mbps)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 2x 3.5mm Analog Audio In & Out
• 100W power supply
Plugable’s USB-C Triple Display 4K Docking Station (UD-ULTC4K) does what its name says it can—it is stuffed full of fancy technology that enables it to run three external displays from a USB-C laptop, with all three at full 60Hz 4K if the host laptop support DP 1.4. Although there are six display ports, you can use only three at the same time.
It uses a combination of USB-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode (“Alt Mode”) for the HDMI port and DisplayLink USB graphics for its two DisplayPorts. Laptops with Thunderbolt/USB4 or USB-C hosts that support DP 1.4 Alternate Mode can run three 4K displays at 60Hz via either DisplayPort or HDMI. On hosts that support DP 1.2 Alternate Mode, two displays at 60Hz are possible and one at 30Hz.
This brings with it some complexity and compatibility issues on certain versions of the macOS, but with DisplayLink drivers installed, all should be well.
The four USB-A ports are generous, although limited to 5Gbps compared to the 10Gbps USB-C link to the computer.
Plugable has a similar dock, the UD-6950PDZ, with fewer USB-C ports but more USB-A if your setup suits those ports.
The Ugreen Revodok Pro 13-in-1 Triple Display Docking Station, reviewed above, also supports three displays, has more powerful USB and display ports, and is portable. We have kept the Best for Triple Displays award as this dock comes with its own power supply and offers more display port flexibility plus three 4K displays at 60Hz, but the Ugreen dock can do just about everything else that the UD-ULTC4K can.
Read our full Plugable USB-C Triple 4K Display Docking Station (UD-ULTC4K) v2 review
BenQ beCreatus DP1310 USB-C Hybrid Dock – Best for 120Hz 4K and 60Hz 5K displays
Pros
- Works with both laptop and games console
- 13 ports inc 10Gbps to laptop
- 100W PD
- Three 4K displays at 60Hz
- One 4K display at 120Hz
- Dolby Atmos HDR 8K at 60Hz
Cons
- No card reader
Best Prices Today:$299 at Amazon
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- USB-C to the host (10Gbps)
- 100W PD charging
- 1x DisplayPort 1.2 (4K at 60Hz)
- 1x HDMI 2.0 (4K at 60Hz)
- 1x HDMI 2.1 (8K at 60Hz)
- 3x USB-A (10Gbps, 7.5W)
- 1x USB-C (10Gbps, 36W)
- 1x USB-A (480Mbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- 3.5mm Analog Audio In & Out
- 180W power supply
BenQ’s beCreatus DP1310 is 13-in-1 docking station that, at the touch of a very large green button, can switch into game mode from your laptop to PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck.
For gaming-level performance, it beats all the other USB-C docks reviewed here. It supports two 4K screens, both at 120Hz, three 4K displays at 60Hz (one via USB-C), and, via HDMI 2.1 In, one 8K monitor at 60Hz for the ultimate gaming experience.
As a laptop dock it is well powered at 100W charging and fast 10Gbps bandwidth—even on three of the USB-A ports that also charge at 7.5W. The front-facing USB-C port can charge a connected device at an impressive 36W. All this is ably backed by a 180W power supply.
Add DisplayLink software to allow even M1/M2 Macs to connect to three external displays.
The beCreatus DP1310 is a video monster and will appeal to laptop owners who want to quickly switch to their games console at super-fast refresh rates.
Alogic DV4 Universal Quad Display Docking Station – Best for four external displays
Pros
- 13 ports
- 4x external displays (2x 4K, 2x HD)
- 12W charging USB-C
Cons
- 5Gbps to laptop
- Mac limited to 3x displays
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets
- USB-C to the host (5Gbps)
- 85W PD charging
- 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 60Hz)
- 3x HDMI 2.0 (1x 4K at 60Hz, 2x HD at 60Hz)
- 2x USB-A (5Gbps, 7.5W); 2x USB-A (480MBps)
- 1x USB-C (5Gbps, 12W)
- SD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- MicroSD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- 3.5mm Analog Audio In & Out
- Requires USB-C power supply
If you want up to four external displays, and own a PC (sorry, Mac users, you are limited to a maximum of three even with DisplayLink drivers installed) the Alogic DV4 Universal Quad Display Docking Station lets you connect two 4K (3840×2160) displays and two HD (1920×1080) displays, all at 60Hz.
There are five USB and a raft of other useful ports, including memory card readers, Gigabit Ethernet and audio.
The top data-transfer rate is 5Gbps, slower than some of the 10Gbps USB-C docks and 40Gbps Thunderbolt docks reviewed here, and the card readers are not the fastest.
You also need to add your own 100W USB-C charger as no power supply is included in the box. This does, however, make the dock reasonably portable if you travel with a wall charger—not one for the trouser pocket but it’s slim and light enough for a small bag.
However, few docking stations can handle four displays, so the DV4 is the solution if even three monitors is not enough for your needs.
Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station – Best Thunderbolt 4 dock
Pros
- Thunderbolt 4
- 11 ports, inc 4 TB4
- 40Gbps to TB laptop, 10Gbps to USB-C
Cons
- 4.5W USB-A ports
Best Prices Today:$188.85 at Amazon$369.99 at Best Buy
• One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 90W PD)
• Three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (40Gbps, 15W)
• Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, 4.5W)
• One USB-A port (480Mbps, 7.5W)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II; 312Mbps)
• Front-facing 3.5mm Analogue Audio In & Out port
• 180W power supply
The Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station gives you everything a dock should and is compatible with the latest Thunderbolt 4 connection standard, which is itself backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C–so offers the best of all worlds.
If your laptop has Thunderbolt 4 ports, it’s best to connect to a ThB4 dock such as this one.
At 180W, the power supply is the highest we’ve seen in all our hub and dock tests–great if you are powering multiple devices connected to the dock.
Read our full Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station review
Baseus 9-in-1 Joystar USB-C Hub – Best USB-C Hub that acts like a dock
Pros
- 9 ports inc Gigabit Ethernet
- Two display ports
- One 4K at 120Hz
- 100W PD
- 3x USB-A
Cons
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
- No USB device charging except laptop
- One of dual 4K displays at 30Hz
- Macs limited to only one Extended display
Best Prices Today:$39.09 at Amazon
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
- 100W PD charging via USB-C port
- USB-C to the host (5Gbps)
- 2x HDMI (one 4K at 60Hz, the other at 30Hz; or a single 4K at 120Hz)
- 3x USB-A (2x 5Gbps and 1x 480Mbps)
- SD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- TF (microSD) Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- Requires USB-C power supply
The Baseus Joystar 9-in-1 USB-C Hub doesn’t call itself a dock, but does a remarkably good job as a docking station at a very affordable price.
Its feature set is comparable to a portable dock with two HDMI ports for external 4K displays (one at 60Hz and one at 30Hz) and the option to support a single 4K display at 120Hz. Macs are limited to one Extended display or two Mirrored; Windows PCs can enjoy two Extended displays.
Gigabit Ethernet is there for wired Internet access.
You can connect your USB-C PD charger to bring up to 100W pass-through power to the host laptop so you don’t lose a valuable USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 port on the laptop if you need to charge or sync. There are two USB-A ports pushing data at 5Gbps and another at a much slower 480Mbps. There are SD and MicroSD (TF) slots for storage cards, so you can slot in a camera card, or use the flash memory for extra laptop storage.
Baseus also sells a Joystar 9 in 1 USB-C Hub that offers faster 10GBps data transfer
Alogic DX2 Dual 4K Display Universal Docking Station – Dual-display USB-C dock
Pros
- 9 ports inc 2x video ports
- 10Gbps USB-C
- 65W PD
Cons
- No card reader
Best Prices Today:$209.62 at Amazon
• USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
• Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
• 2x USB-C ports (10Gbps) – one to laptop at 65W, one at 7.5W
• 65W PD charging, plus standalone charging
• 2x DisplayPort 1.4 ports (2x 4K at 60Hz)
• 3x USB-A ports (5Gbps; one with 7.5W charging)
• Gigabit Ethernet port for wired Internet access
• Front-facing 3.5mm Analogue Audio In & Out port
• 100W power supply
This USB-C docking station is cheaper than a Thunderbolt dock but still compatible with Thunderbolt laptops—just with lower data-transfer bandwidth of 10Gbps compared to 40Gbps. If you aren’t transferring a lot of data between laptop and other devices, this shouldn’t be a worry as 10Gbps will be fine for most people.
There’s no card reader for adding inexpensive portable storage, but there are two dedicated video ports—both at top-end DisplayPort 1.4. It’s easy to connect two 4K displays at 60Hz but you need to install DisplayLink software to achieve this.
As with the Anker PowerExpand Elite Dock, reviewed above, there’s a handy power button the front. And this is a better choice for Apple M1/M2 MacBook Air owners than the Anker dock.
Plugable USB-C Dual Display Docking Station (UD-MSTHDC) – Best dock for Chromebooks
Pros
- 13 ports inc 10Gbps to laptop
- Certified for Chromebook
- Dual DisplayPort and HDMI
Cons
- Limited for Macs
- No card reader
Best Prices Today:$169.95 at Amazon
• USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
• 60W PD charging via 1 x USB-C port
• USB-C to the host (10Gbps)
• 2x HDMI 2.0(4K at 60Hz)
• 2x DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 60Hz)
• 1x USB-C port(10Gbps, 15W)
• 2x USB-A port(10Gbps)
• 4x USB-A ports (5Gbps)
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• Front-facing 3.5mm Analog Audio In & Out
• 110W power supply
Plugable’s UD-MSTHDC is a 13-port dock that is fully certified for use with Chromebook under Google’s strict Works With ChromeBook rules.
Other USB-C docks work with Chromebooks but few are certified and so many lack some functionality. To be sure, opt for a certified Chromebook docking station like this one from one of our favourite dock manufacturers.
It supports up to two 4K 60Hz via its two DisplayPort or two HDMI ports—if the laptop supports DisplayPort 1.4 or HDMI 2.0; DP 1.2 takes the refresh rate down to 30Hz. Users can use one or a mix of either display connector to add two external screens to their Chromebook.
You also get seven USB ports (one 10Gbps USB-C, two 10Gbps USB-A and four 5Gbps USB-A). The USB-C port can charge devices at a generous 15W, plenty for storage devices or just your smartphone.
The dock boasts a Gigabit Ethernet port, and can charge a laptop at up to 60W, connecting via a well-designed side-mounted 10Gbps upstream USB-C port.
if you are after an SD or MicroSD card reader, this is not the dock for you. Otherwise, it’s a great fit with Chromebooks.
Ugreen Revodok Pro 312 12-in-1 4K Docking Station
Pros
- 12 ports inc 10Gbps to laptop
- 85W PD
- Three 4K 60Hz ports
Cons
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
- No USB device charging except laptop
- UHS-I card reader speed
Best Prices Today:$349.99 at Amazon
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets
- USB-C to the host (10Gbps)
- 85W PD charging
- 1x DisplayPort 1.2 (4K at 60Hz to USB-C and TB laptops)
- 1x HDMI 2.0 (4K at 60Hz to USB-C and TB laptops)
- 1x HDMI 2.1 (8K at 30Hz or 4/5/6K at 60Hz)
- 3x USB-A (5Gbps); 1x USB-C (10Gbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- SD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- MicroSD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- 3.5mm Analog Audio In & Out
- Requires USB-C power supply
The Ugreen USB-C Triple Display Docking Station is an excellent dock that supports up to three external displays—again requiring DisplayLink drivers for Macs.
This compact dock requires a USB-C charger for power as it doesn’t ship with a power supply. If you want to reach the potential 85W laptop charging Power Delivery (PD) on offer here, you need at least a 100W PD charger.
One of the HDMI ports and the DisplayPort support 4K at 60Hz (Mac and Windows) and the second HDMI can push up to 8K at 30Hz in Windows and up to 4K at 60Hz with a Mac. The HDMI 2.1 port can hit 60Hz at under 8K, for example, 4K, 5K or 6K.
There’s also front-mounted USB-C and USB-A ports that can transfer data at 10Gbps, which is speedier than on offer on many USB-C docks. At the back there are two slower but still reasonable 5Gbps USB-A ports.
A handy power button is situated at the top of this vertical docking station.
Read our full Ugreen Revodok Pro 312 12-in-1 4K Docking Station review
Kensington SD4839P USB-C Triple Video Docking Station
Pros
- 9 ports inc 10Gbps to laptop
- Three display ports
Cons
- Triple display limited to HD
- No card reader
- Windows only
Best Prices Today:$104.56 at Amazon
• USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
• Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets
• USB-C to the host (10Gbps)
• 85W PD charging
• 2x DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 60Hz to USB-C and TB laptops)
• 1x HDMI 2.0 (4K at 60Hz to USB-C and TB laptops)
• 3x USB-A (10Gbps, 4.5W); 1x USB-C (10Gbps, 7.5W)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 3.5mm Analog Audio In & Out
• 134W power supply
The Kensington SD4839P USB-C Triple Video Docking Station is blessed with a 10Gbps USB-C connection to the host computer and has three USB-A and one USB-C port also rated at that speed. It’s not Thunderbolt but it’s still speedy.
Another selling point is its three display ports—2x DisplayPort 1.4 and 1x HDMI 2.0. These allow for dual 4K displays at 60Hz—thanks to the use of HBR3 DP1.4 and DSC (display stream compression)—but are limited to 1080p HD when you use all three for a triple-display setup. If you want three 4K displays running at the same time, look to the Plugable UD-ULTC4K or Ugreen Triple Display docks reviewed here.
The 85W PD charging should be adequate for all but the most-demanding laptops, and the dock has a 134W power supply so connected devices cam also be charged via the dock (at up to 7.5W on the sole USB-C port. The USB-A ports are a little underpowered at just 4.5W.
This is an ultra-slim horizontal dock that has a small footprint and is well-priced for a triple-display docking station.
Pros
- Supports three external displays (2x 4K; 1x HD)
- VGA if you need it
- 12 ports, inc 4x 5Gbps USB-A
Cons
- Requires USB-C charger
- Second 4K display is 30Hz; third display is HD
- 5Gbps to laptop
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets
- USB-C to the host (5Gbps)
- 85W PD charging
- 1x HDMI 2.0 (4K at 60Hz to USB-C and TB laptops)
- 1x HDMI 1.2 (4K at 30Hz to USB-C and TB laptops)
- 1x VGA (1080p HD)
- 4x USB-A (5Gbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- SD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- MicroSD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- 3.5mm Analog Audio In & Out
- Requires USB-C power supply
The EZQuest Ultimate Plus USB-C Multimedia Hub will be useful if you own a display with a VGA port. It also boasts two HDMI ports, and supports one 4K at 60Hz and one 4K at 30Hz via HDMI. The VGA port is limited to 1080p HD.
The compact dock also features four 5Gbps USB-A ports, Gigabit Ethernet and card readers (although these are slower UHS-I).
Like the Ugreen dock, it requires a USB-C charger for power and can pass through up to 85W to the connected laptop, but connects via slower 5Gbps USB-C.
HyperDrive GEN2 12-Port USB-C Dock
Pros
- 12 ports inc 10Gbps to laptop
- Three display ports
Cons
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
- Limited for Macs
Best Prices Today:$199.99 at Amazon
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
- 85W PD charging via 1x USB-C port
- USB-C to the host (10Gbps)
- 2x HDMI 2.0 (4K at 60Hz)
- DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 60Hz)
- 2x USB-A ports (10Gbps)
- 2x USB-A ports (480Mbps)
- SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II; 312Mbps)
- MicroSD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II; 312Mbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet port
- 3.5mm Analog Audio In & Out
- Requires USB-C power supply
USB-C comes in several flavors, based on speed and bandwidth: from Gen1 5Gbps standard to 10Gbps Gen2.
The HyperDrive Gen2 USB-C Dock represents great value, bristling with 12 ports. You’ll need to bring your own USB-C wall charger (up to 100W), though, as there’s no power supply with this docking station.
It uses the pro-look compact metal form factor beloved of Thunderbolt 3 docks, but takes that level of multiple-port flexibility to the world of USB-C.
Two of its USB-A ports support 10Gbps bandwidth, but the other two are the far more lowly 480Mbps USB 2.0.
Video options are plentiful (two HDMI and one DisplayPort) but Mac users should remember that over USB-C they can have just the one external display unless they download third-party DisplayLink drivers.
Caldigit USB-C SOHO Dock
Pros
- Portable
- Fast USB ports inc 10Gbps to laptop
- Two display ports (4K; one at 60Hz)
Cons
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
- Few USB ports
- Limited dual-display support for Macs
- No Gigabit Ethernet
Best Prices Today:$79.99 at Amazon
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
- 100W passthrough charging
- USB-C to the host (10Gbps)
- 1x DisplayPort 1.4 & 1x HDMI 2.0 (single 4K display at 60Hz; or dual 4K at 30Hz)
- 1x USB-C (10Gbps)
- 1x USB-A (10Gbps)
- 1x USB-C Power Delivery
- SD Card Reader (UHS-II; 312Mbps)
- MicroSD Card Reader (UHS-II; 312Mbps)
- Requires USB-C power supply
Caldigit has done it again with its tiny SOHO (Small Office Home Office) Dock, which uses separate lanes for both video and USB–meaning it can provide a consistent 4K 60Hz display while offering 10Gbps USB performance.
Note that only Windows PCs are supported for dual Extended-mode displays, and then both 4K at 30Hz; Macs are limited to two Mirrored-mode displays (showing same view as the laptop’s screen), but both at 4K 60Hz.
The SOHO Dock features the fastest USB ports you’ll find: both the USB-A and USB-C ports are rated at 10Gbps bandwidth, compared to many docks that have such ports at 5Gbps.
It also comes with both DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 ports for flexibility when adding an external display to your laptop.
The SOHO Dock doesn’t have many USB ports compared to the equally portable Twelve South StayGo, but if you need just one of each and speed is important to you, then it’s hard to beat.
Note that there’s no Gigabit Ethernet port for wired Internet access.
As this dock doesn’t come with its own power supply, power delivery to the laptop would be gained by attaching your wall charger to the dock, so depends on the charger’s capability.
Read our full Caldigit USB-C SOHO Dock review
OWC USB-C Travel Dock E – Best compact USB-C dock
Pros
- Portable
- 92W passthrough power
Cons
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
- 5Gbps to laptop
Best Prices Today:$59.99 at Amazon
- USB-C laptop-compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
- 92W passthrough charging
- USB-C cable to the host (5Gbps)
- 1x USB-C port (5Gbps)
- 1x HDMI 2.0 (single 4K display at 60Hz)
- 2x USB-A ports (5Gbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II; 312Mbps)
- Requires USB-C power supply
This portable USB-C dock has six ports, and boasts at least one of everything you should need. The E stands for Ethernet—a port missing from many USB-C adapters.
It connects to the laptop by a short 15cm cable. If you need a longer cable, you’d be better off with a dock without an integrated cable. But for travel purposes, a dock with its own cable saves you from carrying an extra one around with you.
The USB-C and USB-A ports are 5Gbps; you will find 10Gbps USB and more such ports on some docks but not in this compact size.
The pass-through charging is impressive at 92W, and you have the option of using the laptop’s bus power if you don’t have a wall charger to hand or access to an outlet.
It weighs just 174g (6.1oz) and is compact enough to fit in a trouser pocket. When you’re not travelling, it is great for taking up very little desk space.
PNY All-in-One USB-C Dock – Lightest USB-C dock with power
Pros
- Portable
- 100W passthrough power
- Two display ports
Cons
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
- 5Gbps to laptop
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- 100W passthrough charging
- USB-C to the host (5Gbps)
- 2x 5Gbps USB-C ports (one PD)
- 1x HDMI 1.2 (single 4K display at 30Hz)
- 1x VGA port (single 1080p display; 1920×1200)
- 2x USB-A ports (5Gbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- SD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- MicroSD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- Requires USB-C power supply
The portable PNY All-in-One USB-C Dock is compact (12-x-7-x-1.4 cm) and super lightweight, offering connection to one external display via either HDMI or VGA.
It packs its own short, integrated USB-C cable, making it a one-stop tool for your connection requirements, and no need to bring a separate cable to connect to your laptop.
Compared to other travel docks, it’s noticeably lighter (107g vs 151g), and a little shorter but an equal amount longer.
It matches well on ports and power, although the Twelve South StayGo has one more USB-A port, and its SD and microSD cards can be read simultaneously while the PNY can read one card at a time – which will rarely be a problem for most users.
It does boast a VGA port, which might come in useful with older displays or projectors.
We do prefer the StayGo’s two included cables (although neither is integrated), as one offers a handy 1m length compared to the PNY’s fairly meagre 12cm.
That said, its extreme lightness and VGA may well tempt those who travel to multiple destinations with mixed display options.
Read our full PNY 9-in-1 Mini Portable USB-C Hub review
Lention USB-C Docking Station – Under-laptop USB-C dock for Windows
Pros
- Design
- Three display ports
- 100W passthrough power
Cons
- No power supply, so requires USB-C charger
- 4K at 30Hz
- 5Gbps to laptop
- Not for Mac
- USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
- 100W passthrough charging via USB-C (requires wall charger)
- USB-C to the host (5Gbps)
- 1x HDMI 1.2 (single 4K display at 30Hz)
- 1x DisplayPort 1.2 (single 4K display at 30Hz)
- 1x VGA (single 1080p HD display)
- 2x USB-A ports (5Gbps)
- 1x USB-A port (480Mbps)
- Gigabit Ethernet
- SD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- MicroSD Card Reader (UHS-I; 104Mbps)
- Requires USB-C power supply
The Lention USB-C Universal Docking Station is designed to sit under your laptop, and so take up no extra desktop space. It also has a flap that makes it easy to rest a tablet, although not at the same time as the laptop.
It has three USB-A ports–one at USB 2.0’s 480Mbps and the other two at 5Gbps USB 3.0. The spare USB-C port is for attaching a wall charger as the dock doesn’t come with its own power supply. It can’t be used to attach a different USB-C device.
What is special about this dock is its three varied video options: HDMI, DisplayPort and VGA. Windows PCs can connect to three external displays at the same time, although the resolution is then pegged back to 720p HD quality rather than 1080p or 4K, which is possible with fewer monitors attached.
Although possible on a Mac, using DisplayLink software, Lention doesn’t recommend multiple displays for Macs, and when using two simultaneously on a Mac, only a Mirrored image is possible–so we wouldn’t rate this dock for use with Macs when better docks are available.
But for Windows it is fine, as long as the computer supports DisplayPort Alternate Mode.
Plugable USB-C & USB 3.0 Dual HDMI USB Docking Station (UD-3900C)
Pros
- USB-C and USB-A compatible
- Two HDMI
- Six USB-A
Cons
- No power to laptop
- No 4K display
- 5Gbps to laptop
Best Prices Today:$119.95 at Amazon
• USB-C and USB-A laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
• Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
• No PD charging
• Hybrid USB-C & USB-A to the host (5Gbps)
• 2x HDMI 1.3 (HD at 60Hz)
• 2x USB-A ports (5Gbps)
• 4x USB-A ports (480MBps)
• 2x Input and Output audio jacks
This “universal” USB docking station uses a 2-in-1 cable that means you can connect either to USB-A or USB-C systems. This makes it useful in hybrid, hot-desking office environments where older laptops (USB-A) might mingle with more modern ones (USB-C or Thunderbolt).
The Plugable UD-3900C dock features two HDMI 1.3 ports so you can connect more than one external display, although the maximum 2048-x-1152 resolution for each is not 4K.
Alongside these display connections at the back are four USB 2.0 ports (480Mbps) and Gigabit Ethernet. At the front are two faster 5Gbps USB-A ports and 3.5mm audio input and output jacks. All USB ports can charge at a rather weedy 2.5W, so this is not the dock for using to charge devices, and the 20W power supply means it won’t charge a connected laptop either, so you need a separate PD wall charger attached to your laptop at the same time.
It’s a handy docking station for hot-desking office spaces where there’s a mix of USB-A and USB-C laptops, but the low port speeds and lack of charging aren’t impressive enough specs for us to recommend this dock to users of Thunderbolt 3 or 4 laptops or USB-C-only users.
Plugable USB 3.0 Dual 4K Display Docking Station (UD-6950H) – HDMI and DisplayPort
Pros
- Choice of HDMI and/or DisplayPort
- Six USB-A ports
- Four display ports
Cons
- No power to laptop
- 5Gbps to laptop
- No card reader
Best Prices Today:$137.95 at Amazon
• USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
• Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads
• No PD charging
• USB-C to the host (5Gbps)
• 2x HDMI 2.0 (4K at 60Hz)
• 2x DisplayPort 1.2 (4K at 60Hz)
• 6x USB-A ports (5Gbps, 4.5W)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• 2x Input and Output audio jacks
The US-only Plugable UD-6950H Docking Station boasts two DisplayPort and two HDMI ports, so you can connect two monitors (4K displays at 60Hz) to your laptop via this dock using either display connector.
This choice makes it suitable for hot-desking office environments where laptops might come with either connection, and saves buying adapters if you have one monitor of each type.
Other than that, it’s a fairly standard Gigabit Ethernet dock, although it does offer an impressive six USB-A ports.
The downside is that you’ll still need to power your laptop outside of the dock, as it doesn’t have any charging functionality—only a low power supply for the dock itself.
Dell DA300 – A dinky mobile USB-C hub
Pros
- Dinky and portable
- 10Gbps to laptop
- 60Hz 4K
Cons
- No power to laptop
- No card reader
Best Prices Today:$63.99 at Amazon
• USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth)
• USB-C cable to the host (10Gbps)
• No PD charging
• DisplayPort 1.2; HDMI 2.0; VGA;(4K at 30Hz, 1080p at 60Hz)
• 1x USB-A (10Gbps);1x USB-C (10Gbps)
• Gigabit Ethernet
Dell’s DA300 Mobile USB-C Adapter is a much dinkierdock than most of the docks reviewed here. You could simply pop it in your pocket (it weighs 80g) and use both at home and away, although one at each location, pre-connected to your other devices, would make sense.
It comes with its own USB-C cable, and can rotate, so the ports you need closest are where you want them.
There’s no power supply, so no PD charging. That means connected devices will take their power from your laptop—which can, of course, still be charged in a regular manner by its own charger.
That’s why we prefer the Twelve South StayGo as our favourite portable USB-C dock, although you’ll get higher frame rates on a 4K display with this dock.
Because it has a 10Gbps USB-C connection to the laptop, it can support 4K resolution at full 60Hz, with laptops that support DP1.3 and above with 4K displays. It will work with just about any display you are confronted with (DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-C, and even ye-olde VGA) so is great in the business person’s briefcase for those tricky meeting room presentation situations.
And it’s pretty cheap, too, if you can live without it charging your laptop while in use, and you don’t need multiple external displays.
Useful ports on the dock
USB-C: First, you need to connect your USB-C laptop to the dock, which takes up one of the dock’s USB-C ports, unless the dock has its own attached cable. One of the docks we tested can also connect to USB-A laptops so is useful for mixed hot-desking environments.
Most docks feature extra USB-C ports to attach compatible devices or connect to a USB-C display. You can also buy a USB-C to HDMI or USB-C to DisplayPort adapter to use this extra port to add an external display; see below.
USB-C comes in either 5Gbps or 10Gbps bandwidth varieties. If data-transfer speed is important, look for a dock with a higher rating. USB speed ratings are numerous, so pay attention to the technical specifications.
Also look for docks with USB PD, which stands for Power Delivery–this is a key feature on a full docking station. And then match that with the wattage your laptop needs to charge at full power. Most mid-sized laptops require 60W, but some larger laptops are begging for as much as 100W. Docks that can handle that much charging power can be more expensive as they need a larger power supply.
If the dock doesn’t have PD, then it will be drawing power from your laptop to run the other devices–unless the dock features a USB-C port that allows for passthrough charging via a separate USB-C charger (see our roundup of the best USB-C chargers). The same will happen with PDs with a lower wattage than the laptop. An 87W laptop can be charged by a 60W USB PD, but at a slower pace.
(Windows PC users must check if their USB-C port is capable of laptop charging as not all PC manufacturers have added this functionality to their USB-C ports, limiting them to data or display only.)
We also list the total wattage of the power supply, as this will often allow the charging of connected bus-powered devices.
Thunderbolt and USB4: Looking exactly like USB-C, Thunderbolt is a much faster connection standard–certified at 40Gbps. Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 are backwards compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C, and have some extra benefits such as smarter daisy-chaining and the ability for docks to include up to four TB4 ports. Thunderbolt 3. docks require a Titan Ridge chipset to work with non-Thunderbolt USB-C laptops.
Standalone charging: This means the dock can charge devices, such as a phone or tablet, even when the laptop is disconnected.
USB-A: This is the ‘old’ rectangular USB standard that’s still used by many devices, such as hard drives, memory sticks, and printers. Work out how many of these you need when selecting the right dock for you. Like USB-C, USB-A comes in different speeds: from a lowly 480Mbps (USB 2.0) to the most common 5Gbps (USB 3.0/3.1/3.2 Gen 1) and the latest speedy 10Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2). USB speeds and types explained here.
Display: You might want to hook your laptop up to an external display for more screen space. Why not boost that 13in laptop screen to a 32in 4K monitor? Some external displays use USB-C, so you can connect via a laptop’s spare port or via one on the dock. Most docks, however, include either DisplayPort or HDMI ports, or a mix of both; some include the old VGA standard. And you can attach USB-C to HDMI or USB-C to DisplayPort adapters, too.
Most dual-monitor setups allow for two displays at 1080p HD resolution, but the best high-resolution displays are 4K. 4K at 60Hz is the best for gaming and high-graphics performance, while 4K at 30Hz is good enough for more productivity-based tasks–but not as great as at that higher rate.
Non-Thunderbolt USB-C docks are mostly limited to 30Hz 4K but there are some that can support 60Hz on one external display.
Look out for the version of DisplayPort or HDMI, as the later versions have greater powers when it comes to higher resolutions and refresh rates.
HDMI 1.4: Supports up to 4K (3840-x-2160) at 30Hz, or 1080p HD at 120Hz.
HDMI 2.0: Supports up to 4K at 60Hz
HDMI 2.1: Supports up to 8K at 60Hz
DisplayPort 1.2: Supports up to 4K at 60Hz
DisplayPort 1.3: Supports up to 4K at 120Hz or 8K at 30Hz
DisplayPort 1.4: c and HDR
For laptops that have only a 5Gbps USB-C port, 4K at 60Hz is unlikely if the USB-C connection is also powering the laptop. So check your laptop specs. (Thunderbolt laptops have no problem getting 4K at 60Hz even on two displays.)
Most mid- to high-enddisplays now have DisplayPort and HDMI built into the monitor, allowing users to choose the connector they want to use. The resolution is the same on HDMI and DisplayPort, but DisplayPort can be more stable and capable in certain situations, although the latest HDMI 2.1 spec has caught up. Read more on HDMI vs DisplayPort.
Note that the latest Macs (except the latest M1/M2 Pro and M1/M2 Max MacBook Pro models) support only one external display over USB-C (two over Thunderbolt), although you can get around this M1/M2 display limitation by installing DisplayLink drivers.
Gigabit Ethernet: With an Ethernet port on the dock you can connect to wired Internet, which is usually much faster than Wi-Fi. Some new docks are now including faster 2.5Gb Ethernet that offers wired Internet that is 2.5 times faster than you’ll find on docks with the more standard Gigabit Ethernet—but to gain the benefit you need to have 2.5GbE (or above) compatible devices.
SD or Micro SD Card Reader: We usually think of these as camera memory/storage cards, and one of these reader ports will allow you to quickly slip in your photo-laden card for immediate access from your laptop. However, more usefully, SD or Micro SD Cards are also an incredibly inexpensive way of adding portable storage to your laptop. Take a look on Amazon for affordable SD and Micro SD Cards (Amazon UK or Amazon US), where you can buy 256GB for around £30 or $40. Adding that amount of storage to a laptop would normally cost you around £150. Look for the fastest UHS-II card readers that run at 312Mbps rather than UHS-I’s 104Mbps.
Tablets: A lot of these docks work with USB-C tablets, such as the iPad Pro and Windows tablets, but check first that the Windows tablet has USB-C and the appropriate video options. Also, check out the best tablet stands.
Author: Simon Jary, Contributing writer
Simon was Editor of Macworld from the dark days of 1995 to the triumphant return of Steve Jobs and the launch of the iPhone. His desk is a test bench for tech accessories, from USB-C and Thunderbolt docks to chargers, batteries, Powerline adaptors and Fitbits.
Recent stories by Simon Jary:
- Ugreen Revodok Max 208 Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station review
- Troubadour Apex 3.0 laptop backpack review
- Best Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 hubs and docks
