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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. docking station usb thunderbolt 4
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.
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 want a 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 mixed workflow environments. Office IT doesn’t have 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.
• 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.
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).
• 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.
• 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.
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.
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.
• 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.
• USB-C laptop compatible (works with Thunderbolt laptops at lower bandwidth) • Compatible with USB-C Windows tablets and USB-C iPads • 3x USB-C ports (10Gbps) – one to host • 2x USB-C ports (100W) • 100W PD charging • Up to two external displays (2x 4K at 60Hz; only mirrored for Mac) • 2x HDMI 2.0 port (4K at 60Hz) • 4x USB-A ports (1x 10Gbps; 1x 12W charging; 3x 480Mbps) • Gigabit Ethernet port for wired Internet access • Front-facing 3.5mm Analogue Audio In & Out port • 160W integrated power supply
This is a great combination of dual-display docking station and desktop USB charger, with the highest power USB-C charging ports that we’ve seen on any dock.
On top of the 100W to the connected laptop, there are two 100W USB-C ports and one 12W USB-A. Maximum power output is 160W so you can’t use all that power at the same time, but you can prioritize power distribution by individual port or use Smart Mode to automatically allocate optimal charging power to each port based on the connected devices’ requirements.
As a dock, it’s no slouch either. There are two downstream 10Gbps USB-C ports and one 10Gbps USB-A, as well as three much-slower 480Mbps USB-A at the back of the dock, where you’ll also find a Gigabit Ethernet port and the two HDMI 2.0 ports that support two 4K externational displays at a 60Hz refresh rate.
For Window laptops that support DisplayPort Alt Mode, each of these displays can be in extended mode so show a different image to the laptop’s own screen, but for Macs—which don’t support Multi-Stream Transport—you can have one external display or two in mirrored mode (showing the same image on each).
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.
• 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.
• 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.
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.
Physically, this is a nice compact, well-made dock, standing 4.5 inches high and sitting square with about 2.5 inches on a side. It has a handy braided USB-C cord built in, which measures about 2.5 feet along. It’s probably too big to tuck into your backpack, but you might feel differently. This dock does not include a power brick, so your laptop’s charger can be plugged into an input port, accepting up to 100W.
The Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 Docking Station offers the possibility of connecting three 4K displays at 4K resolution, but only at 30Hz apiece. If your laptop is DSC-enabled, you’ll be able to connect three 4K displays at 30Hz, or two at 60Hz; if you don’t have DSC, you’ll be able to connect two 4K displays at 30Hz or one at 60Hz. Note that the Mac version of this dock supports a maximum of two displays (4K/60).
Ports include a 10Gbps USB-A and USB-C port on the front of the dock; although neither supports charging. On the rear, you have the choice of using either HDMI or DisplayPort 1.4 for your first connection, then HDMI and DisplayPort, for your second and third display connections. On the rear you’ll find a 3.5mm headphone jack, Gigabit Ethernet, and a pair of USB-A ports: one port at 480Mbps and the other at 10Gbps.
computer docking station with charging The dock includes a button to lock your screen. It also includes several LEDs on the front of the dock to indicate that you’ve plugged devices into various ports, such as a cable that’s connected to the dock’s HDMI and DisplayPort ports.