Best Laptop Docking Stations in 2022

Last update: January 17, 2023

Are all docking stations compatible with all laptops?

No, all docking stations are not compatible with all laptops. There are three main types of dock connectors: USB, Thunderbolt, and proprietary. Most docks are only compatible with one type of connector.

Are docking stations obsolete?

Docking stations were once a popular way to connect a laptop to a variety of peripherals. However, they have largely been replaced by Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C hubs, which offer greater flexibility and portability. Docking stations are still available, but their usefulness is limited in today's market.

Can I use a docking station without USB-C?

Most docking stations require USB-C, however, there are a few that are compatible with other types of USB. If you have a different type of USB port, you may be able to use an adapter to connect it to the docking station.

Can you connect 2 laptops to 1 docking station?

Yes, you can connect 2 laptops to 1 docking station. This can be done by using a USB cable to connect the 2 laptops to the docking station.


Dell WD19 180W Docking Station (130W Power Delivery) USB-C, HDMI, Dual DisplayPort, Black Review:


I updated from a WD15 docking station, and I had to order the DVI to Display port adaptor in order for my twin monitors to function. Super great, 180W of additional power. The 180W would behave and perform better with the latest laptops and dual displays, Dell informed me when I contacted and spoke with them. I'm not sure if they simply upsold me on the WD19 rather than the 180W WD15 option, but it works and I can use my dual monitors again, which is essential!



Hiearcool USB C Hub,USB-C Laptop Docking Station,11 in 1 Triple Display Type C Adapter Compatiable for MacBook and Windows(2HDMI VGA PD3.0 SD TF Card Reader Gigabit Ethernet 4USB Ports) Review:


You need Adobe Flash Player to view this video.Download Flash Player.It features every port that you might possibly need for your laptop or any other device. I particularly enjoyed Lan port. because LAN ports are uncommon in most new computers. Another benefit of this USB C Hub is the SD card slot.



USB C Hub, UtechSmart Triple Display USB Type C Adapter Docking Station with 2 HDMI, VGA, Power Delivery Type C Port,SD TF Card Reader, 4 USB Ports USB-C Dock Compatible for MacBook, Other USBC Laptop Review:


Who wouldn't benefit from additional desktop space? This drew my attention because it has dual screen support and a USB hub. I'm pleasantly delighted that I can use two independent monitors that are both connected to my laptop's HDMI port. According to the descriptions, one of the HDMI outputs could only reflect the laptop's display. Even if my laptop doesn't have or can't use a USB-C charger, the hub still functions as one. The transfer speeds have not been tested, and I don't intend to use wired ethernet other than for massive file transfers. I agree with other reviews who said that the cord might be longer. Hey UTechSmart, why don't you provide a USB-C extension cable as one of the free accessories and address one of the most common concerns about your product? I'm writing this review in part to request a free item. The hub becomes barely warm to the touch after a while. Overall, an excellent purchase that I would make again.



Lenovo ThinkPad USA Ultra Dock With 90W 2 Prong AC Adapter (40A20090US, Retail Packaged) Review:


Summary: Multimonitor works on Linux, there's a great deal to be had, and while Lenovo skimped on the AC adapter, it still works perfectly.This item appealed to me since it works with my personal laptop, which, despite having a Thunderbolt connection, is incompatible with my current TB3 docks. (I believe this is due to insufficient PCI-E bandwidth; despite the dual 4k TB docks I have, the laptop's TB3 channel is only 2x.)The fact that a slim-tip AC adapter wasn't actually included in the box is my first criticism of this item. Instead, it had a very short adapter connection and the outdated barrel-type. I experienced issues with that adapter cord, but I didn't discover them till after I had dropped and walked on it, so it's possible that Lenovo isn't at all to blame. The issue is that when the device went through a power cycle after being affected by minor adjustments or a will o' the wisp, my monitors didn't turn back on. I purchased a very affordable aftermarket slim tip adapter that had positive reviews, and I haven't seen any similar issues since.LIMITATIONS:Only 3840x2160@30Hz is supported for each of the two DisplayPort ports on the dock due to bandwidth restrictions. If your monitors consume more bandwidth than that, this could be problematic. I have two monitors connected, one of which is set to 3840x2160@60Hz and the other to 2560x1440p@165Hz. This implies that even when both devices are inserted into the dock, occasionally only one may appear or produce any output. However, this problem can be fixed. Each DisplayPort port is also linked with a different type of video connector, and only one of each pair can be used simultaneously. Therefore, it only supports two monitors. I've only daisy-chained one standalone MST hub so far in an attempt to connect a third monitor and have had no luck.Linux stuttersFor this to operate, you will need a current Linux kernel. On NixOS, I'm using Linux 5.3.Additionally, a monitor may occasionally be seen in the output of 'xrandr -q' but not in the KDE graphical display management tools. VTs, on the other hand, almost always function, even when the graphical display is damaged. So, by telling xrandr to set the resolutions and refresh rates from the virtual terminal, then immediately switching back, I have managed to get my monitors to behave. The command in my particular circumstance is as follows because my shell is Fish:xrandr —output DP2-2 -m 2560x1440 -r 60; sleep 10s; —output DP2-1 —mode 2560x1440returning to the VT of the display server after thatADVANCED NOTESWhen the laptop is closed and pushing as many pixels as it can into the two external monitors, it gets extremely warm most of the time.



Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Docking Station for Windows (Dual Video HDMI and DVI/VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, Audio, 6 USB Ports) Review:


What I needed was exactly this docking station. After completing extensive research, I wasn't sure whether there was any way for me to be able to extend the display of my Lenovo Yoga 910 to two external monitors. And I came across this docking station. I contacted Plugable support because I was still unclear if it would function, and they quickly replied to me to say that it will function with my laptop as I had hoped. After receiving my docking station and plugging it in, I can attest that it performs well.The major reason I wanted to write this review was to discuss some of the procedures I had to do to set it up on Windows 10 because they weren't quite apparent in the instructions.1) You must update the drivers manually as they did not update automatically. Open Windows Explorer, right-click on My Computer, and select properties if you're unsure how to proceed. Then in the newly opened window, click Manage Devices on the left side. The Plugable device should be visible if you look under USB devices in this section. Update Drivers can be selected by right-clicking this. Then follow the on-screen instructions and select to look up drivers online. You should be able to get the drivers you require using this.2) When I selected to extend my display, it only covered the monitor to which the HDMI cable was connected. To extend the display to two monitors, you will need to make certain display configuration adjustments. To do this, launch the system settings application, select System from the menu, and then select Display from the menu. You should see that only two of the three screens listed in the settings are operational. To correct this, go down to the Multiple Displays section and select "Extend desktop to this monitor" from the drop-down menu. Now that your display has expanded to encompass both monitors, you may need to scroll back up to the top in order to arrange the screens as you see fit.I hope that this was helpful to anyone having trouble setting up a dual monitor external display.



Dell WD15 Monitor Dock 4K with 180W Adapter, USB-C, (450-AEUO, 7FJ4J, 4W2HW) Review:


I bought this dock with the understanding that it isn't for video processing, video playback, or gaming (although I can run two 1080p videos on multiple displays without any problems).With just one USB 3.0 connection needed to connect everything to my laptop, this type of box makes telecommuting simple (and makes it easier to switch to my own personal laptop at the same time)I have three displays set to 1080p resolution.I just discovered a bad thing: audio. I couldn't simply put in a set of speakers since they wouldn't identify them, so I had to utilize a splitter wire to enable me to plug in conventional speakers. StarTech.com was the one I used, and it was excellent for audio out. For headsets with separate headphone and microphone connections, a headset adapter - 3.5 mm 4 to 2 x 3 positions 3.5mm M/F



Dell TB16 Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Docking Station with 180W Adapter Review:


Update: All of the information I previously provided is still true. Sometimes the dock doesn't immediately connect all devices, but most of the time reconnecting the dock fixes the problem! I can throw anything at the 180W adapter I'm using, and it charges while managing the load without any problems!I just got my dock. Observations based on personal usage.First, download the drivers from Dell's website. Install the drivers since Windows was having trouble figuring out the driver issue when I initially connected the dock and it was screaming out.Second, the 240W power adaptor I got for my XPS 9570 is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. You require the 240W adaptor for this to operate with my system, according to both the Dell website and numerous other websites on Amazon. I recently put it through a demanding workout, and if the dock hadn't been able to give enough power, I would have either noticed CPU/GPU throttling or battery drain. NOTHING comparable occurred. So to be clear, either I have a unicorn laptop, or everyone is mistaken about how much power my model needs. In addition, I have the GTX 1050ti, 4K, and i7 at its highest settings.The power adapter for the dock is 180W, which should be able to handle video, audio, my gaming-grade keyboard, mouse, and RGB mouse pad. The adapter that comes with my computer is 130W. So I was skeptical right away, but it turns out that my skepticism was justified.On my 1440p monitor, I have not experienced any display disconnections or any peripheral disconnect difficulties. When you link the dock, it takes roughly 5 to 10 seconds for everything to connect. Sometimes when I reconnect, the display won't cooperate (although I can't tell if the problem is with my monitor, the laptop, or the dock).As time goes on and if anything I've previously observed changes, I'll update my review.



Dell 452-BCYT D6000 Universal Dock, Black Review:


Both of my friend and I use these docks with our Thunderbolt 3-equipped Dell Latitude 7480 ultrabooks, which can transmit charging, USB, and display data over a single USB Type-C cable. Everything was plug and play when the provided instructions for installing the DisplayPort driver on both computers were followed, with a few exceptions that I'll list below:First off, as the docking station lacks an on/off switch, you must connect it AFTER the computer has booted up. Although you can restart the computer with the dock attached, you must perform this "reconnect" process every time the computer is shut down otherwise some of your devices may not be detected by the dock.Second, there are some circumstances in which using this dock can make Windows 10's support for multiple monitors with various font scaling and resolutions a little glitchy. My setup, which consists of a laptop with a 1080p display and two 1080p external monitors plugged into a dock, worked as expected (I was able to set font scaling separately for the laptop and my external displays separately without any issues), but my friend's laptop, which also has a 1080p display but a U3415W as the external monitor, was a little quirkier.His external monitor also showed 1080p when we first connected the dock to his PC, which is much lower than the monitor's native resolution (3440x1440). We connected the laptop to the dock, reset font scaling for the laptop's smaller display, and then adjusted resolution and font scaling for the external monitor in Windows to get everything to function properly. From that point on, the two screens functioned as expected when used individually, but when the laptop's display is open and it is plugged into the dock, it continues to attempt to scale the smaller display. Although this was not a deal-breaker in my friend's case, you should be aware that this might also occur in your configuration, especially if you're attempting to mix and match resolutions between the laptop's screen and any other displays.Overall, I'm really impressed with these docks and would suggest them to anyone looking for a nice Thunderbolt 3 dock, along with the Plugable USB-C Triple Display Docking Station with Charging Support/Power Delivery for Specific Windows and Mac USB Type-C and Thunderbolt 3 Systems.


Do I need a docking station for one monitor and laptop?

A docking station is a great way to connect your laptop to multiple monitors and other peripherals. If you only have one monitor and a laptop, you may not need a docking station. You can usually connect your laptop to a single monitor using a HDMI or DisplayPort cable.

Do you need a docking station to connect 2 monitors?

If you want to connect two monitors to your computer, you don't necessarily need a docking station. You can usually just connect the monitors to your computer using HDMI or DisplayPort cables. Docking stations can make it easier to connect multiple monitors, but they're not required.

Does a docking station need to be plugged in?

Most docking stations will come with an AC adapter that needs to be plugged into an outlet, but there are also some that are powered through USB. If you are using a laptop with a docking station, you will likely need to have the AC adapter plugged in so that it can provide power to all of the devices that are attached to the docking station.

Does docking station slow down computer?

Docking stations are devices that allow you to connect your laptop to multiple peripherals at once. They are very convenient, but they can also slow down your computer. The reason docking stations can slow down your computer is because they add another layer of connectivity between your laptop and the peripherals you're using. This can lead to increased latency and reduced bandwidth. If you're noticing that your computer is slower when you're using a docking station, there are a few things you can do to improve performance. First, make sure that you're using a high-quality docking station

How do I connect 2 monitors to a laptop?

You can connect two monitors to a laptop by using an adapter cable that connects to the laptop's video output port. Many laptops have multiple video output ports, so you may need to try a few before you find one that works. Once you have the right adapter cable, simply connect it to the video output port and then connect the other end of the cable to the input port on the first monitor. Repeat the process for the second monitor.

How do I connect an old laptop to a docking station?

Assuming you would like a 50 word answer to the question: How do I connect an old laptop to a docking station? To connect an old laptop to a docking station, you will need to purchase a compatible docking station. Once you have the docking station, locate the correct port on the laptop and line up the connectors. Gently insert the docking station into the port and push until it is secure.