There was a time when laptops had all kinds of ports. Apple led the charge in removing ports, ditching all but one USB-C port when it introduced the 12-inch MacBook in 2015. The MacBook Pro followed suit, with only a handful of USB-C ports, so that eventually even many Windows laptops followed the trend.
ContentsWho is the OWC USB-C Travel Dock for?FeaturesHow to use the OWC USB-C Travel DockImpressionsLast ThoughtsEven if your computer has plenty of ports, it can be annoying to have to plug in multiple cables or dongles every time you sit down to work. Companies like OWC provide feature-rich ports, but what if portability is key for you? That's where the OWC USB-C Travel Dock comes in handy.
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Although it contains the word "travel" in its name, this dock is not just for travellers. Whether you need extra ports, an SD card reader, or just want to bundle your cables, this docking station will come in handy. While fuller docking stations offer more options, they're easier to transport and take up less space on your desk.
The docking station offers up to 100 watts of transmit power, up from 60 watts in the previous version. This means that with the right setup, you can plug a cable into your laptop and immediately connect your monitor, keyboard, mouse, and power.
Using the OWC USB-C Travel Dock is incredibly simple. Plug it into your laptop and plug in any peripherals you want to use with it. The dock works with Windows, macOS, and Linux computers, as well as devices running Android or ChromeOS. Regardless of the operating system you use, there is no initial setup process.
You can use the USB-C port on the dock in two ways. If you have a laptop like a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro with USB-C power, you can plug the power supply into the docking station and it will power your laptop. On the other hand, the docking station can also use bus power, so if you're powering your laptop any other way, the docking station essentially frees up the USB-C port you plug it into. .
The amount of features packed into a relatively small dock is impressive. Especially considering the price, it's hard to look at the OWC USB-C Travel Dock and complain seriously.
One thing to mention is the built-in USB-C cable. It's short out of necessity, because otherwise the dock wouldn't be as easy to transport. The problem is that this short length means the cable may not reach your USB-C port if you keep your laptop on a stand or use a device like a Microsoft Surface Pro 7 where the port is a bit higher on the device.
The wharf will still work, but it will hang from the port. This is primarily a cosmetic issue, but it could potentially put pressure on the port or cable. In my case, I simply placed the dock on some other hardware to bring it up to the height I needed, so it's only a minor issue. As I mentioned above, this tradeoff is worth it for the easy portability.
Personally, I would have swapped out one of the USB 3.1 ports for another USB-C port, but that's a matter of preference. You can still use a USB Type A to USB-C cable to connect USB-C devices.
If you travel frequently with a laptop, a dock like this is a no-brainer. Even if you're not traveling, the OWC USB-C Travel Dock, with an MSRP of $54.99, is a great way to add functionality to your laptop. Compared to an item like Apple's USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter, the Travel Dock is absolutely feature-rich and costs less.
Although OWC products are known and loved by Mac users, it's not just for Apple computer owners. If you have a Windows laptop like the newer Microsoft Surface Pro models with USB-C, it'll be just as handy. Just throw it in your bag and you'll have it handy whenever you need it.
