The portability and convenience offered by laptops make them invaluable tools. However, laptops have significant drawbacks. They may lack connectivity options and the screens are often far too small.
Contents1. Universal USB 3.0 pluggable docking station2. D5Create Ultra Station3. Kensington SD1500 Mobile4. Wavlink5 universal docking station. Henge Vertical Docking StationLuckily, laptop docking stations can turn your laptop into a fully functional desktop computer. A docking station can increase the number of connections and ports and display your screen on external monitors, which has a huge impact on productivity. If this sounds like something you need, then you're in luck. Keep reading to see our picks for the best laptop docking stations available.
The Plugable Universal Docking Station is one of the highest rated docking stations on Amazon. Moreover, it is also one of the most affordable, at under $100. For that, you get a dock that connects to your laptop via USB 3.0. It offers users dual video output in the form of HDMI and DVI, two USB 3.0 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, and wired gigabit Ethernet.
One of the most intriguing features of the Ultra Station is the "wormhole" feature. This allows users to connect two laptops together and transfer files between them. Also, the wormhole feature is cross-platform. This means you can connect a Windows PC to a Mac and transfer files between them on the fly.
Do you travel a lot? Are you constantly on the move? If you answered yes, you're probably looking for a docking station that you can grab and take with you virtually anywhere. Fortunately, the Kensington SD1500 Mobile Docking Station ticks that box.
The SD1500 connects to your laptop via USB-C, so if your laptop doesn't have a qualified USB-C port, you'll have to look elsewhere. At just 4.5 x 3 x 0.6 inches and just over three ounces, the SD1500 is super portable. Of course, that small size means the SD1500 sacrifices some of the connectivity options found on larger models. What you get is HDMI and VGA display output, a single USB 3.0 port and Ethernet.
The Wavlink Universal Docking Station is one of the most affordable laptop docking stations on the market. Plus, it has a dizzying amount of connectivity options. In fact, Wavlink's universal docking station is very similar to Plugable's.
The Wavlink gives you dual video output via HDMI and DVI, Ethernet and six USB ports, two of which are 3.0. Aside from being slightly cheaper, the only real difference to Plugable's Universal Docking Station is the design. The Wavlink has a horizontal orientation compared to the vertical orientation of the Plugable. Unfortunately, like the Plugable docking station, the Wavlink does not support macOS or Linux.
Part of the appeal of owning an Apple device is the product's stellar design. Apple Macbooks are sleek and attractive, so the last thing you want to do is tarnish them with ugly cables and bits of plastic strewn across the desktop. Luckily, Henge makes a vertical metal docking station that really showcases the beauty of Apple's design. Plus, its compact footprint keeps everything neat and tidy, and its zippered connection requires minimal setup.
The Henge Vertical Dock is available for both the 13 inch and 15 inch Macbook variant. Unfortunately, these docks are not compatible with the latest Macbook Pro with USB-C/Thunderbolt 3. Henge vertical docks are only compatible with Macbook Pro with Retina display.
Do you use a laptop docking station? Did we forget to mention your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
