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If you are on a tight budget for those glamorous desktop PCs, you should consider a laptop docking station. With the best docking station for laptop, you will be able to use the laptop as the brains for the desk setup. Here, you will have multiple monitors, a pair of headphones, a microphone and so many peripheral devices. In the long run, this proves to be way too cheaper compared to building your own desktop PC. The best part is that when leaving your house, you will be able to easily disconnect the laptop from the docking station and step out.
Why should you buy a Docking Station?
There are so many reasons why you will need a docking station for your laptop as we shall see in the later parts of this article. However, a docking station will give you the best of both worlds. These devices allow for portability and also enable employees to work at the office desk. A docking station will turn the laptop into a desktop powerhouse. It basically provides full connectivity to the internet, monitors, LAN, printers, and much more.
Things to Consider Before You Buy
Laptop docking stations can be a bit pricey. For that reason, you ought to use the needed effort to ensure that you get just what is right for you. Below, we discuss several factors you need to consider when buying a docking station for your laptop.
- Available ports: Among the main reason why you will be getting a laptop docking station is to add more ports to your laptop. This will not however be fulfilled until you get a docking station with a wide array of ports. The common ports that you will find in most docking stations include Gigabit Ethernet, a display port, USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and even an SD card reader. While it is important to scrutinize the available ports for your docking station, it is equally important to ensure that the available ports suit your specific needs. This takes us to the next important factor to consider when buying these devices.
- Compatibility: The same way there exists a wide range of laptop manufacturers, docking station manufacturers are so many as well. This, therefore, makes it necessary to guarantee that the docking station that you pick is compatible with your laptop. If this isn’t the case, the laptop docking station will be very useless. To battle the compatibility issue, most laptop manufacturers also make docking stations for these laptops. It is however not mandatory to buy from the laptop makers themselves. Universal docking stations prove to work with a wide array of laptops.
- Portability: You also need to understand how light you want your docking station to be. Ideally, there are two form factors, in this regard. You have stationary and portable docking stations. The main difference between the two is that the stationary one has its own power supply. Portable docking stations, on the other hand, draw power from your laptop to connect to your peripherals. Even with that, stationary docking stations are too heavy and are therefore not good for you if you will be moving from place to place.
- Power output: This is yet another important factor that you ought to consider. Most docking stations are the ones that power your laptop and the peripherals. Since various docking stations have different power outputs, make sure to choose the one that matches your needs. If your laptop needs more charging power, make sure to choose a docking station with good power output. Otherwise, you will not enjoy your laptop’s optimal performance.
Best Docking Stations for laptop
You now understand the important things you need to look out for when selecting a quality docking station for your laptop. However, it is not easy to choose from the many options available on the market. We did our research and compiled a brief list of the best docking stations for laptops based on users’ feedback. Have a look below!
Hiearcool Laptop Docking Station, Compatible for Windows and MacBook
This intelligent USB C hub perfectly combines the functions of a USB C hub along with the docking station. It involves a triple display and it is lightweight and perfectly portable. With its multiple ports, it becomes very easy to achieve the multi-display concept. Simply put, you will be able to enjoy the mirror mode, extend mode as well as video wall mode. Ideally, this is an 11-in-1 docking station that has most ports that you need. These ports include the PD charging port, 2 4KHDMI ports, Gigabit Ethernet port, VGA port, 2 fast-speed USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and an SD/TF card slot.
What makes this USB C hub worth it is the fact that it has been equipped with the latest generation smart chip. With up to 1000 watts of power, it will drastically shorten the charging time. Similarly, there will be no instances of overload, over-current, over-voltage, or short-circuiting. It is clear that the docking station has all the safety measures put in place. With this USB-C hub, you are set to enjoy a stable WiFi connection. It supports speeds of 10, 100, and 1000mbps allowing you to download 1G movies in a few minutes.
- Offers a reliable connection and speedy data transfer
- It has a safety chip to prevent compromising conditions like overheating
- Features a high-speed Gigabit Ethernet port
- It is an 11-in-1 hub with the ports that you need
- You get to enjoy the mirror mode alone if you are a Mac OS user
ikling USB C Docking Station for MacBook Pro
This one is a 15-in-1 USB C docking station that works perfectly with the modern type C devices. It has several ports that include a 4K HDMI port, an SD/TF card reader, a 3.5mm audio jack and a VGA port to name a few. According to users, this docking station has all the features that anyone would ever need. The docking station prides itself on a data transmission speed of up to 2.25GBps. Apart from that, it has a VGA display of up to 1080p and a 60Hz full display. This allows you to easily handle multiple windows simultaneously.
The docking station has 3 USB 3.0 ports and 4 USB 2.0 ports that allow you to connect peripherals like a keyboard, wireless mouse, hard drive, and others. Additionally, you enjoy the convenience of not plugging and unplugging devices repeatedly. This allows for speedy data transfer. Additionally, the RJ45 Ethernet port is there to offer faster and very stable wired access to the internet of up to 1Gbps. The best thing is that this docking station proves to be compatible with modern laptops, tablets, and smart devices.
- The Ethernet port offers a reliable network connection
- Fast data transfer speed up to 5gbps
- It is easy to extend your screen to another monitor
- The docking station is universally compatible
- Its audio jack doesn’t support a mic
4URPC Laptop Docking Station with Dual HDMI
Whether you will be working at home or not, this unit will allow you to easily access dual HD external monitors. You can extend your screen to another monitor either via the 2 provided HDMI ports or the VGA port. This will help to enhance the visual experience when you are playing games or watching your favorite movies. The docking station also allows you to connect your USB peripherals such as the keyboard, USB disk, wireless mouse, or printer.
The docking station has a power output of 1000 watts which means that it is going to charge your laptop at a very high speed. Better still, the docking station prides itself on a super-fast data transfer speed of up to 5Gbps. It has 2 additional USB 2.0 ports that will be good for your keyboard, mouse, and wireless devices. Its SD/TF card reader also comes as a bonus for photography lovers. The best part about the docking station is the fact that it is compatible with different operating systems.
- Super-fast data transfer up to 5Gbps
- It has wide compatibility with different operating systems
- The docking station has a power output of 1000 watts
- This is a 15-in-1 laptop docking station
- It could fail to recognize your laptop when plugging in
Anker Docking Station (13-in-1)
This docking station has been equipped with a USB-C port with a power output of 85 watts to charge your laptop. Other ports that the docking station packs include a USB-C data port, 2 HDMI ports, an Ethernet port, and a 3.5mm Aux port among others. One of the unique features of this docking station is the fact that simultaneously charging is possible. You will be able to charge your laptop via the USB-C 85W port and also charge your mobile device via the 18W delivery USB-C port. This will not affect the charging speed at all.
With this docking station, you will enjoy streaming media simultaneously on up to 3 monitors. You will enjoy a resolution of 1080p at 60Hz through the display port along with the dual HDMI ports. The other cool thing about this docking station is its compatibility with different operating systems. It works flawlessly with Windows 8/10 and 11 and Mac OS 10.12 and later. As opposed to some docking stations in the market, this one does not need any drivers for it to work.
- It has a small footprint but a superb functionality
- Works well with Windows and Mac OS
- Fast charging design for multiple devices
- Comes with a 3.5mm Aux port for your audio needs
- For Mac OS users, the displayed content is mirrored
Plugable USB 3.0 Laptop Docking Station, 6 USB Ports
Among the ports that you will be happy for in this docking station include the Ethernet port, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 4 USB 2.0 ports, and 3.5mm microphone and headphone jacks. You will also appreciate the in-built DVI and HDMI outputs that each support a resolution of 1920×1200 at a refresh rate of 60Hz. You will therefore be able to extend our screen to another monitor very effortlessly. This will enhance the visual experience when gaming or watching movies.
Another feature that makes this docking station worth it is its compatibility. It works with both Windows and Mac OS. You will enjoy a plug-and-play driver installation experience via Windows Update. However, for Mac OS, driver installation is manual. In total, this docking station has 11 ports at your disposal. Ideally, this docking station will not only expand your connectivity but also bring a new level of flexibility and performance.
- Works flawlessly with both Windows and Mac OS
- A reliable and more stable wired internet access
- It has up to 11 ports for you to use
- Backed with a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty
- The dock does not charge the host PC
FAQ
What is a docking station for laptop?
Simply put, a docking station for laptop is a device that allows you to connect so many peripherals to your laptop every other day. With a docking station, you will easily connect your laptop to a printer, keyboard, monitor, speakers, and a whole lot more from a central point. This comes in handy at a time like now when modern laptops are made slimmer with fewer ports.
What does a docking station do for a laptop?
Laptop docking stations are responsible for bridging the gap that exists between portability and the ability to have a stationary place where you can work and play. A docking station, therefore, gives you the best of these two worlds with a system allowing the laptop to work for these two purposes.
How much is docking station for laptop?
Docking stations for laptops are pretty expensive, especially with features like Thunderbolt which allow for lightning-speed charging. You will generally find docking stations at different price ranges. However, the cost of quality docking stations ranges between $100 and $300 on average.
What is the benefit of a docking station?
Modern laptops are being made slimmer and more portable meaning that they have fewer ports than their predecessors. This has been done with an aim to make these laptops as lightweight as possible. Even though these laptops normally ship with different ports, your work might need more than what has been provided. This is where docking stations come in handy.
Using just one port on your laptop, a simple docking station will offer you a wide range of ports to plug in different devices. For instance, a single connection to a good docking station will leave you with up to 12 ports for your different peripherals. We know you cannot imagine a single laptop with 12 ports out of the box, right? These are the wonders you get to explore with docking stations for laptops.
Conclusion
There are so many benefits that you get to reap from a docking station. Other than having extra ports for your laptop, you also get an ergonomic working station. Docking stations will also guarantee a very smooth transition between the office and home environments. Ideally, docking stations greatly help to bridge the existing gap between desktops and laptops as far as functionality is concerned. The best part about most of these docking stations is that they power up your laptop. This means that they will not draw power from your laptop to power up the connected peripherals. You, therefore, have every reason to get a docking station for your laptop!
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