By Robin Owens 7 days ago, Hardware
Do docking stations work with all laptops?
There is no need to replace your favorite laptop since it lacks some ports or somehow limits your working efficiency. Today, we may improve the laptop’s functionality using various accessories, like docking stations. A universal docking station for laptops is a perfect way out to turn your device into a functional desktop PC.
Modern laptops stay toe to toe with desktop PCs so you shouldn’t stick to your home computer. You may get a compact, portable laptop and enhance its functionality with a USB c docking station. In such a way, you can solve your work-related issues in any place.
Ports: Four USB 3.0, One USB C
⊕ Supports USB 3.0
⊕ Supports USB Type-C
⊕ Connect up to three 4K displays
⊕ Appealing construction
⊖ Irremovable cable
⊖ Bulky adapter
Thanks to the plug-and-play technology, you will easily and quickly connect your devices to this laptop docking station by Dell. Having plugged in a USB-C cable, you may transfer audio or video files as well as charge gadgets straight away. This system doesn’t require an additional power adapter so your working table is free from unnecessary items. It has USB Type-C and Type-A ports and may power up to three 4K displays.
Ports: Four USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C, Gigabit Ethernet
⊕ Dual-mode screen
⊕ Slim construction
⊕ Rich selection of ports
⊕ Enhanced airflow
⊖ Not cheap
Asus laptop docking station offers two USB 3.0 ports on each side. These ports boast impressive fast-charge capabilities allowing you to quickly recharge your devices. It also has a USB-C port with a progressive any-way-up construction enabling to effortlessly connect any gadgets. This station is paired with the computer via a USB cable and is also backward-compatible with USB 2.0 computers and devices. Thanks to a rich variety of additional ports, like headphone and microphone jacks, a gigabit Ethernet port and drivers included, Asus HZ-3B is a great option in case your machine lacks some connectivity options.
Ports: Dual 4K DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, Audio, 6 USB Ports
⊕ Impressive image quality
⊕ Decent material
⊕ Great sound characteristics
⊕ Responsive managers
⊖ Not suitable for games
UD-6950 laptop docking station supports Windows OS and provides cables to connect to a USB 3.0 Type-A port or USB-C port. It is compatible with DisplayPort monitors, Intel SkyLake i3 or previous generation Intel Core i7, AMD A10 at 2.0GHz, Intel HD 4000, AMD Radeon HD 8650, NVidia GeForce 7xxM. This docking station guarantees you’ll enjoy the best image quality on the display. No small screens or grainy images! Having expanded your customary screen area, you will boost your productivity saving your valuable time.
Ports: Ethernet,PD power delivery, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 4K HDMI output, VGA Port, LAN Port, SD and TF card readers
⊕ Stability
⊕ Justified price
⊕ Compact device to carry around
⊕ Technical Support
⊖ Bulky adapter
Vilcome Laptop Docking Station features a USB C adapter's HDMI and VGA ports enabling to stream 4K UHD or Full HD 1080P video to HDTV, monitors, projectors or any other screens creating an amazing viewing experience. Recent laptops and smart devices with USB C port support this USB C Adapter. What is more, it is compatible with the most popular operating systems, like Windows 10, Mac OS, Linux, Android4.0 or later. It also supports micro SD, micro SDHC, micro SDXC, SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards.
Ports: 2 x 4K HDMI ports, 2 x super speed USB 3. 0 Ports(Up to 5Gbps), 2 standard USB 2. 0 Ports, Ethernet RJ-45 port, SD card reader, TF card reader and 3. 5mm Audio/mic 2-in-1 jack
⊕ Weight little
⊕ High-quality material
⊕ Reasonable price
⊕ Travel-friendly peripheral
⊖ Mediocre image quality
This laptop docking station allows you to connect three external displays in case you have Windows and supports 4K UHD resolution. Mac OS doesn’t support Triple Display; it supports only one external display so if you connect two or more, they will mirror each other. Unlike other USB C docking station models, this one is lightweight (only 3.70 oz) so you may easily take it with you on business trips.
Ports: 4k HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, 3.5mm Audio & Mic, 3 x high-speed USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, USB-C 3.0 for Type C
⊕ User-friendly
⊕ Universal docking station for laptop
⊕ Appealing construction
⊕ Stable
⊖ High price
Since Mac OS doesn’t support dual/triple displays, such multiple monitors docking station will be particularly useful for Windows users. It is a great chance to expand your working space improving your productivity. The system supports up to 4K@30Hz resolution with a single HDMI/DP and 1080P if you connect two HDMIs/DP screens. A speedy network connection is achieved thanks to an RJ45 Gigabit LAN female port which is automatically adapted to 10M/100M/1000Mbps network transmission. The hub also has four USB 3.0 ports allowing for up to 5Gbps data transfer, management of such accessories as a flash drive, hard drive, keyboard, mouse, etc.
Ports: 2 4K HDMI, 2 standard USB, 1080P VGA, PD USB C, SD Card Slot, Micro SD Card Slot, 3.5mm Audio/Mic 2-in-1
⊕ Reasonable cost
⊕ Thick construction
⊕ Lightweight
⊕ Stable
⊖ Bulky adapter
USB C hub industry developers have been working hard to conquer the barrier called multi-display technology. Luckily, their efforts didn’t go in vain and now the market offers a rich choice of dual HDMI docking station variants. One of them is a QGeeM dock. It allows PD charging at Max 87W. What is more, you get speedy charging saving much time. The hub itself is not big and doesn’t require much space. Thanks to its compactness, it is a great option to carry around without any concerns.
Ports: USB C, 1 HDMI, 1 VGA, 1 Ethernet port,3 x USB 3.0 ports
⊕ Budget price
⊕ High-quality build
⊕ Weighs little
⊕ Multi-purpose accessory
⊖ Unstable Ethernet port
Approved by CE, FCC, RoHS, Omars USB C docking station has also passed around 20 tests to prove its efficiency. Its ports perform all the necessary functions, like data transfer, charging, Display/Thunderbolt, etc. Three USB 3.0 ports guarantee fast data transferring (up to 5Gbps); it is 10 times faster than USB 2.0 ones offer. SD and TF card slots support SDHC, SDXC, micro SDHC, and micro SDXC cards.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Dell Station
Our Choice |
CHECK PRICE→ | |
 |
ASUS Station
High Quality |
CHECK PRICE → | |
 |
Plugable Station
Compatible |
CHECK PRICE → |
Decided to get a dock system but know nothing about this stuff? Don’t worry since you have come to the right place. This post is written to help you make the right choice and find the best laptop docking station. First of all, you will have to think of how many ports you need and what additional options you want to have to make your working process more effective. Having considered all the features, you will turn your laptop into a portable machine that provides PC connectivity.
If you have ever worked with a PC or Mac, you’ve probably faced various connectivity issues, like the device doesn’t work appropriately or is not found by the system at all, some drivers or software are missing or not updated, or something like that. Anyway, handling all these problems requires much time and efforts which we would like to devote to more pleasant activities.
What is more, all these issues might be really troublesome especially when you don’t expect them, for instance, when you are up to present an important project and something goes wrong. Luckily, there is a way out that will help you avoid the troubles like this ‒ a universal docking station for laptops.
You’ve probably noticed that getting a new laptop, you are unwilling to replace other accessories, like a mouse, headphones, etc. The same with docking systems ‒ why buy a new laptop docking station when you already have one? Thus, try to get a universal dock that will match not only your current computer but also those you’ll buy in the future.
You are mistaken if you think that a replicator means an unstoppable nanobot; it is not the case actually. It is a port extender developed for ultrabooks and limited notebooks. So, how it works? It copies the most frequently used port from a desktop PC and grants it to a laptop. In such a way, your laptop docking station will never lack a necessary port.
A laptop docking station is an external device that provides additional ports to attach gadgets and devices to your laptop. In other words, it improves your laptop’s connectivity making it a portable machine without any limits. With a universal dock, your compact device will turn into an efficient working station.
You can forget about any connectivity-related problems if you are a lucky owner of the best laptop docking station. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t do without it. Personally, I have a Dell laptop with HDMI and VGA connections to external displays and a USB mouse and keyboard. It is enough to handle all my everyday tasks.
A universal docking station for laptops is supposed to include ports to connect a Windows laptop, desktop or tablet with two more displays. It should also have ports for an Ethernet network and up to 9 USB ports for peripherals, like a mouse, keyboard, printer, etc.
Mind that if you want to connect 2 monitors, you should have 1 adapter for each of them. In case your laptop has 1 Thunderbolt/USB-C port, you should look for a laptop docking station enabling to connect 2 displays to 1 port.
