Best 8K Docking Station
Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft
Ugreen
Revodok Max 213 Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station
Few people need an 8K display—or multiple 4K displays—but those who do know how difficult it can be to find gear that supports their exorbitant needs. Fortunately, the Revodok Max 213 from Ugreen fits that bill. The DisplayPort 1.4 port can handle up to an 8K display at 30 Hz. It also comes with a Thunderbolt 4 upstream port that runs to your laptop, and, more importantly, a pair of downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports, which is another rarity among the docks I’ve tested.
When you get to this level of data transfer, you’re unavoidably going to start generating a lot of heat. Fortunately, this docking station is built to handle it. It features a unique pleated aluminum surface, which provides plenty of airflow. That surface is then wrapped in a second aluminum shell, allowing it to dissipate heat without making the whole docking station hot to the touch. It’s a clever design. If you need to transfer a ton of media from various sources into one machine, connected to some seriously high-res displays, this is the dock that can handle it all.
Connects via USB-C.
| Ports |
|---|
| 1x USB-C PD (10 Gbps, 20W) |
| 2x USB-A (10 Gbps) |
| 2x USB-A (5 Gbps) |
| 1x Thunderbolt 4 Upstream (40 Gbps, 90W) |
| 2x Thunderbolt 4 Downstream (40 Gbps) |
| 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (8K at 30 Hz) |
| 1x Ethernet (2.5 Gbps) |
| 1x microSD card slot |
| 1x SD card slot |
| 1x 3.5-mm audio out |
Best Mobile Docking Station
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Photograph: Luke Larsen
Kensington
Triple Video Mobile Dock
A mobile docking station might sound like a contradiction, but in the case of the Kensington Triple Video Mobile Dock, it makes a lot of sense. Using the included two HDMI ports and the DisplayPort, this little device can power three 1080p displays or two 4K displays—all at 60 Hz. It also has a USB-C port with 85 watts of passthrough charging, which is enough to charge most laptops.
It’s a unique accessory in that it straddles the line between USB hub and full-on docking station. It doesn’t have a separate power source, and it only weighs 0.6 pounds, making it the perfect solution for someone who needs additional monitor support on the go without the extra bulk. The downside is that it only supports a single 4K monitor on MacBooks, as the dual 4K support is only for Windows devices.
Connects via USB-C.
| Ports |
|---|
| 3x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 |
| 2x USB-C |
| 1x SD card slot |
| 1x microSD card slot |
| 2x HDMI |
| 1x DisplayPort |
| 1x Gigabit Ethernet port |
Other Laptop Docking Stations to Consider
We test a lot of laptop docking stations and, quite frankly, most of them are … fine. They’re fine! We get into the nitty-gritty for specific use cases to find the best, but that leaves a bunch of devices that are great options even if they don’t make our top picks. Here’s a selection of some of our favorites, past favorites, or just alternatives to our picks above.
Courtesy of Luke Larsen
Sonnet Echo 13 Thunderbolt 5 Dock for $440: Sonnettech’s Echo 13 was one of the first Thunderbolt 5 docks out on the market. As it turns out, it’s also one of the most unique offerings out there, including not only just about every port imaginable, but also an integrated M.2 storage slot with a Kingston SSD inside. While handy, I don’t like that the drive isn’t user accessible. The cheap plastic chassis is disappointing for the price, too.
Anker 568 Docking Station for $350: This docking station excels at powering all your other gadgets. The two front-facing USB-C ports are capable of putting out 30 watts of power each, which is more than enough to rapidly charge most phones or tablets. And the USB4 port that connects to your laptop supports a whopping 100 watts of power delivery. I normally charge my phone at my desk and typically need a separate charger for my laptop, but with this docking station, I can power everything while only taking up one outlet. The problem is, it’s quite expensive.
Satechi Multimedia Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock for $350: If you do any heavy video editing, game design, or other types of work that involve huge amounts of data, this dock has all the bells and whistles for you. It’s a thick dock, made of sturdy aluminum, and it can either lie flat on your desk or stand upright on its side. I prefer the former, but it’s nice to have the option to take up less space. The docking station uses a Thunderbolt 4 port to connect to your laptop, which has plenty of bandwidth to handle a lot, though it’s now been outdone by Thunderbolt 5.
Plugable UD-3900C Dual Monitor Docking Station for $100: This was our top pick for a while, but it’s a little long in the tooth. It has two HDMI ports for dual-monitor setups, but it doesn’t come with a power supply and has fewer USB 3.0 ports than many of our other, more modern picks. It is fairly inexpensive, though, if you need a cheap dock.
Plugable 13-in-1 USB-C Triple Monitor Docking Station for $180: This was our previous triple monitor pick, but the Anker 568 improves on it in almost every way, including price. However, if you find this one on sale, it’s still a solid pick.
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