While you certainly can switch between a laptop and a desktop for different tasks, we’ve got a more practical solution for you—laptop docking stations. With this useful accessory, you can increase your laptop’s ports instantly. Simply plug it into the docking station to use it like a desktop with a full-sized keyboard and a large display.
Here is our guide to buying one of the best laptop docking stations of 2025. After reviewing several options, we found the Fusion5 dock hub to be extremely powerful and versatile. With 100W of power delivery, fast data transfers, and multi-display capabilities, it easily earned the top spot on our list.
The Fusion5 laptop docking station can instantly maximize your laptop’s potential. This 14-in-1 USB C docking station is ideal for individuals who travel light but have multiple displays. It supports displays with DP Alt Mode or video output that need to be connected all at once. It includes 14 distinctive ports, including three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a full-sized SD card slot, a micro SD card slot, and a USB Type-C port, ensuring your files are easily and quickly transferred.
This laptop docking station provides up to 100W of power delivery, ideal for connecting and charging your favorite devices at the same time. Furthermore, it’s equipped with a plug-and-play LAN network of up to 1000 Mbps, and you can utilize the included 3.5mm audio port as a headphone or microphone port. Overall, this product is designed to produce maximum power and convenience all in one complete package, which is why it has earned the top spot on our list.
This laptop docking station from Ivanky comes equipped with two HDMI ports, each being able to support a maximum 4K resolution at 30 Hz so you can bring out the full potential of your laptop. This high-resolution support is ideal for those who work in the graphic design industry. Meanwhile, the high charging power of 85 watts is also perfect for powering more power-consuming laptops — you can even charge your phone at 18 watts while the laptop is getting charged at 65 watts simultaneously.
This pick features two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, providing excellent data transfer speed with all kinds of devices. That means no more hour-long waits for a large file to be transferred to your laptop. There are also SD and TF card slots in place that support a transfer rate of 104 Mb per second. All of this is without mentioning the powerful RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port, which boasts 1,000 Mb per second data transfer.
Connect all your cables and laptop chargers to the Plugable laptop docking station. The 100W max power ensures all your devices will always be charged up and ready to go whenever you need them. This dock delivers the fastest laptop charging rates for certified Thunderbolt devices, while also safely charging laptops that only need 85W. The 14-in-1 expansion allows you to connect HDMI cables, DisplayPort monitors, USB-C type cables, USB-A type cables, Ethernet, audio input and output cables, and so much more.
The docking station’s dual monitor design is the first Thunderbolt dock to offer a choice between dual HDMI and DisplayPort displays, so you can drive up to two 4K 60Hz displays via the Thunderbolt 3 cable or two 1080p 60Hz displays via USB-C. Compatible with both Mac and Windows computers, this is the ultimate versatile choice for mixed monitors and laptops.
The Zmuipng laptop docking station can be purchased in small and large variations to best fit your preferences. The large-size option features a total of two HDMI ports and one display port, so you can connect a maximum of three monitors. Each HDMI port supports a resolution of up to 4K, so you can get a beautifully crisp image. A 3.5mm jack is also installed for you to use your mic and listen to audio, and its USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports provide ample speeds for quick data transfers.
With its 87-watt charging output, your laptop won’t run out of juice even under demanding workloads. This pick is highly compatible, so you can use it with most Dell, Lenovo, Huawei, Apple, and HP laptops without worry. The 104 Mb per second SD and TF ports are also great for transferring media from your camera to your laptop quickly. But, what really stands out is this laptop docking station’s lightweight build, which makes it more portable, and its wide versatility in use.
The Hiearcool laptop docking station features a lightweight and compact profile to make it more portable and space efficient, so you have more room on your desk for other important items. Also, it comes with two HDMI ports that can support 4K resolutions at 30Hz. There is an additional VGA port in place as well, with a supported resolution of 1080p at 60Hz. Additionally, its two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports are backward compatible, so all kinds of USB devices can be used with them.
This pick is very safe to use as it has safety measures in place to prevent over-voltage, over-current, overload, and short circuits. There is even temperature protection installed to keep you and your device safe from harm. Its TF and SD card readers are also exceptionally fast, with a data transfer speed of 5Gb per second. Best of all, with its anti-interference feature, the signals from your laptop are never interrupted or distorted.
MOKiN has brought us this laptop docking station which is highly compatible, so you can use it with most Microsoft, Dell, and Lenovo laptops. Its two USB 2.0 ports are designed to provide very little lag, so your mouse and keyboard inputs are not delayed. A USB 3.0 and a USB-C port are also in place for high-speed data transfer. This allows you to connect your phones or tablets to your laptop with ease. You can also use both of its HDMI ports at the same time while still getting 4K resolution at 60 Hz.
Designed to be plug-and-play, you won’t have to deal with any drivers or extensive installations to get this laptop docking station running. And because it has a 100-watt power draw, it can charge your laptop at an optimal speed while connected. Meanwhile, the fact that it also utilizes smart chip technology ensures that this pick will provide stable and safe performance.
Buying a docking station isn’t a simple task, as you need to take several factors into consideration, such as compatibility, compactness, and port types. To help make the buying process easier for you, here is our guide to buying a high-quality laptop docking station that’s just right for your setup.
A laptop has a limited number of ports, so you can only connect a few devices before you run out. By using a laptop docking station, you can increase the number of ports available. Not only do you still have the rest of the ports on your laptop, but you can also use the ports from the laptop docking station.
Since laptops are designed to be compact, their displays tend to be small. This is why you cannot get the same feeling of working on a desktop with a large screen unless you use a secondary monitor with your laptop. But you can take this one step further and go for a laptop docking station with multiple display ports. This way, you can set up multiple displays and enjoy the increased screen space you get on your PC.
The data transfer rate is the amount of data that can pass through a port on your laptop docking station. The data transfer rate varies between port types. For instance, an SD card reader port can have a data transfer rate of around 100 Mb per second, whereas an Ethernet port can have a data transfer rate of 1,000 Mb per second.
You will find various USB types on a laptop docking station, including USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. Generally, a USB type with a higher version number, like USB 3.0, is faster than a USB type with a smaller version number, like USB 2.0. It’s good to have both versions on your laptop docking station for connecting different devices and transferring data quickly.
The first thing to look at when buying a laptop docking station is the port types it features. Check which ports it has and choose one that has all the ports you need for your computing needs. We recommend going for a laptop docking station with at least one HDMI, two USBs, and an Ethernet port. For your convenience, this formation can usually be found in its product description.
There are two things you need to check to determine compatibility. The first is the pin type the docking station uses, which should be suitable for your laptop. The second thing to check is which devices the laptop docking station supports, which you can usually find a list of in its product description.
We ensured that the laptop docking stations we chose were all compact in size. This way, they won’t take up much space on your desk, so you’ll have more desk space available to keep other important stuff. This will also give you more room to move your mouse.
We also ensured that the laptop docking stations we chose were all pretty lightweight. Just like a laptop, these devices should also be portable and lightweight so you can carry them with you when needed. As a result, you can quickly use them when needed and store them away in a drawer after you are done using them.
The price of a laptop docking station is determined by its features, port types, and build quality. You can get a quality product with all the necessary ports and 4K resolution support for around $65 to $120, but a high-end option with power supply capability and great build quality can cost as much as $140 or more. That said, if you want a budget option, then there are cost-effective laptop docking stations available on the market. These products generally only cost about $40, but they still have all the necessary ports and 4K resolution support.
The resolution support of a laptop docking station refers to what resolution its HDMI, VGA, or DVI port is capable of outputting. You want to go for one that has a supported resolution that matches the specs of your laptop. Otherwise, you will have to deal with a lot of glitches unless you scale down the resolution of your laptop. Generally, the maximum resolution you can get in a laptop docking station is 4K. This is a pretty high resolution which most standard laptops can work with. A 4K resolution support doesn’t mean that lower resolutions from your laptop won't work; instead, it simply means that the laptop docking station can handle all the resolutions up to 4K.
If your laptop station does not come with the port type that you need, then you will need to use an adapter. As an example, if you have a VGA monitor but there are only HDMI ports on your laptop docking station, then you can simply use a VGA to HDMI adapter to connect the monitor. But if you have a completely different port type, then you will need a replacement. For instance, if you need a USB 3.0 port for high-speed data transfer, but the laptop docking station only supports USB 2.0, then you'll find that no adapter can convert a USB 2.0 port to a USB 3.0 port. In such a case, getting a replacement is the only feasible option.
An SD and TF card reader, as the name suggests, allows your laptop to read SD cards and TF cards. These cards are a type of memory card and are widely used in cameras, which makes them a necessary tool for photographers, YouTubers, or anyone who works with cameras regularly. They are also used in other types of devices as well, which is why you will find that most laptop docking stations come with SD and TF card readers.
Yes, laptop docking stations do need a separate power source. This way, they don’t draw too much charge from your laptop to power other connected devices. Some laptop docking stations even charge your laptop when connected, but this type requires much more power and a more heavy-duty power adapter than other models.
If your laptop docking station has a pin that is not compatible with your laptop, then you can use an adapter. Just keep in mind that using an adapter may diminish the capabilities of the laptop docking station if the adapter is not compatible. This may be because the data transfer rate of the adapter is too low. So, make sure that the adapter you choose has enough data transfer rate support to keep up with your laptop docking station.
Whether or not you can use all the ports of your laptop docking station simultaneously varies from product to product. But, generally, it is a good idea to only use the ports you need to keep the power consumption low. This will also help keep the bandwidth free, so your inputs are not slowed down.
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