Our pick for the best laptop docking station overall is the Ugreen Revodok Pro USB-C Docking Station. This monolith can meet all of your productivity needs and then some thanks to its wide variety of ports. It has two HDMI ports (one for 8K output and one for 4K output), three USB ports, two for SD cards, and a pair of DisplayPort inputs, just to name a few.

Ugreen's Revodok docking station is a great addition to in any office setting. It offers consistent performance as it handles numerous connections seamlessly. What's particularly noteworthy is the fact it can send a signal from a single computer up to three different displays. Not only that, this docking station can display content in either 4K or 8K resolution via the appropriate HDMI port, so you can be sure the video or images you're sharing with others will maintain their high resolution.

Review: Even Mac owners can have three displays with this Ugreen docking station

Additionally, being able to project onto multiple screens can help improve work efficiency as you won't have to switch between windows over and over. All the information you need can be right in front of you.

This triple display support is thanks to DisplayLink technology, an important add-on allowing Ugreen's docking station to work with PCs and M1 Macs. As you can imagine, the software is very helpful to Mac owners as they're no longer restricted to just one screen.

Ugreen Revodok Pro USB-C Docking Station specs: Ports: HDMI 8K (1), HDMI 4K (1), DP 4K (1), PD 3.0 100w (1), USB-A (3), USB-C 10Gbps (1), Gigabit Ethernet (1), SD/Micro SD card slot (1), 3.5mm AUX port (1) | Display: HDMI: 4K @ 60 Hz (1), 8K @ 30Hz (1); DisplayPort 4K @ 30Hz (1); supports up to 3 total displays 

Many docking stations have a common issue: they tend to be large and bulky. The assumption being that everyone has the desk space to dedicate a significant portion of their real estate to a dock. That's where the Baseus 11-in-1 docking station comes in, with a vertical design that's designed to save as much space on your workstation as possible.

Review: This 11-in-1 docking station freed up my cluttered workspace, and it's 40% off 

Its tower configuration builds upwards rather than out, and has a detachable magnetic base and "nano adhesive" pad that allows the dock to stay attached to your desk, while being able to detach from the base in the event that you need portability.

As for the ports, there's a selection of USB-C, USB-A, DisplayPort, HDMI, and even a 3.5 mm audio jack. There's also a fixed 12-inch braided cable -- long enough to be useful, but short enough to not be unwieldly. Notably, the dock also features a display on the front with an at-a-glance operating status for each interface.

Baseus 11-in-1 Spacemate Docking Station specs: Ports: USB-C (1), USB-A (3), SD card reader (1), microSD card reader (1), HDMI (2), DisplayPort (2), Ethernet (1), 100W PD (1), 3.5mm AUX (1) | Display: 4K with up to 3 displays (Windows only, MacOS supports one additional display) | Fast charging compatible| Fast charging compatible

It's not uncommon for professionals to find themselves with a cramped desk. You have folders, laptops, monitors, and bottles of water taking up space with no room for a docking station. For those situations, we recommend getting the Accell Thunderbolt 4.

Its low-profile, shallow design hosts a surprising amount of connections -- 10 in total. They cover a variety of protocols, both old and new. You have a pair of Thunderbolt 4 inputs, several USB-A ports with one supporting the old USB 2.0 standard, and an SD card reader, just to name a few.

Review: Is this the ultimate Windows docking station? Meet the Accell Thunderbolt 4

There aren't any HDMI ports, but it can still output an 8K resolution video at 30 Hz to a single display or Ultra HD 4K resolution at 60 Hz to a dual monitor setup via the Thunderbolt 4 connections. The audio jack pulls double duty as it serves as an input for headphones as well as a microphone.

Accell's docking station works on PC laptops and M1 MacBooks alike, although the latter sees limited support. M1 MacBooks connected to this device will only be able to output to one external monitor due to the limitations of the chipset. 

Accell Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station specs: Ports: USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 support (2); Display 1.4 (1) USB-A 3.1 (3); USB-A 2.0 (1); Gigabit Ethernet; 3.5mm audio combo jack; SD card reader | Display: Supports one 8K @30Hz display or dual 4K @60Hz displays.

Docking stations can get big. After all, many of the high-end models can have as many as15 ports on them; sometimes more. We recommend the Baseus 10-in-1 for consumers looking for something more portable. It's quite small, with the main body measuring just 5.3 inches long, and weighs less than 4 ounces, so you can fold the cable and put it in your pocket when you're on the go. 

Review: This 10-in-1 docking station is a multitasker's dream, and it's 35% off right now

On the body, you have a decent array of ports such as a USB-C input, an ethernet port, and two HDMI ports, which allow for an impressive 4K resolution at 60Hz on two different monitors (or 120Hz on one). And the best part? This device is dirt cheap for a docking station at around$50. 

Like all docking stations, this little powerhouse can get quite warm under a heavy load, so users should take this into consideration with where it's placed. Additionally, if you use an Android device, note that it doesn't support screencasting. 

Baseus 10-in-1 Docking Station specs: Ports: USB-C (1), USB-A (3), SD card reader (1), microSD card reader (1), HDMI (2), Ethernet port (1) | Display: 4K@120Hz with 1 display, 4K@ 60Hz with 2 displays

Apple makes its own docking stations for MacBooks, but the main problem with first-party devices is that they're very limited in what they can do. The Digital AV Multiport Adapter, for example, only comes with three inputs and a USB-C cable at the end. To make up for this, Apple sells multiple third-party in its online store, and among the selection, the best is the TS3 Plus Dock from CalDigit.

It's similar to other entries on the list as it sports 15 individual ports. Just to name a few, you have a pair of Thunderbolt 3 inputs, five USB-A ports, and an SD card reader on the front. As you probably guessed from that brief array, this docking station can output video. In fact, it can output up to two displays at once in 4K resolution at 60Hz. Or if you have a single screen, you can instead send a 5K video with a refresh rate of 60Hz.

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The TS3 Plus Dock works with PCs as well as Mac computers, however. it caters more to Apple hardware. CalDigit's device is capable of charging MacBooks up to 87 watts allowing you to power up your computer while transmitting files or working. The TS3 Plus Dock is even backward compatible as it works with old Apple laptops equipped with Intel processors. 

If you want a version with more ports, Apple also sells its big brother, the CalDigit TS4, on its digital storefront as well.

CalDigit TS3 Plus Dock specs: Ports: Thunderbolt 3 (2), USB-A 3.0 (5), USB-C (2), UHS-II SD card reader (1), DisplayPort (1), 3.5mm Mic line in and Audio out (1), Gigabit Ethernet port (1)  | Display: 4K @60Hz display (2), 5K @60Hz (1); supports up to 2 total displays

For those who own older laptops, we recommend the Plugable USB 3.0 and USB-C Universal Laptop Docking Station. This device has 11 ports in total with two of them being a pair of USB 3.0 inputs on the front for older machines to connect to. Because it supports an older protocol, the docking station does suffer from limited performance. It can't do 8K or even 4K resolution video.

Still, it does a pretty good job at what it can do. For instance, it can send video signals out to a pair of HDMI displays at a resolution of up to 1,920 x 1,200 pixels at a refresh rate of 60Hz. For a single screen, that quality gets bumped up to Quad HD resolution (2,560 x 1,440 pixels) at a refresh rate of 50Hz. 

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True to its name, Plugable's docking station has support for a wide array of operating systems from Windows 11, macOS, and ChromeOS. It's even capable of supporting laptops running Windows 7. 

Even if you decide to finally let go of your beloved Windows 7 laptop, you can still keep this docking station and continue to use it when you upgrade since it comes with more modern USB-C inputs. What's particularly interesting about this model is it comes with a microphone port -- the only entry on this list to have one. Having this port available can be handy on older machines that may have malfunctioning parts or it's already being taken up by another device. Plugable's docking station essentially can add this functionality back to those models.

Plugable USB 3.0 and USB-C Universal Laptop Docking Station specs: Ports: USB 3.0 Type-A (2); USB 2.0 Type-A (4); HDMI (1); DVI (1); Gigabit Ethernet (1); 3.5mm audio jack (1); microphone jack (1) | Display: 1920x1200 at 60Hz (2); 2,560x1440 at 50Hz via HDMI (1)