Accessories
Best Docking Stations and Hubs for the MacBook Pro (2020)
These are the best docking stations or hubs for your MacBook Pro. Perfect for those that just started working from home or simply want more convenience and to be more productive with your at-home office. Most of these work with the MacBook Air too.
To be more specific, these are Thunderbolt 3 docks or USB-C hubs that take one of the ports on your Macbook and turn it into anything you want without needing a ton of dongles. With a dock, I can run multiple displays, connect to my speakers, SD cards, and a myriad of other accessories in seconds.
Basically, now that all of Apple’s MacBook devices only come with a few USB-C ports, you’ll want a Thunderbolt 3 dock or a USB Type-C hub, or both, to do more with your computer. Here are some of the best options available.
Should I Buy a Docking Station or a Hub?
Before we begin, we want to quickly explain the difference between a Thunderbolt 3 docking station and a hub, that way you know which one is right for you.
Docking stations are generally designed to help you run multiple monitors from your laptop, and they’re not as portable as a hub. Docks usually have their own power supply too, that way they can charge your MacBook Pro, phones, tablets and other devices at the same time. Not to mention having HDMI-out with 4K or 5K support, data transfer, USB ports of all shapes, sizes and speeds, and a few other things. They’re more expensive than a hub but have a lot more to offer. You’ll probably never take your dock anywhere. Personally, I use the OWC Thunderbolt 14-in-1 dock.
Read: Best iMac Accessories in 2020
Hubs are very similar to docking stations; They pack a ton of ports and allow you to do more with your MacBook, but most of them don’t have their own power source. They’re small, lightweight, and are designed to transform one USB-C port on your laptop into several ports, getting rid of the need for other cords and dongles. USB C hubs are cheaper than docks, portable, and easier to grab and go.
Best USB C Hubs and Docks for MacBooks in 2020
- OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock with 14 ports – $299
- Elgato Dual 4K Display Thunderbolt Dock – $299
- Anker USB C Hub Hybrid 7-in-2 Dock – $60
- Henge Vertical MacBook Docking Station – $149
- VAVA 9-in-1 USB C Hub Adapter – $49
- LandingZone Docking Station – $299
- HyperDrive USB C Hub Dual – $90
- Satechi Multi-Port V2 Adapter Hub – $100
OWC Thunderbolt 3 Dock with 14 ports
While you’ll have to decide what type of dock you need and which ports or display plugs are most important to you, our first recommendation is the awesome OWC Thunderbolt 3 dock. This thing amazingly turns one plug into 14 different ports you can use with your Mac, and it powers a little bit of everything. Plus, in the future when Apple ditches the headphone jack on laptops too, you’ll have one with this dock.
The OWC has a great design with plugs on both the front and the back, that way some of the essential ports like USB C, regular USB, 3.5mm and microSD cards are all on the front. Then, some of the things you’ll interact with less (like the Dual 4K display outputs) are located on the back and out of the way. This one MacBook dock will absolutely transform your office.
Elgato Dual 4K Display Thunderbolt Dock
Just like the OWC above, the Elgato Dual 4K Thunderbolt dock delivers 85w of power, as it has its own dedicated power source. That way you can fully power (and recharge) anything up to the MacBook Pro 15 from this dock while simultaneously powering dual 4K displays or even a single 5K screen. As a reminder, the new Mac 16 takes 96w of power, and while this will still charge it, the original charger will be faster. It’s still a great dock for ANY Mac.
Additionally, the Elgato has a microphone and headphone port, multiple SD card slots, and a full ethernet port on the back so you can hard-wire into your home internet if you want. This is another excellent all-around thunderbolt 3 dock.
Anker USB C Hub Hybrid 7-in-2 Dock
If those first two are a bit too expensive for you consider something like this awesome USB-C Hub/Dock hybrid from Anker. This is actually what I have, and it goes everywhere with me as it nicely connects to the side of my MBP 16 and looks like it was meant to be there. While you’ll lose both USB-C ports on the left side of your MacBook, you’ll gain seven more that connects to every accessory you own, so it’s a great trade-off.
The Anker USB-C hub has a thunderbolt 3 port that will push a 5K monitor, USB 3.0, USB C, HDMI, and SD card readers all in one sleek package. There’s no dedicated power or anything, but it’ll get the job done. Plus, it allows pass-thru power to the main USB Type-C port, so you can recharge your Mac through the hub, or output maximum power to other devices through it too. I love this thing.
Henge Vertical MacBook Docking Station
If you’re looking for a great dock for your MacBook Pro to save precious space on your at-home office desk, more so than add a ton of ports and outputs, consider the Henge vertical dock and space-saver. It’s basically a place to neatly store your Mac, vertically, out of the way so you can use your desk for a keyboard, mouse, and other peripherals.
When you slide your MacBook in, it plugs into the two USB ports on the side and routs them out the front or the back of the Henge. So you’re not gaining any extra ports or anything, and still have just two, but it does give you extra options for how you setup and use your MacBook at home or at work.
VAVA 9-in-1 USB C Hub Adapter
The VAVA 9-in-1 USB C hub is another excellent option for those that want to do more with their MacBook without buying or carrying a ton of dongles. This one dongle gives you nine different ports to connect everything and anything into. As you can see from the picture above, it works similar to the Anker we mentioned earlier but it doesn’t attach to your laptop. Instead, it dangles off giving you additional options should you need them.
Keep in mind that thunderbolt 3 docks and USB C hubs serve very different purposes, so you might want to buy just one of the products we’ve suggested today or one of both. That’s up to you, your needs, and your budget.
LandingZone Docking Station
The LandingZone is a unique docking station unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and you’ll totally want one. They come in a few different styles but what we’re showing above fits the 15-inch MBP from 2016-2019. This is a small stand that you’ll actually dock your MacBook into, which gives you an improved angle for typing and such. Then, both sides and the entire back are filled with ports. You’re getting four USB-C ports, three USB 3.1 ports, HDMI, microphone, ethernet and more. Just look at the photos on Amazon, then buy one.
HyperDrive USB C Hub Dual
The Hyperdrive is very similar to the Anker we mentioned earlier, only it’s a little more powerful and a little more expensive. This takes up two ports on the side of your laptop but will give you seven more in return. What we love about the HyperDrive is that the first main USB-C port is Thunderbolt 3 capable of a full 100w of power. That means you can power or recharge anything and everything, including the new MacBook Pro 16. Then, the other USB-C is a 60w PD port for any and all other gadgets, not to mention the rest of the ports on it.
For most people, this is the one accessory you’ll ever need for your MacBook Pro.
Satechi Multi-Port V2 Adapter Hub
Last but not least, for now, we wanted to mention one more convenient little USB-C hub for your MacBook Pro or MacBook Air. Because it has a single wired connection, unlike the HyperDrive, it works with more devices like the MacBook Air. Featuring 4K HDMI out so you can hook up an external monitor, not to mention several other regular USB and USB C ports, SD cards and more. This new second-gen model has an improved aluminum design, better SD support, and a slightly longer cable for improved usage. Satechi’s original multi-port USB C hub was one of the most popular options on Amazon for a while, and this new one is even better.
