Your laptop never has enough ports – especially if it’s Macbook Air, this guide is written on. It forces you to carry a series of dongles so you can connect everything. Fortunately, there is a better way. USB hubs can expand the number and type of ports available, and USB docks allow you to turn a laptop into a complete workstation with one connector. After testing several different USB hubs and docks, these are the best we have found for different needs.
Are you looking for other gadgets and gadgets for the home office? We have a number of guides that can help, such as our best work from home equipment, best USB flash drives, and best portable external storage drives.
Update June 2022: We added Plugable USB-C Triple Display dock, updated prices throughout.
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Do you need a hub or dock?
There is a gray area between USB hubs and docks as they technically do (mostly) the same thing: Add more ports and connectors to your computer. However, there are some small differences and it is worth understanding them before buying one.
USB hubs are smaller, cheaper dongles that can add extra USB ports, SD card readers, monitor outputs, or a headphone jack. These often do not provide extra power, which means you may not be able to charge gadgets connected to them. They are also portable enough to throw in your laptop bag so you can use them at home and on the go.
USB docks are often larger, more expensive and are designed to spend most of their time at your desk. They often come with their own power supply so they can charge other devices and have multiple monitor outputs and Ethernet connections. If you frequently use your laptop at a desk, a dock can let you quickly connect it to a keyboard, mouse, monitors, and other peripherals you need all at once.