As we transition from the days of sheltering in place, computing on a laptop is taking on new norms and forms. Many professionals have moved from office desks to home offices and back again. Sometimes, work can get done on a coffee or kitchen table, but at other times, you need a proper desktop-style setup with multiple monitors, more USB ports, and maybe even a Gigabit Ethernet jack for a more stable internet connection.
If you don’t want to manage a pack of dongles and adapters for everything from external displays to USB hubs, a docking station is your best solution short of buying a whole separate desktop PC. Some laptop makers, such as Dell and Lenovo, offer up “official” branded docks for their fleets of computers. But you can also find a whole world of third-party docks with extra features, unique designs, and (sometimes) lower prices.
We’ll be concentrating on those here. (If you have a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, see our rundown of best MacBook docking stations.) Check out our full list of the top Windows docking platforms to find the accessory that’s right for you.
