6 Best USB-C Docking Stations With Power Delivery

Over the past couple of years, laptop docks have undergone tremendous changes. Gone are the days when a dock would let you connect your external monitor and a few peripherals to create a desktop-like experience. Now, laptop docks has advanced features such as dual HDMI ports and Thunderbolt 3 high-speed connections. And now, you can get USB-C docking stations with power delivery.

Docks with Power Delivery feature charges the host laptop using the same USB-C connector and doesn’t need an additional charger. Here, the USB-C cable is the bridge between the dock, peripherals, and the host laptop by transmitting power and signal. While most notebooks and compact laptops can do with a power output of 60W, some power-hungry laptops need a little more.

So, if you are looking for good docking stations for laptops with USB-C Power Delivery, here are the best ones. But before that,

1. Dell WD19 130W Docking Station

  • Power Delivery: 90W
  • Ports: 2x DisplayPort 1.4, 1x HDMI 2.0B, 1x USB-C Multifunction DisplayPort
  • Gigabit Ethernet: Yes, 1
  • SD Card Reader: No

The Dell WD19 dock is for those looking to benefit from the massive 90W PD output. You can connect your laptop and have enough to power your keyboard, mouse, and other peripherals. Like most docking stations nowadays, it offers ample ports, and one of the interesting features is the inclusion of two DisplayPort connectors.

It has a flat design and saves desk space. Besides that, the ports are cleverly arranged, and you’ll be able to use most of them simultaneously. Even if your monitors do not have HDMI ports, you can attach an adapter to complete the work.

However, check the compatibility of the laptop with the dock beforehand. Alternatively, you can also check out the Dell WD15 dock. This dock also supports 4K displays.

2. Plugable UD-CAM

  • Power Delivery: 85W
  • Ports: 4x USB 3.0 Ports, 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x 3.5mm Audio Jack
  • Gigabit Ethernet: Yes, 1
  • SD Card Reader: No

One of the primary benefits of Plugable UD-CAM is its size. It’s small and can be easily attached to the back of the monitor. Yeah, the dock comes with a VESA mount. Cool, right? Secondly, it delivers a whopping 84W of power to any compatible laptop or table and will be enough to sustain some laptops like the Apple MacBook Pro. It comes with HDMI 1.4 connectors, and with the right HDMI cable, you can stream 4K content at 30Hz without any issues. Or, if you drop the resolution a notch, you can watch at 60Hz.

But, the UD-CAM docking station has more USB-A ports. While this may not be much of an issue if you have more USB-A compatible devices, you might want to consider this point if you have more USB-C devices.

Another issue is HDMI 1.4 ports, which will allow you to watch 4K on only one device. The mini size of the docking port also means fewer ports. You won’t find a dedicated SD card reader. And it comes with a dedicated power adapter that is almost as big as the dock.

However, if you want to extend the display to a single monitor and want to reap the maximum benefits of the USB-A peripherals, this is the one you should have.

3. Cable Matters USB C Dock for Windows

  • Power Delivery: 80W
  • Ports: 2x DisplayPort, 5x USB-A, 1x USB-C
  • Gigabit Ethernet: Yes, 1
  • SD Card Reader: Yes

If you want a dual-monitor setup for your Windows machine, check out the Cable Matters USB C Dock. It lets you connect up to two 4K monitors, and the ample number of USB-A ports allows you to connect other peripherals like keyboards and mice. Like most laptop docks, it only allows you to stream 4K at 30Hz if you connect both monitors. If you are happy with a single display, the refresh rate rakes up to 60Hz.

Besides the above, the other USB-C PD port supplies power to up to 18W, which can be considered decent for charging smartphones and tablets while supporting 10Gbps of bandwidth. However, this docking station has no HDMI ports, and all the display connections are via the two 4K DisplayPort connectors. The only thing you have to keep in mind is to attach Active DisplayPort to HDMI cables.

If you must know, these active cable helps connect a DP output to a display with HDMI outputs. At the same time, do make sure to use USB 3.2 Gen 2 cables to get the most out of the USB-C PD port. This dock also bundles a Dynamic bandwidth switch, which lets you switch between HD and 4K. Switching to the HD setting will enable high speeds on the connected peripherals.

The vertical design of the laptop dock ensures that it doesn’t occupy much space on your desk. Alternatively, you can place it horizontally if you are unhappy with the vertical look. The belly has neat rubber paddings to keep the dock in position.

4. Plugable USB-C Triple Display Docking Station

  • Power Delivery: 60W
  • Ports: 2 X HDMI, 1 x DVI/VGA , 1 x USB-C PD, 1 x USB-C 3.0, 4 x USB 3.0 Type-A
  • Gigabit Ethernet: Yes, 1
  • SD Card Reader: No

The Plugable USB-C Triple Display 4K Docking Station is the one for you if you want a triple display connected to your laptop. The best thing about this docking station is that you can run 4K content on two connected monitors. The USB-C port supplies power at 60W and should be good enough to charge laptops like MacBook Air. While the dock will work with high-end laptops like MacBook Pro, you’ll have to compromise on the charging speed.

This Plugable dock uses two display technology—Alt Mode and DisplayLink—to run three displays simultaneously, which is rare in this department.

The dock is cleverly designed and has a vertical design. Not only is it easy to configure all the wires, but the vertical design also occupies less space.

This dock is quite popular on Amazon and has over five hundred user reviews. However, note that you need to check your laptop’s compatibility with the dock. It should have an Intel SkyLake (6th generation) Core i3 processor and one of the following GPUs— AMD Radeon HD 8650, Intel HD Graphics 4000, or NVIDIA GeForce 7xxM.

5. Kensington SD4820P USB-C Docking Station

  • Power Delivery: 60W
  • Ports: 1 x HDMI v2.0, 2 x DisplayPort++, 1 x USB-C 3.1 Gen2, 1 x USB-A 3.1 Gen2, 4 x USB-A 3.1 Gen1
  • Gigabit Ethernet: Yes, 1
  • SD Card Reader: No

Lastly, we have the Kensington SD4820P USB-C Docking Station designed for compact laptops and notebooks. It supplies 60W of power to the host laptop and can connect up to two external displays natively. You can use the DisplayPort++ (dual mode) connectors or the HDMI connector to hook your external displays. Other than the upstream USB-C port, another USB-C port has a power rating of 5V/3A.

Like the Cable Matters laptop dock, this one also has a dynamic switch that lets you switch between 2-lane and 4-lane settings. When you switch to the 2-lane setting, the speeds of the connected peripherals will go up. However, the display of the monitors will switch to 1920 x 1080p.

The Kensington SD4820P has received its share of good reviews over the years. At present, it enjoys rave reviews on Amazon. Fakespot estimate that around 80% of the reviews are genuine and can be trusted.

6. UGREEN 12-in-1 MacBook Docking Station

  • Power Delivery: 100W
  • Ports: 1 x HDMI 8K, 1xHDMI 4K, 1x DP 4K, 1x USB-C (100W), 1x USB-A 3.2, 1 x USB-C 3.2, 2 x USB- A 3.0, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x SD/Micro SD card reader, and 1x 3.5mm AUX port
  • Gigabit Ethernet: Yes
  • SD Card Reader: Yes (microSD and SD card)
Ugreen displaylink dock

The UGREEN 12-in-1 dock connects up to three 4K 60Hz displays to your M1 Mac. And the best part is you don’t need to connect your Mac to a charger. If you have a 16-inch MacBook Pro or an equivalent laptop, the 100W PD charging will be useful.

UGREEN’s 12-in-1 dock is large both in terms of physical size and features. The construction is solid, and the design is such that it will fit into any setup. The rear has two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-A 3.1 port on the front. You also get SD card slots and a combo jack for audio. The wide array of ports makes the UGREEN dock a great fit for anyone.

Of the two USB-C ports on the rear, one is used to power the dock, and the other outputs at 100W with support for PD. So when you connect the dock to your Mac, it charges the Mac simultaneously. It is expensive but you get PD charging and support for multiple monitors even on an M1 Mac thanks to DisplayLink.

FAQs for USB-C Docking Station With Power Delivery

1. Can I use Power Delivery to charge any laptop?

Your laptop must have USB-PD charging support to charge via Power Delivery.

2. Is it safe to charge my laptop using a dock?

Yes, a USB-C docking station from a reputed brand should charge your laptop with no issues.

3. Will a dock with Power Delivery fast-charge my laptop?

That depends on your laptop’s charging speed support and the output power of the dock. If the dock you get supports the maximum charging wattage of your laptop, it will be able to charge it quickly.

Get the Power

Which of these docking stations will you get for your laptop? If you have a Dell laptop, it’s safe to use the Dell Wd19 provided it suits your requirement. If not, the UGREEN USB-C docking station with power delivery is the best option if you want multiple displays and a high-power laptop.

Last updated on 30 May, 2023

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