#1 Top Pick
Connection Thunderbolt 4
Displays Up to 2
Power 98W PD
Driver Native
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.
Best Docking Station for Home Office 2026 — Top 5 Ranked
By Adrian CelWhy Your Home Office Needs a Proper Dock
Working from home full-time demands more than a laptop screen and a Wi-Fi connection. If you are spending 8+ hours a day at your desk, you need dual monitors for productivity, reliable Ethernet for video calls, and enough charging power to keep your laptop running without its own charger cluttering the desk. A good docking station turns your laptop into a full desktop workstation with a single cable connection.
The right home office dock eliminates the tangle of dongles, chargers, and adapters that accumulate on a remote worker’s desk. Plug in one cable when you sit down in the morning, and you are instantly connected to your monitors, webcam, microphone, keyboard, mouse, Ethernet, and power. Unplug that one cable at the end of the day, and your laptop is ready to move to the couch or the coffee shop.
We researched and compared over a dozen docking stations to identify the five that deliver the best experience for home office use. Our criteria focused on what matters most for all-day desk work: charging wattage, display support, port count, Ethernet quality, and long-term reliability.
What Matters for a Home Office Dock
Power Delivery: Keep Your Laptop Charged All Day
The single most important spec for a home office dock is Power Delivery (PD) wattage. If your dock cannot charge your laptop at the same rate it drains, your battery will slowly die throughout the workday despite being plugged in. For 13-14 inch ultrabooks, 85W is sufficient. For 15-16 inch workstation laptops, you want 96W or higher. The best home office docks deliver 90-98W, which covers nearly every laptop on the market.
Port Count: Eliminate Every Dongle
A home office setup typically needs connections for: two monitors, a webcam, a microphone or headset, a keyboard, a mouse, an external drive, and Ethernet. That is 8 connections before you even think about a phone charger or SD card reader. Docks with 11+ ports handle this comfortably. Docks with 16-18 ports give you room to grow without ever reaching for a USB hub.
Ethernet: Wired Stability for Video Calls
Wi-Fi drops during a video call with your boss are unacceptable. Every dock in our top 5 includes Gigabit Ethernet at minimum, with the best options offering 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet for even faster and more stable networking. A wired connection through your dock is the single biggest upgrade you can make for video call reliability.
Display Support: Dual 4K for Serious Productivity
Research consistently shows that dual monitors improve productivity by 20-30% for knowledge workers. For a home office, you want at minimum dual 4K@60Hz support. Thunderbolt 4 docks deliver this natively. USB-C docks can support dual displays on Windows via MST (Multi-Stream Transport), but macOS users need Thunderbolt or DisplayLink for multiple screens.
Our Top 5 Picks
1. CalDigit TS4: Best Overall Home Office Dock
The CalDigit TS4 is the top pick for a reason. With 18 ports, 98W Power Delivery, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, dual 4K@60Hz display support, UHS-II SD and microSD card readers, and three 3.5mm audio jacks (combo, headphone, and microphone), it covers every possible home office need and then some. No other dock matches this level of connectivity in a single unit.
For home office use specifically, the 98W PD is a standout. It charges even a 16-inch MacBook Pro or Dell XPS 15 through the workday without needing a separate charger. The 2.5 GbE Ethernet means your video calls and file transfers are not bottlenecked by your dock. And the five USB-A 3.2 ports plus three USB-C 3.2 ports give you enough room for every peripheral on your desk without touching a USB hub.
The TS4 connects via Thunderbolt 4 with an included 0.8m cable. It is driverless. Plug it in and everything works on both macOS and Windows. CalDigit’s firmware updates consistently support new hardware releases, which means this dock will serve your home office for years.
At $379.99 MSRP, the CalDigit TS4 is a premium purchase. But for a device you will use 40+ hours a week, the cost per use is minimal. It regularly drops to $299-329 on sale.
Key home office specs: 18 ports, 98W PD, 2.5 GbE, dual 4K@60Hz, UHS-II card readers, 3 audio jacks, Thunderbolt 4
Best for: Remote workers who want the most complete single-cable desk setup with zero compromises.
Read our full CalDigit TS4 review
2. Dell WD22TB4: Best for Dell Laptop Owners
If you are working from home on a Dell laptop, the Dell WD22TB4 is hard to beat. Its headline feature is 130W ExpressCharge for Dell laptops. No other dock charges Dell hardware this fast, getting you to 80% in about an hour. Non-Dell laptops still get a respectable 90W USB-C Power Delivery.
The WD22TB4 packs 11 ports including dual DisplayPort 1.4, one HDMI 2.0, three USB-A 3.2 ports, and Gigabit Ethernet. The dedicated video outputs mean you do not need adapters for your monitors. Just plug in DP or HDMI cables directly. This is a significant convenience advantage over docks that rely solely on Thunderbolt downstream ports for display output.
Dell’s modular design is another home office perk. The Thunderbolt host module can be swapped for future connectivity standards, so this dock can potentially outlast your current laptop. The 3-year warranty is the longest in its class and adds peace of mind for a device that will live on your desk permanently.
The trade-offs are worth noting: there is no 3.5mm audio jack, no SD card reader, and the port count is lower than the CalDigit TS4. For Dell laptop users in a corporate environment, these omissions may not matter since your company likely provides a USB headset. For everyone else, the missing audio jack is an inconvenience.
Key home office specs: 11 ports, 130W (Dell) / 90W (others) PD, 1 GbE, dual 4K@60Hz, 2x DP + 1x HDMI, 3-year warranty
Best for: Dell laptop owners who want maximum charging speed and a modular, future-proof dock.
Read our full Dell WD22TB4 review
3. Plugable TBT4-UDZ: Best for Multi-Monitor Power Users
The Plugable TBT4-UDZ is the dock to get if your home office ambition extends beyond dual monitors. On compatible Thunderbolt 4 Windows laptops, it supports up to four 4K@60Hz displays simultaneously, the only Thunderbolt 4 dock in our roundup that can do this. Mac users get the standard dual 4K@60Hz.
With 16 ports, it is second only to the CalDigit TS4 in connectivity. The port selection is well-suited for a complex home office: 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.2, 6x USB-A (mix of 3.2 Gen 2, 3.0, and 2.0), 1x USB-C 3.2, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, UHS-II SD and microSD card readers, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack. The dedicated HDMI and DisplayPort outputs mean you can connect monitors directly without buying adapters, a notable advantage over the CalDigit TS4, which has only a single DisplayPort.
Power Delivery matches the CalDigit TS4 at 98W, enough to charge any laptop all day. The aluminum chassis includes a vertical stand for space-saving desk placement. Plugable’s support is responsive, though firmware updates are only available via a Windows utility.
The TBT4-UDZ is not without quirks. Some reviewers have reported occasional display disconnections, and the front-mounted host port can create cable management challenges. But for a home office with three or four monitors, no other Thunderbolt 4 dock delivers this capability at this price.
Key home office specs: 16 ports, 98W PD, 2.5 GbE, up to quad 4K@60Hz (Windows), 2x HDMI + 2x DP, UHS-II card readers
Best for: Home office users running 3-4 monitors on a Windows Thunderbolt 4 laptop.
Read our full Plugable TBT4-UDZ review
4. UGREEN Revodok Max 213: Best Value Thunderbolt 4 Dock
The UGREEN Revodok Max 213 delivers roughly 80% of the CalDigit TS4’s capability at about 80% of the price. At $299.99 MSRP, it undercuts the CalDigit TS4 by $80 while still offering Thunderbolt 4 certification, 13 ports, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, and SD 4.0 / UHS-II card readers rated at 312 MB/s.
For home office use, the Revodok Max 213 covers the essentials comfortably. Two Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports handle dual 4K@60Hz displays. Four USB-A ports (2x 3.2 Gen 2 + 2x 3.0) and one USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port provide plenty of room for peripherals. The 2.5 GbE Ethernet matches the CalDigit TS4 and Plugable TBT4-UDZ for fast, stable networking.
The 90W Power Delivery is the main spec compromise compared to the CalDigit TS4’s 98W. For most 13-15 inch laptops, 90W is more than sufficient. For 16-inch workstation laptops under heavy load, you may notice slower charging. The dock also runs warm under sustained use, which can occasionally affect performance. Give it adequate ventilation on your desk.
The 180W GaN power adapter included in the box is a nice touch, and the thick aluminum chassis feels genuinely premium. UGREEN’s firmware update ecosystem is less mature than CalDigit’s, which is the other notable difference. But for home office users who want Thunderbolt 4 performance without paying CalDigit TS4 prices, the Revodok Max 213 is a compelling option.
Key home office specs: 13 ports, 90W PD, 2.5 GbE, dual 4K@60Hz, DisplayPort 1.4, SD 4.0 card readers, Thunderbolt 4
Best for: Budget-conscious remote workers who want Thunderbolt 4 quality without paying top dollar.
Read our full UGREEN Revodok Max 213 review
5. Anker 575: Best USB-C Home Office Dock
Not every home office laptop has a Thunderbolt port. If yours has USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode, the Anker 575 is the best USB-C docking station for desk work. At $249.99, it delivers 13 ports including 2x HDMI 2.0, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 85W Power Delivery, Gigabit Ethernet, SD and microSD card readers, and a 3.5mm combo audio jack.
The triple display support on Windows is the Anker 575’s standout feature for home office setups. Via MST (Multi-Stream Transport), you can run three 1080p@60Hz monitors or two 1440p@60Hz monitors simultaneously. This gives Windows users a multi-monitor experience without requiring Thunderbolt hardware. The trade-off is that macOS users are limited to a single extended display, since Apple does not support MST on non-Thunderbolt connections.
The 85W PD charges most ultrabooks and 14-inch laptops comfortably. It may not keep up with power-hungry 16-inch workstations, but for the typical home office laptop, it works well. The SD card readers are limited to UHS-I speeds, which is slower than the UHS-II readers on the Thunderbolt docks above. For basic photo imports and file transfers, this is adequate.
Anker is a trusted brand with responsive customer support, and the 575 has strong user reviews for reliability. If Thunderbolt is not an option for you, this dock delivers excellent everyday home office performance.
Key home office specs: 13 ports, 85W PD, 1 GbE, triple display (Windows) / single display (Mac), 2x HDMI + 1x DP, USB-C
Best for: Home office users with USB-C laptops who do not have Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Read our full Anker 575 review
Quick Comparison
| Dock | Connection | Ports | Max Displays | PD Wattage | Ethernet | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CalDigit TS4 | Thunderbolt 4 | 18 | 2 | 98W | 2.5 GbE | $379.99 |
| Dell WD22TB4 | Thunderbolt 4 | 11 | 2 | 90W (130W Dell) | 1 GbE | $319.99 |
| Plugable TBT4-UDZ | Thunderbolt 4 | 16 | 4 (Windows) | 98W | 2.5 GbE | $419.00 |
| UGREEN Revodok Max 213 | Thunderbolt 4 | 13 | 2 | 90W | 2.5 GbE | $299.99 |
| Anker 575 | USB-C | 13 | 3 (Windows) | 85W | 1 GbE | $249.99 |
Use our interactive comparison tool to see live prices and detailed specs side-by-side.
How We Chose These Docks
Our rankings are based on thorough spec analysis and user feedback research, not hands-on benchmarks. Here is how we evaluated each dock for home office suitability:
Power Delivery was weighted most heavily because a home office dock that cannot keep your laptop charged defeats its purpose. We prioritized docks delivering 85W or more.
Port count and variety determined how well each dock eliminates the need for additional hubs and adapters. We looked for docks that can handle a complete desk setup (monitors, peripherals, networking, and audio) from a single unit.
Ethernet quality was a major differentiator. Every dock in our top 5 includes Gigabit Ethernet at minimum, with three of the five offering 2.5 GbE for faster networking.
Display support focused on dual 4K@60Hz as the baseline for productive home office work. Docks that support additional monitors scored higher.
User reliability was assessed through analysis of reviews, community feedback, and manufacturer firmware support history. A home office dock needs to work consistently every day, so we favored products with proven track records.
We also considered value relative to the competition. A dock does not need to be the cheapest to earn a recommendation, but it should deliver connectivity that justifies its price. For more guidance, check our complete docking station buying guide or browse Thunderbolt 4 docking stations and USB-C docking stations by category.
Which Dock Should You Buy?
Choosing the right home office dock comes down to your laptop and your desk setup:
- If you have a Thunderbolt 4 laptop and want the best of everything: Get the CalDigit TS4. Its 18 ports, 98W charging, and 2.5 GbE Ethernet make it the most complete single-cable solution available.
- If you have a Dell laptop: The Dell WD22TB4 delivers unmatched 130W charging and a 3-year warranty.
- If you need 3-4 monitors on Windows: The Plugable TBT4-UDZ is the only Thunderbolt 4 dock with quad display support.
- If you want Thunderbolt 4 on a budget: The UGREEN Revodok Max 213 delivers strong TB4 performance for $80 less than the CalDigit TS4.
- If your laptop has USB-C but not Thunderbolt: The Anker 575 is the best USB-C dock for everyday home office work.
Still not sure which connection type you need? Our guide on USB-C vs. Thunderbolt docking stations breaks down the differences. And for dual monitor setups specifically, check our best docking stations for dual monitors ranking.
Our Top Picks
#2
Connection Thunderbolt 4
Displays Up to 2
Power 90W PD
Driver Native
#3
Connection Thunderbolt 4
Displays Up to 4
Power 98W PD
Driver Native
#4
Connection Thunderbolt 4
Displays Up to 2
Power 90W PD
Driver Native
#5
Connection USB-C
Displays Up to 3
Power 85W PD
Driver Native
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Thunderbolt dock for my home office?
Not necessarily, but Thunderbolt 4 docks offer the best experience for a permanent desk setup. They deliver native dual 4K@60Hz displays, 40 Gbps bandwidth, and high-wattage laptop charging through a single cable, all without drivers. If your laptop has a Thunderbolt 4 port, a TB4 dock is the most reliable choice. If your laptop only has USB-C, a USB-C dock like the Anker 575 still works well for everyday office tasks.
What wattage should a home office dock deliver?
For all-day desk use, look for at least 85W Power Delivery. This ensures your laptop stays charged even during demanding video calls and multitasking. If you have a 16-inch workstation laptop, aim for 96W or higher. The CalDigit TS4 delivers 98W, which covers nearly every laptop on the market.
Is Ethernet important in a home office dock?
Yes. Wi-Fi is convenient, but wired Ethernet through your dock provides a faster, more reliable connection for video conferencing, large file transfers, and VPN access. Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbps) is standard on most docks. Some premium docks like the CalDigit TS4 and Plugable TBT4-UDZ include 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, which is beneficial if your home network supports it.
Can a docking station support dual monitors for video calls and productivity?
Yes, most Thunderbolt 4 docks support dual 4K@60Hz displays natively. This is ideal for home office setups where you want one screen for your primary work and another for video calls, email, or reference materials. USB-C docks like the Anker 575 support dual displays on Windows via MST but are limited to a single display on macOS.
How do I get a clean desk setup with a dock?
Choose a dock with enough ports to eliminate extra dongles and adapters. Connect your monitors, keyboard, mouse, webcam, and Ethernet to the dock. Then a single Thunderbolt or USB-C cable runs from the dock to your laptop, handling power, data, and displays all at once. When you leave your desk, unplug one cable and go.