Plug your MacBook in and out of a multi-port docking station to swiftly add devices and external displays to your laptop. We tested a bunch to find the best Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C docks available to owners of the latest MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.
Apple's 12in MacBook features one 5Gbps Gen 1 USB-C port, while the latest MacBook Air (2018 and later) and MacBook Pro (from 2016) boast either two or four 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Add external displays to your MacBook
If you use your laptop as your principal computer, you would do well to consider attaching at least one larger display to create a hybrid desktop/laptop setup (with a keyboard, mouse and printer all available via a single connection to your MacBook). You can turn that 13in laptop screen into an iMac-sized 27in or even larger monitor by adding an extra display – or connect two large screens to extend your screen across your whole desk.
If you want to connect more than one external display to your MacBook you'll need a Thunderbolt 3 dock, rather than a USB-C dock. Natively over USB-C, Macs can only connect to one external display in Extended mode (where the screen extends beyond what you can see on the laptop screen, as opposed to Mirrored mode that replicates exactly what you get on the laptop screen) but you'll get two Extended mode screens over a Thunderbolt 3 connection.
There are ways around the limitation, using DisplayLink software, but we recommend a Thunderbolt dock if you want multiple Extended mode displays.
While Apple's very latest MacBooks, featuring the company's own M1 Silicon chip, are super speedy compared to the models sporting Intel processors, they come with an incredible limitation: they don't support more than one external display in Extended Mode even via their Thunderbolt 3 ports. This means that when using any docking station, M1 MacBook Pro users cannot extend their desktop over two or more displays, and will be limited to either dual Mirrored displays or one external display - although there is a software workaround to add more than one external monitor to an M1 MacBook.
If you want to attach more than one external display, we recommend you stick with Apple's Intel-based laptops for the time being: see M1 MacBook Pro vs Intel MacBook Pro, with a Thunderbolt 3 dock.
Whole lotta ports
One problem with using a MacBook as your main PC is its lack of ports. The 12in MacBook has just one USB-C port, the new MacBook Air boasts two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and the latest MacBook Pro models feature either two or four Thunderbolt 3 ports.
You need one port for charging (albeit not all the time), and likely at least another to attach further devices (memory sticks, hard drives, Ethernet, external display).
There are many cheap adapters that let you add more devices to a USB-C or Thunderbolt MacBook (see our roundup of the best USB-C adapters for Macs), but for maximum flexibility check out these docking stations that take care of all your extra port requirements, and allow you to simply attach it to your laptop with just one cable when you get to the office or come home.
Here we concentrate on Thunderbolt 3 docks, but also include cheaper USB-C docks - which Thunderbolt 3 MacBooks can use, but at the cost of reduced bandwidth and display limitations. For more non-T3 USB-C-only docks check out Tech Advisor's roundup of the best USB-C docking stations for laptops.
Docks with a Titan Ridge chipset will work with both T3 and USB-C laptops. Other T3 docks won't work with USB-C laptops, such as the 12in MacBook. With Titan Ridge, you get all the benefits of a T3 dock, but can use it with non-T3 laptops, too.
Mac mini (2018 and later) and iMac (2017 and later) owners may also consider expanding their ports with a Thunderbolt 3 docking station.
Note that the 12in Apple MacBook supports only dual mirrored monitors when connecting two displays - a limitation now sadly carried over to Apple's latest M1-based laptops.
USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 speeds
Thunderbolt 3 vs USB-C dock compatibility
Plain USB-C runs at either 5Gbps or 10Gbps, while Thunderbolt 3 (T3) hits speeds of 40Gbps. You can hook up a T3 laptop to a USB-C dock but you won't access the faster speeds unless you buy a true Thunderbolt 3 dock.
And you can't connect a 5GBps or 10Gbps USB-C laptop to a Thunderbolt 3 dock - except for those with the Titan Ridge chipset which handily work with both USB-C and T3.
In the review list below, we state at the top which type of laptop (USB-C or Thunderbolt 3) each docking station is compatible with.
USB PD: Power Delivery for your laptop
Look out for a dock with USB PD. The PD stands for Power Delivery.
Charging the laptop: The 12in MacBook and 13in MacBook Air require a PD with at least 30W power. The 13in MacBook Pro charges at full speed at 61W; the 15in MacBook Pro at 87W; the 16in Pro at 96W.
An 87W/96W MacBook Pro can be charged by a 30W or 60W charger, but slower than it would be with its native charger. A larger MacBook with a heavy workload might start fading on a lower wattage charger.
Charging the docked devices: Some docks don't feature an external power supply but actually use your laptop to draw power from. Add too many devices to one of these docks and you may well experience power issues, as USB-C can handle just 7.5W bus-device power while Thunderbolt 3 can pass back 15W.
T3 and USB-C docking station benefits
A docking station makes it much easier to use your laptop in two locations, as it can easily be connected into and out of the dock - although you might need a dock at each end for similar setups. And you can use it as a base for hot-desking or multi-laptop home-office setups where one person can quickly attach their laptop to the mouse, keyboard, screen and printer as soon as another has detached.
The inclusion of an SD or microSD Card reader isn't just for camera buffs. It's a convenient and affordable way to add storage to your laptop setup. We found a 512GB Samsung Evo microSD card on Amazon for under £150 in the UK and $130 in the US. That's a very cheap way of adding half a terabyte of portable storage. For more details read up on our best microSD cards.
These MacBook docking stations look and work great with a laptop stand, and we’ve also tested some MacBook-friendly stands that lack all the extra ports but keep your MacBook/Air/Pro upright and out of the way: further saving valuable desk space, reducing clutter, keeping your laptop cool, and saving it from spills.
Our favourite Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C docks are from Caldigit, Plugable, Anker, Hyper and Belkin, but there are many to choose from. Fuller reviews are linked to underneath most of the tested docks.
Read our best MacBook accessories feature for more essential laptop gear.
