MacBooks are Apple’s best-selling Macs for good reason: they deliver great performance and are built to travel. Gone are the days when a less powerful laptop complemented a more powerful desktop Mac. MacBooks are a user’s primary computer, and this MacBook can also serve as a desktop Mac at home or at work.
The MacBook setup at your primary workplace can be elaborate, with external storage and displays, charging stations for your iPhone and Apple Watch, speakers, microphones, cameras, and more. In this case, even the MacBook Pro probably doesn’t have enough ports to connect all your gear. That’s where a docking station comes in, providing extra ports and simplifying the connection process when you return to your desk.
And they have other benefits. If you’re not sure whether you need a docking station, here are five reasons why you should get one. If you decide you do, check out our list of the best Thunderbolt and USB-C docks for your MacBook. Our guide will help you determine whether you need a dock or a hub (yes, there’s a difference), explain what specs to look for, and recommend products to consider.
The MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt/USB-C 4 ports. The MacBook Pro is more flexible, with up to three Thunderbolt/USB-C 4 ports, an HDMI port, and an SDXC card slot. All MacBooks have a 3.5mm audio jack. These ports may be sufficient when working remotely, but you probably need more when you’re at your desk. (Check out our complete guide to the ports on your Apple devices for more details on the ports on the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.)
Need more ports? You can get plenty from a docking station, maybe even more than you need.
Need more ports? You can get plenty from a docking station, maybe even more than you need.
iVANKY
Need more ports? You can get plenty from a docking station, maybe even more than you need.
iVANKY
iVANKY
A docking station complements your MacBook with more ports. Some docking stations offer more ports than you’ll ever need. Need more USB-C? USB-A? Thunderbolt? HDMI? It’s easy to find a docking station that offers these ports. You can even find docking stations with Ethernet, DisplayPort, audio jacks, card readers, and more.
If you have an external display, external storage devices, a wired network connection, a camera, an all-in-one, high-end speakers, and even your iPhone, and you need more ports to connect them all to your MacBook, a docking station is a great investment.
Multiple external displays
For owners of a MacBook with an M1, M2, or M3 base chip (and likely future M-based chips), this might be a more important reason than having more ports. The M1 and M2 MacBooks and the M3 MacBook Pro only support a single external display, while the M3 MacBook Air can run two displays but the laptop must be closed.
A docking station can help you connect more displays. However, you can’t get just any docking station; it must support DisplayLink or InstantView, which requires installing the associated software drivers on your MacBook. Both technologies have limitations, such as unoptimized performance or the inability to display protected content from streaming services. Learn more about DisplayLink and InstantView.
Some docking stations, such as the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Dock, have technology that allows a base M-series MacBook to run multiple external displays.
Some docking stations, such as the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Dock, have technology that allows a base M-series MacBook to run multiple external displays.
Satechi
Some docking stations, such as the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Dock, have technology that allows a base M-series MacBook to run multiple external displays.
Satechi
Satechi
However, if you use your external displays primarily for productivity purposes, using a docking station may be a viable solution. Check out our recommendations for multi-display docks for MacBooks . You can also learn more about connecting two or more external displays to an M1, M2, or M3 MacBook .
Easy to connect and use
If you already use all the ports on your MacBook when you’re at your desk, you have to unplug them all when you need to work remotely. Then, when you get back to your desk, you have to plug all that equipment back in. Sure, it may be a trivial task that doesn’t take much time, but it’s a chore, and all that unplugging and plugging is putting a lot of wear and tear on your cables, cable connectors, and MacBook ports.
With a docking station, everything plugs into it and you only have one cable to plug into your MacBook. That’s it. When you have to leave, only one cable has to be unplugged. When you come back, only one cable has to be plugged back in. It’s no longer a hassle, it saves time and reduces wear and tear.
Dedicated charging stations
I just explained how everything plugs into a docking station: this can include chargers for your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, and any other device, including the MacBook itself. Apple chargers connect to a USB-C cable, and with a docking station, you can unplug those chargers from the wall, put them away, and then plug the USB-C charging cable into the dock. If you plugged those USB-C cables into the MacBook, plug it into the dock instead.
Docking stations come with a power cord that plugs into the mains, providing all the power you need to charge your devices. With just the dock plugged in, this frees up outlets on your surge protector (you use a surge protector, right?).
Ethernet support
MacBooks (and most laptops) don’t have an Ethernet port. Most people don’t need one. But if Wi-Fi is too spotty and slow for your needs, you’re probably relying on a wired Ethernet network connection.
Instead of buying a USB to Ethernet adapter, get a docking station that has an Ethernet port. The dock itself is your adapter, and you can plug your cable into it. Many docking stations offer Gigabit Ethernet ports that support up to 1 Gbps, and some.
Some docking stations have an Ethernet port for connecting to a wired network.
Some docking stations have an Ethernet port for connecting to a wired network.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Some docking stations have an Ethernet port for connecting to a wired network.
Mark Hachman / IDG
Mark Hachman / IDG
Other useful features you’ll find in docking stations include KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) switching, security features and Kensington locks, support for older ports, storage bays, and more. A docking station is such a good investment that even casual Mac users can find a reason to get one. If you need help finding a docking station, check out our list of the best Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations for your MacBook.
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