Best docking stations for Dell XPS laptops

The best docking stations for Dell XPS laptops complement some of the best laptops on the market today — which often suffer from limited port selection. Thankfully, the best docking stations can resolve this issue (and then some), unleashing the true potential of your Dell laptop while keeping your workspace neat and tidy to boot.

However, not all Dell laptops play nice with third-party docking stations. While this won't affect port performance, it can cause issues when it comes to delivering the most power to your device for charging. While we use Dell's XPS lineup as a spearhead for this list, all of the best Dell laptops can benefit from these devices, from Latitude to Precision families and more.

So, if you own a Dell laptop, and one of the key needs you have is keeping your device topped up throughout the day, then the best option when it comes to port expansion is often to pair it with a Dell docking station.

As such, we've rounded up some of Dell's finest options in this category to make things a little easier when it comes to shopping around. We've also included some non-Dell alternatives alongside each entry if charging isn't your primary concern. So, if you're looking to take full advantage of your Dell system, read on for our guide on the best docking stations for Dell XPS (and others) laptops in 2024.

Curated by

Curated by

Rael Hornby

Rael Hornby brings decades of tech enthusiasm to the table with a broad history of technical support, web design, and journalism under his belt. As Laptop Mag's content editor and resident reviewer of accessories and peripherals, he's responsible for getting hands on with any docking stations that come our way and putting them through their paces — ensuring they perform as claimed and that the often high asking price of this hardware results in fantastic value for our readers.

The list in brief

Best docking stations for Dell XPS laptops

Best Thunderbolt 4

Image 1 of 4

Thunderbolt docking stations are ideal for the power user who needs the fastest speeds for data transfer and the best support for external monitors available.

Thunderbolt 4 allows for data transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps to Thunderbolt compliant USB Type-C ports, making them ideal for interacting with external storage and managing high resolution displays — of course, all while providing additional ports for peripherals and accessories.

If that sounds like the missing puzzle piece for your setup, then Dell's Thunderbolt Dock (WD22TB4) is a great option to have in mind when it comes to maximizing your productivity and performance in terms of efficiency, speed, and multitasking.

I had the pleasure of reviewing the WD22TB4 and can honestly say that, while it isn't the most flashy of devices, its understated design plays second-fiddle to an impressively powerful suite of ports.

Dell's dock can greatly expand any setup with support for four 4K displays, a wired Ethernet connection, speedy modern and legacy USB ports, and two additional Thunderbolt 4 ports for high-speed data transfers.

However, if you own a Dell device in particular, you'll also be able to take advantage of the ExpressCharge technology onboard to enjoy the best charging performance around with up to 130W of juice keeping your laptop topped up nicely throughout the day.

For a complete rundown of this dock's features, ports, and performance, see our full Dell Thunderbolt Dock (WD22TB4) review. 

• ­Back to the top ⤴

Best USB Type-C

Image 1 of 4

USB Type-C docking stations are far from obsolete, even if Thunderbolt docks are becoming more common. While they may not tout the same super-fast data transfer rates as the Thunderbolt standard, USB Type-C docks can still offer the same fantastic support for external displays, a great variety of high-speed ports, and a solid charge rate with anywhere up to 100W of Power Delivery.

Not to mention, these devices are often much cheaper than Thunderbolt counterparts, making them fantastic options for everyday users where top-flight performance isn't essential.

Dell's Dual Charge Dock is not only once such type of device, but it also features a 12W wireless Fast Charge stand to keep your smartphone or earbuds topped up alongside your laptop. It's great for keeping things organized, and the wireless component means you won't need to worry about your phone taking up one of the available ports.

Speaking of ports, the Dual Charge Dock features only eight, though that does include HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet, USB Type-C, and four speedy legacy USB Type-A ports that are plenty enough for small to medium sized setups to take full advantage of.

I loved how effortless it was to incorporate Dell's dock into my regular setup, and found the charging stand to be an excellent addition to things that allowed me to easily keep an eye on notifications or emails as I worked with the docking station itself tucked away nicely and working in the background.

For a complete rundown of this dock's features, ports, and performance, see our full Dell Dual Charge Dock review

• ­Back to the top ⤴

Best USB hub

Image 1 of 4

Docking stations are ideal for those who need them, and they're often designed to take up permanent residence on your desk and become the focal point of your setup.

However, not ever user needs or wants that, with many seeking a device that caters to a short-term issue that could be solved by readily having access to an expanded array of ports. That's where USB hubs come in, offering a quick solution to any port needs from data transfer to video output.

The Dell USB-C Mobile Adapter (DA310) is one such hub, ideal for breaking out now and then when you need to hook your laptop up to an external display briefly or transfer some files to and from an external storage medium.

It's puck-like, compact form makes it an ideal travel companion, too. With its retractable, tethered USB Type-C host cable able to be safely coiled inside the chassis and fully protected along the way.

If you're still unsure about a hub being enough to serve your needs, think of it more as a Swiss Army Knife of ports — something you can have to hand to solve any connection woes you might encounter during your day.

It can be a godsend if you work in tech support, or if you're routinely swapping between desks throughout the day. Or, it can be a perfectly functional hub for the home, allowing you to hook your laptop up to a TV in moments, and then stashed away in a drawer once you're done.

For a complete rundown of this dock's features, ports, and performance, see our full Dell USB-C Mobile Adapter (DA310) review 

• ­Back to the top ⤴

How we test docking stations

Every item we review at Laptop Mag is subject to a variety of synthetic and real-life tests to ensure the product operates as claimed and meets the needs and wants of our readers. Docking stations are not different, though there's more involved in our testing process than simply running through a checklist of a manufacturer's claims.

When it comes to docks, we judge how well a product performs across five metrics: Power, ports, performance, presentation, and price.

Firstly, we make sure that a docking station delivers the expected charge by connecting it to various laptops (with increasing power demands) and seeing how well they maintain their charge throughout a working day. We also make use of USB power meters to measure the wattage of the charge heading to the host machine.

Secondly, we make use of the dock's ports to accommodate peripherals, monitors, and accessories across various setups to test how the number of available ports fares depending on the use case. This helps us to determine a dock's ideal use case, with port number and variety all playing a role in determining how it can best be used.

We then test each of these ports, ensuring they perform to the standards claimed by the manufacturer. This can involve transferring files back-and-forth, to-and-from an external SSD onto the host machine, and connecting multiple monitors to the dock's video outputs to ensure there is no noticeable lag or visual hiccups.

Then we take into account how well the dock handles cable management, a key, but often overlooked, feature. This takes into account port placement, and the dock's overall design and layout.

Finally, we use these metrics to judge the value of each dock against its MSRP to ensure it's a worthy investment to make. Docking stations are notoriously expensive pieces of hardware to invest in, so we want to make sure that every docking station we recommend delivers the kind of quality that its price tag might suggest.

With all of this in mind, we score each dock using a 5-star rating, with our best selection of docks within certain categories being selected to appear on this page.

• ­Back to the top ⤴

Why trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over one hundred different laptops every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest peripherals and titles in gaming.

We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on. 

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it. 

Our editorial trustworthiness is enforced by one of the world's largest technology publishers, Future Publishing. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech. 

• ­Back to the top ⤴