My home office is always in a state of transformation, with PCs, laptops, monitors, and often furniture rotating in and out. It's always been like this because I'm an early adopter and tech fiend who loves changing his setup and making custom water loops. With change being the only constant, I like to keep the same peripherals so that I'm not adjusting to new keyboards all the time. I don't know how much time I've wasted unplugging and replugging USB cables, if I can plug them all in at all, because the latest and greatest laptops often don't come with enough ports or the right type of ports for my preferred devices.

While I've had several USB hubs over the years, it's only recently that I've seen the light and started using a powered USB-C dock on my desk. The change it's brought has been transformative, and now I can't go back. From being able to add more monitor support to laptops to keeping my peripherals all plugged in and cable managed with only one cable to move between devices, it's now an essential part of my home office.

There are never enough USB Type-A ports

I have dongles and I need to use them, but device designers think I should only have USB-C

Between audio devices, input devices, and other assorted USB things, I usually have around eight USB-A cords plugged into my desktop PC and a couple of USB-C ones. Some of these are only really used for charging various wireless peripherals, but I use the PC for this because quick-charge chargers can damage devices that aren't designed to use them. While reorganizing my charging solutions is a priority for this year, until then, I need more USB ports than I get on any laptop and most PC motherboards.

Some of these USB cables connect to things like SD card readers, which are often a feature on docking stations, making the switch easier. I like using the same keyboard and mouse all the time and hate having to switch the cables between devices. Plus, I can keep the cables nicely tidied away instead of snaking across my desk in an approximation of that scene in The Matrix where Neo is being cuddled by the Squiddies, *ahem*, I mean the Sentinels.

Yes, USB-C should be standard by now, but I have a lot of older peripherals

Every laptop manufacturer has been trying to get everyone to go all-in on USB-C, with varying levels of success. But you know who hasn't gotten the memo? Peripheral makers, who are only starting to use USB-C for cables and dongles. Some of my peripherals have switched over, but enough of them are USB-A, and that means struggles when I don't have enough ports. Except, of course, when I'm using a docking station because I can plug everything in, from USB to Ethernet, and still have a few spare ports left over.

I switch between devices all the time

Keeping my peripherals plugged into a dock saves my sanity

I know my desk isn't exactly typical, but more and more people now have multiple devices, especially if they have a personal computer and one issued by their employer. Keeping the two charged can be an issue depending on how many sockets you have nearby, and switching between the two means your brain and hands need to readjust to the ergonomic differences between them.

However, I sidestep those issues because everything I use is already plugged into the docking station. It's not quite as friction-free as using a KVM, but changing one USB-C cable between devices is much simpler than deciding which of the half a dozen I can do without. Now, I can use the same peripherals I use on my desktop with whichever laptop(s) I'm testing at the time, and if I use something like Logitech Flow with a Logitech mouse and keyboard, I can even keep the docking station plugged into my desktop and control another computer.

Plus, it means I can use my PC gaming handhelds in desktop mode

I love using my Steam Deck and other PC gaming handhelds to catch up on my woeful backlog of games from wherever I am. But many tasks on the Steam Deck particularly need desktop mode to be accomplished, and that means I need a keyboard and mouse. Nobody has time to use the virtual keyboard for Terminal commands, and having a docking station available means I can blast through my configuration needs in no time while using a larger monitor to do so. They're pretty capable for the odd document creation as well, if my main PC is in pieces to swap hardware or faulty parts.

It's a quick way to add multiple monitors

No laptop makers, one HDMI output is not enough

While many Windows laptops can connect to multiple monitors, Apple limits the display outputs of its Apple Silicon MacBooks depending on which chip you have. That makes having a docking station a necessity for any Mac user, as long as that dock has DisplayLink connectivity. This allows it to send a video signal over standard USB connectors, increasing the number of monitors you can use and boosting productivity instantly.

DP alt mode over USB-C should be on every monitor

Almost every laptop I've used recently has supported DisplayPort alt mode over USB-C, which is really handy for getting an image on an external display. Many monitors that support this method of connectivity also have power delivery down that port to the laptop, with the better models having 90W or above. But many monitors are still being released without USB-C as an input method, even though it really should be a standard connector by now.

Docking stations are really a necessity for the home office

The change from USB-A to USB-C has only really happened on one side of the computing equation. Laptop makers have embraced the thinner port because it means they can shrink their devices. Desktop motherboards are adding more USB-C, but pushback from users has meant that USB-A is still prevalent. Until every peripheral is wireless, or I don't need USB cables for another reason, I'm glad that I added a laptop docking station to my desk. It has helped me wrangle the cable clutter, added a few ports I rely on daily, and made it easy to switch between devices, something I used to dread.