One of the best things you can get for your laptop is a docking station. This 14-in-1 Anker model is on sale for $170 right now, a 37% discount off its original $270 price and very close to its best-ever price. It’s gone down to $162 two times in the past, otherwise this $170 deal is its lowest—for just a few bucks more, it’s still an excellent deal.
Laptops have gotten slimmer and lighter over the last decade, but in order to do that, they’ve have to sacrifice ports. When you’re in your home office, a docking station can add all kinds of ports back to your laptop—just plug it into your laptop’s USB-C port, then plug whatever you want into the docking station for immediate access.
On the front, you get two USB-C charging ports, two USB-C data ports, two USB-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the back, you get double HDMI, triple USB-A, an Ethernet, and another USB-C charging port. The dock can deliver up to 100W through each USB-C port, with up to 160W of total charging divided among them when multiple are in use.
In short, this docking station doubles as a multi-device charging station and an extension for your laptop, allowing for dual external 4K monitors plus peripherals (like keyboards and mice) plus flash drives, SSDs, and other data devices, as well as a stable wired internet connection.
For most users, this Anker 14-in-1 dock is a workstation boon and a great deal now that it’s $100 off. But before you buy, note that on macOS the two external monitors can only mirror each other rather than being used as separate displays. Also note that this dock doesn’t support Linux at all.
For more options, check out PCWorld’s roundups of the best USB-C hubs and best Thunderbolt docking stations.