HP makes some fine laptops, from its premium Spectre lineup all the way down through Envy, EliteBook, Pavilion, and more. As these PCs thin out, port selection is often also reined in, leaving you with accessories and displays with no way to connect. This issue can be easily solved with a proper docking station; here are the best for your HP laptop.
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The Thunderbolt G4 is an official HP docking station with 120W and 280W power options for standard laptops and power-hungry workstations. It offers support for up to four external displays at 60Hz each, and it charges your laptop while you work. Alongside the host TB4 port, there are two USB-C 3.2, four USB-A 3.2, two DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, and 2.5Gb Ethernet. It also supports PXE Boot, Wake on LAN, and MAC pass-through.
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CalDigit’s TS4 is currently our top pick of all Thunderbolt 4 docks and hubs, and it will work well with any HP laptops with the latest Thunderbolt standard. It has 18 total ports, including three downstream TB4, three USB-C, five USB-A, DisplayPort 1.4, 3.5Gb Ethernet, UHS-II SD and microSD card readers, and multiple 3.5mm audio jacks. It supports dual 4K displays at 60Hz each, and it will charge the host laptop with up to 98W.
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Those using a laptop without Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 can still get in on a great dock with the CalDigit SOHO and its USB-C (10Gbps) performance. It offers downstream USB-C data and USB-C power pass-through with up to 100W charging power to your host laptop, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0b, USB-A, and dual UHS-II card readers. It can handle dual 4K monitors at 30Hz apiece when extended.
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Kensington’s SD5700T is another top Thunderbolt 4 dock choice. It has a durable aluminum build, bracket mounting options, and lock slots. It can charge your laptop with up to 90W of power, and it has 11 total ports including three downstream TB4, Ethernet, four USB-A, a UHS-II SD card reader, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
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Plugable UD-ULTC4K
Plugable’s refreshed UD-ULTC4K Tripe 4K Display Dock for USB-C laptops now has 13 total ports, including three HDMI and three DisplayPort for maximum display support. This can handle up to three 4K display at 60Hz each, and it delivers up to 100W charging back to the host PC. Other ports include four USB-A, Ethernet, USB-C, and an SD card reader.
If we’re making some further suggestions …
The best HP laptops are coming around to include Thunderbolt 4, which is why this collection is weighted heavily in the new standard’s favor. That doesn’t mean there aren’t still HP laptops with just USB-C, which we’ve accommodated here with the likes of the CalDigit SOHO and the Plugable UD-ULTC4K.
I reviewed HP’s Thunderbolt G4 Dock and came away mostly impressed with the port selection, optional 280W version for workstations, and the extra security and manageability features. If you’re working within a secure workflow and want a branded dock that can keep up, this might be the way to go.
If you just want the absolute best Thunderbolt 4 dock, the CalDigit TS4 is the way to go. It offers the most ports, it has good display support, and it can deliver up to 98W of charging back to the host laptop. It will set you up nicely for the future, and it looks great on a desk.
Our collection of the best laptop docking stations has more options if none of these are really what you’re looking for.
