Anker 675 USB-C 12-in-1 evaluate: Trendy docking station & stand combo

Worth When Reviewed

$249.99

Finest Costs At the moment: Anker 675 USB-C 12-in-1 Docking Station and Monitor Stand

$199.99

The Anker 675 USB-C 12-in-1 Docking Station and Monitor Stand solves a number of of your laptop computer’s limitations in a single user-friendly, trendy, pleasant and purposeful product.

A laptop computer is a superb gadget nevertheless it comes up missing in just a few areas due to its portability.

First, the display is small and cramped for opening a number of information and purposes. You possibly can find yourself squinting at tiny textual content and having to maintain open a number of tabs and layers of paperwork.

Second, utilizing a laptop computer just isn’t nice on your posture, neck, again, shoulders, eyes… mainly, it’s not good on your physique. Stooping over that small display with hunched shoulders just isn’t nice on your neck, again or arms.

Thirdly, many laptops lack connections and extension ports to connect different units, equivalent to storage, shows, and wired web entry.

You possibly can resolve the primary limitation with a number of bigger exterior shows in a extra conventional desktop setup that may make work and play a lot extra snug. The second may be solved by elevating the laptop computer with an adjustable stand, or by inserting the bigger monitor on a stand, in order that the display you’re looking at is on the identical degree as your eyes. That may assist your posture, neck, shoulders and again.

To resolve the third challenge you should join your laptop computer to a hub or docking station so as to add additional ports: from a number of USB ports to Gigabit Ethernet, storage card readers, and show ports for including the additional displays. Apple’s MacBooks rely primarily on Thunderbolt ports for attaching units, however the Professional fashions do function HDMI for including an exterior show.

The Anker 675 is a mixture laptop computer or monitor stand and docking station that solves all of those points: it may well increase your display viewing angle into one thing extra snug and ergonomic, and add the ports that remodel the laptop computer right into a functioning desktop workstation.

Design

Whereas it seems like a easy aluminum alloy bench—21.26 inches lengthy, 8.66 inches deep and three.54 inches excessive—shut up it wows with a trendy curved edge design and a financial institution of quick ports at one finish, plus built-in cable administration tucked on the underside that can hold messy cables out of the way in which and out of sight.

If you find yourself completed working, the stand leaves you house to tidily retailer your keyboard and mouse below the bench.

Whereas it’s excessive sufficient as a monitor stand, if you happen to simply desire a laptop computer stand you’ll discover extra adjustable choices in our roundup of the greatest laptop computer stand for MacBook.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Ports

• 1x USB-C to host (100W PD)
• 2x USB-C ports (10Gbps, with shared 45W charging)
• 3x USB-A ports (10Gbps; one with 7.5W charging, one with 4.5W)
• HDMI (4K at 60Hz)
• Gigabit Ethernet
• SD card reader (104MBps)
• MicroSD card reader (104MBps)
• Qi wi-fi charging pad on prime (10W max, 7.5W iPhone)
• 3.5mm Audio jack
• 180W energy provide

The Anker 675 comes with a meaty 180W energy provide that can cost your laptop computer at as much as 100W when linked through the underside upstream USB-C to host port. That is appropriate with Thunderbolt 3 and 4 laptops in addition to straight USB-C.

The remaining energy can cost linked peripherals, with the 2 downstream USB-C ports providing a complete 45W. Two of the three USB-A ports can even cost units: one at 7.5W and one other at a slower 4.5W.

All 5 USB ports are rated at 10Gbps, which is as quick as they get outdoors of Thunderbolt.

We’d have most popular extra Kind C to Kind A USB ports however the scale of USB-A units on the market implies that dock producers are nonetheless drawn to them.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

A neat function is the Qi wi-fi charging pad on the highest that may cost any appropriate gadget at as much as 10W. It’s not magnetic so isn’t MagSafe appropriate however it may well wirelessly cost an iPhone at a good 7.5W. Try our roundup of the greatest MagSafe wi-fi chargers.

If you wish to cost your cellphone quicker, use one of many USB-C ports and a charging cable.

The SD and MicroSD card readers provide the prospect so as to add reasonably priced transportable storage to your laptop computer setup, with even 512GB playing cards costing below $50/£40.

The cardboard readers are UHS-I, rated at 104MBps. Some hubs provide quicker 312MBps UHHS-II speeds however the ones on the Anker 675 will probably be quick sufficient for many of us.

Foundry

Worth

The Anker 675 just isn’t low-cost, costing $249.99/£249.99.

You could possibly purchase a less expensive laptop computer or monitor stand—Amazon has very fundamental plastic stands for below $20. For all kinds of choices, take a look at our greatest monitor stands roundup.

Twelve South’s metallic Curve Riser is extra trendy than a fundamental stand, however lacks the hub performance of the Anker 675.

You’d want so as to add a good hub that matches the 675 on pace and show help, such because the $80 EZQuest USB-C 10-in-1 Hub Docking Station or Ugreen’s equally priced Revodok Professional 109 9-in-1 USB C Hub, or a correct docking station just like the HyperDrive 12-in-1 USB-C Docking Station.

Try our suggestions for greatest USB-C hubs for Mac and greatest USB-C docking stations.

Foundry

Verdict

Including a hub or dock with equal ports goes to push you near the value of Anker’s 675 Docking Station and Monitor Stand, and having it multi functional trendy and clutter-free package deal is a compelling possibility.

That cable administration system beneath will visually enhance your workspace and hold every little thing a lot tidier.

You could possibly assemble one thing cheaper and certain uglier, however with the Anker 675 USB-C 12-in-1 Docking Station and Monitor Stand you get a top-end hub with wired and wi-fi charging plus 4K at 60Hz show help as a part of a handsome ergonomic display stand.