Docking MacBook Air: How To Choose the Perfect Dock For Your Device

7 Tips to Consider Before Docking MacBook Air

The importance of docking MacBook Air is increasing because the number of ports is decreasing. A docking station not only enhances the connectivity of your MacBook Air. But also boosts your productivity with its added features.

However, there are a billion docking stations available in the market. And the list of them is only a click away. Hence, getting confused by the sheer volume of options available. And buying the wrong hub for docking MacBook Air is relatively easy. Furthermore, the consequences of purchasing the wrong dock can often be graver than you’d imagine.

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Therefore, we have compiled some tips to help you buy a new dock, and we present them to you in this article. But first, what do we mean by docking a MacBook Air?

What Do We Mean When We Say Docking MacBook Air?

All the latest laptops in general and MacBooks, in particular, are dropping their number of ports to appear sleek. But the number of ports is not the only thing going away because going with them is the laptop’s compatibility. And in this case, docking stations are gaining importance because they return to the laptop’s what they have lost by losing their ports.

Docking MacBook Air means connecting a docking station to a MacBook to make it compatible with other standard user peripherals like mouse, keyboard, printer etc.

The latest laptops are now only coming sporting just one port responsible for everything. From transferring data and power to exchanging audio and graphic files. And for a long list of responsibilities, a single port is just not enough.

So, docking MacBook Air distributes the responsibilities that fall on this single port among various ports. A MacBook Air docks to a USB hub or docking station and allows its users to connect multiple devices into the laptop’s sole port via a docking station.

Benefits of Docking MacBook Air

Apart from enhancing the laptop’s connectivity, a docking station offers a lot of other benefits too. Some of these benefits include:

• Some docking stations allow multiple displays and come with a combination of HDMI, DP, and VGA ports. Therefore, these docks allow users to connect multiple screens to their laptop. And enjoy an increased visual workspace. That they otherwise had stayed void of because the computer can’t connect as many screens.
• Docking stations give a much-needed boost to work productivity. How? By clearing up the wire-clutter on your desk. These docks effectively organize all your wires. So, they stay segregated in one place.
• Some docking stations also offer power delivery. So, you can charge your device without having to tether it to the wall.
• Moreover, charging a single-port laptop can be a nightmare as it could mean disconnecting all other peripherals every time the computer runs low. But a docking station that allows pass-through PD charges your laptops while other devices also stay connected.

How to Choose a Docking Station?

Now that we have convinced you to buy a dock for docking MacBook Air, here are some factors that you must consider to ensure that you buy only the best dock not only for your current laptop but also for all the next laptops to come.

Tip #1: Count the Number of Ports you Need

The primary purpose of buying a docking station is to connect your beloved peripherals to your laptop and use them all at once. But if you are buying a dock to charge your MacBook, we won’t judge you (but we will. Who does that?)

Anyway, counting the number of ports you need before docking MacBook Air is important to ensure that the docking station you buy will accommodate all the peripherals that you usually use.

Tip #2: Type of Ports

After you have counted the number of ports you need, it is crucial to cross-check each connector of your peripherals. If you use an external keyboard, mouse, or printer, you may want to invest in a device that has more Type-A ports.

If your smartphone has a USB C port, you may want to buy a device with a USB C port with power delivery so you can easily and quickly charge your device.

Moreover, if you use multiple screens for work, ensure that the docking station has the right ports to support all your external monitors. If you have HDMI monitors, check to see if the docking station you are interested in has HDMI ports. Same goes for if you have DisplayPort or VGA supported monitors.

Tip #3: Price of the Device

Saving money is smart, but being miser when buying a docking station for your MacBook Air might not be the wisest of your decisions. While buying a $10 dock off Alibaba or Amazon would save you some money, it can lead to severe damage and a more significant financial loss in the long run.

Moreover, some docking stations are exorbitantly expensive, without any out-of-this-world features. A standard $50 device might be able to give you what a $300 would.

Therefore, it is vital to find a balance between cheap and expensive when docking MacBook Air and finding one that is normally priced but gives you all the features you need.

Tip #4: Bus-Powered or Self-Powered Docking Station

When it comes to docking MacBook Air, you often have to broad choices. These are whether you should buy a non-powered docking station or a self-powered docking station.

A non-powered or bus-powered docking station retrieves power from the host computer and distributes it among the connected devices. On the other hand, a self-powered dock has its own AC adapter and takes power from the mains electricity to power all the tethered peripherals.

If you are docking MacBook Air for smaller peripherals and are looking for enhanced portability, a bus-powered docking station would suffice.

However, if you want to connect many devices, like a printer, scanner, monitors, and also to charge your laptop, a self-powered dock is the way to go.

Tip #05: Compatibility with The Laptop

All the latest MacBooks are USB type-C supported. Therefore, ensure that you buy a docking station with a USB Type C connector to connect efficiently with your laptop. So that you don’t end up wasting money on an incompatible dock.

Moreover, USB Type-C is supported by USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt 3 standard. So, to get the most out of your dock, ensure that it is compatible with these standards. Otherwise, it would connect, but will not be able to match the transfer speed inherent to your laptop.

Tip #06: Compatibility with OS

Stating the obvious but, a MacBook Air has a Macintosh operating system. While most docking stations feature compatibility with both Windows and Mac OS, some docks are only made for Windows Laptops.

Therefore, before docking MacBook Air, confirm that the docking station you are buying is made to work with your MacBook’s OS.

Tip #07: Universality

Today you are using a MacBook Air. A few years from now, you would upgrade to a variant of Apple’s laptops. Or maybe you would’ve switched to a Windows laptop. While buying a laptop costs you a pretty penny, you don’t want to spend extra money purchasing a new dock every time you change laptops.

Therefore, it is crucial to consider the universality of the docking station before you invest in one. It is best if you buy a universal docking station. Such a dock would be able to work with a wide variety of devices so that it connects seamlessly with all your new laptops.

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Conclusion

Researching a product is often the first step towards buying anything. However, it becomes critical when buying tech accessories because these things have many pre-requisites that need consideration.

Therefore, when docking MacBook Air, there are some crucial factors that you should take a moment to ponder over. Count the number of peripherals you’d like to connect and cross-check their connector type to ensure that you get the most out of your new dock.

Moreover, chose between a bus-powered or a self-powered hub, based on your usability. And finally, buy a dock that is universal to ensure that it offers compatibility with other laptops.

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