Maximize Productivity with the Satechi Universal USB-C Hub at Only $150 - ZDNet Review

Unleash Ultimate Connectivity: Satechi’s Comprehensive USB-C Hub for Just $150 - A Closer Look

Satechi

Laptops have become so powerful and versatile that they are rapidly replacing desktop computers. My MacBook Pro handles it all, from basic word processing and web browsing to editing high-megapixel images and 4K+ videos.

One thing that has made laptops even more versatile is the acceptance of docks and hubs. This way, you can get access to more ports, connect more displays, and even add external storage.

Also: My favorite USB-C accessory of all time scored a magnetic upgrade

But the last thing that you want is to end up in a position where you end up with numerous docks, hubs, and drives dangling from your laptop, turning your streamlined setup into some unwieldy tech octopus.

Newsletters

ZDNET Tech Today

ZDNET’s Tech Today newsletter is a daily briefing of the newest, most talked about stories, five days a week.

See all

What you need is a dock that does it all. What you need is the Satechi Dual Dock Stand .

ZDNET RECOMMENDS Satechi Dual Dock Stand The Satechi Dual Dock Stand has been designed to transform an Apple MacBook or Windows laptop into a powerful hub, with support for an M.2 SATA/NVMe SSD to expand the system storage. View at Amazon

Satechi Dual Dock Stand tech specs

Connector Type: Dual USB-C
Dimensions/Weight: 15 oz (about 425 g)
Ports:
USB-C PD Pass-through Port up to 75W
2 x USB-C Data Ports (5Gbps & 10Gbps)
2 x HDMI 2.0 Port (4K/60Hz)
1 x DisplayPort 1.4 Port (4k/60Hz)
2 x USB-A Ports (5Gbps & 10Gbps)
1 Gigabit Ethernet Port
1 x M.2 SATA/NVMe SSD Port (SSD not Included)

Regular readers will know that I’m a huge fan of Satechi gear. Everything that has the Satechi brand is high quality, well made, and designed to solve real-world problems.

I’ve not had a single Satechi product that’s fallen short, and this dock is no exception. Everything about the Satechi Dual Dock Stand exudes quality, and it fits in so well with both the design aesthetic and build quality of my MacBook Pro. I’ve even had comments from people wondering if it was an Apple product.

Also: Assemble your own portable storage with this Satechi SSD enclosure

Let’s talk about the ports: There are so many that you’ll never be left hanging. In exchange for two USB-C ports on your laptop, you get a gigabit Ethernet port, a DisplayPort port, two HDMI ports, two USB-A ports offering speeds of 10Gpbs and 5Gpbs, two USB-C data ports offering 10Gpbs and 5Gpbs, and a USB-C power port with 75W power delivery to keep your laptop charged up. That seems like a fair trade to me.

Satechi Dual Dock Stand ports.

Satechi/ZDNET

The dock fits perfectly beneath your laptop, not only giving you a huge array of additional ports but also acting as a stand to elevate and tilt your laptop, putting it into a more ergonomic position for work.

The Satechi Dual Dock Stand also elevates and tilts the laptop.

Satechi

There’s also a built-in SSD enclosure, and this support M.2 SATA/NVMe drives. You pop open the lid, slide in a drive, screw it in place, close the lid, and you have added storage to your dock.

Adding an M.2 drive to the Satechi dock is simple.

Satechi

The final pleasant surprise that this dock had in store for me was the price. I was expecting this to fall somewhere in the $250 price point.

It doesn’t.

The Satechi Dual Dock Stand retails for $150, which, given the power and flexibility offered by this dock, is quite something. It’s a fantastic dock at a fantastic price and a great way for professionals to expand the capability of their laptops, turning them into a portable workstation.