PowerExpand Elite 13-in-1 Thunderbolt 3 Dock

https://www.anker.com
$299.99

The Thunderbolt 13-in-1 won’t just charge your device – this helpful little block has every kind of port you could need, from USB to HDMI and phone ports, allowing you to connect and use 13 different devices at once.

This small, portable gadget makes it easier than ever to set up your laptop wherever you are and to whatever you need. In total, the Thunderbolt 13-in-1 has the following ports: two USB-A Ports, two USB-C Ports, 1Gbps Ethernet Port, 3.5mm AUX In & Out, 4K HDMI Port, SD Card Slot, microSD Card Slot, an 85W charging port for laptops and a 15W charging port for phones. Whatever set-up you need, you can set it up with the Thunderbolt and keep your devices charging at the same time.

First and foremost, the Thunderbolt is a charging dock, so does it do that well? In a word, yes – it charged my HP Laptop in no time, and made similar quick work of my wife’s Mac – less than two hours for a full charge for each. It charges a phone even quicker, feeling more like the benefits of mains charging than the far slower experience one gets if charging from another device.

As for the bandwidth speed of these ports, they can support up to 40Gbps, meaning they could apparently transfer a 20GB file in just over six seconds. We tried throwing some big files back and forth, including high-res images and video files for a current animation project, and were able to do so without a problem. Once receiving these files, we could also see them crisply through my friend’s high-quality monitors: the Thunderbolt’s ports support monitors with a resolution of 5K@60Hz, whilst its HDMI port can handle 4K@60Hz, meaning you can plug your laptop into one of each at the same time.

The Thunderbolt is easy to carry around, measuring only 125.8 mm (h) x 88.5 mm (w) x 41.9 mm (d). Its ports are compatible with most devices (though do check that it matches up with everything you need it to before purchase). The only issue I experienced was that it ran quite hot, especially with several devices plugged in at once, but this never caused an issue in its performance and it’s not unheard of for a dock or charger. All in all, this is a really helpful device to have to hand – especially if you are used to working on the go.

Pros:
13 ports
Fast charging time
Fast bandwidth
Broad compatibility
Small & portable