Review: OWC USB-C Travel Dock – All the Ports, Less of the Clutter

If your computer is newer than a few years old then theres a good chance that you have a USB-C port. Thats the same port that is commonly used on most recent Android phones as well. We’re fast approaching a time when hopefully this USB-C port will be universal among all devices. Even the iPad Pro and all new MacBook models utilize this port. One of the huge benefits to USB-C is the ability to daisy chain multiple peripherals to a single port. You can get a single adapter that has HDMI, Ethernet, and SD card connections and plug it into a single USB-C port on your device to expand your devices capabilities.

Enter OWC’s USB-C Travel Dock.
Most USB-C docks out there today are pretty bulky, and not too aesthetically pleasing. OWC’s travel dock changes this.

Fist Impressions & Features

Like most of the packaging that OWC uses there is no unnecessary plastic. The packaging is easy to open for the OWC USB-C Travel Dock. Upon your first inspection of the travel dock you might wonder why there was no cable included to connect from the dock to your device. At first I know that i did, but this is actually a favorite feature of mine. When you aren’t using the device the USB-C connector cable tucks nice and flush into the bottom of the dock!

The dock is square and no larger than the size of a hockey puck. It feels really solid and is a well put together dock made mostly from machined metal.

The dock includes most of the ports that you will ever need while your away from home including:

• Ethernet
• USB-C (Up to 100W charging!)
• SD Card reader
• HDMI Port (4K)
• USB # Ports (2)

The only port I was missing on this device was a 3.5mm headphone jack – but I’m probably in the minority there.

Daily Usage

I spent about a week using the OWC Travel Dock with me out and about. For my job I am constantly on the move and I always need to have my laptop on me. My daily driver is a 2020 M1 MacBook Air so when it comes to built in ports I have just 2 USB-C/Thunderbolt ports on my laptop. This means that having a variety of dongles is usually commonplace for me. It’s been really nice to be able to replace all of those dongles with this single USB-C dock.

My gripe with most other USB-C docks is that they would take up too much space in my laptop bag, or just be too big and bulky to lug around with me everyday. This is certainly not the case for OWC’s solution.

The other thing that a lot of other USB-C docks in a smaller form factor lack is the ability to effectively and quickly charge a laptop quickly. While this isn’t usually an issue for smaller laptops like my MacBook Air, it certainly is for larger devices like the 2019 16″ MacBook Pro. In order to efficiently charge the MBP while you’re using it you usually need a 100W charger. Thankfully this USB-C dock does in fact support 100W charging – so long as you have an adequate power brick plugged into it.

Our Verdict

If you have fallen victim to the same dongle hell that plagues most people that have a MacBook, than the OWC USB-C Dock is possibly the best solution for this problem. The dock is so easy to pack up and take with you everywhere and will add all the functionality that you need to your laptop – and even to an iPad Pro too!

The dock is very reasonably priced, and OWC is one of the most reliable electronics companies still around today. Overall if you’re on the fence about purchasing this USB-C dock my recommendation is – go for it!

Click here to check the current price, and to purchase your own! (Affiliate Link)