Whether you work at home or at the office, in both cases a laptop stand can provide a lot of peace and space on your desk. Especially when that laptop stand has a number of connections that your laptop does not have. The Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand may provide that peace of mind. The accessory can also be used with a tablet (with a linked keyboard).
Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand
Docking station with a total of thirteen connections:
- 4 x usb-a
- 2 x usb c
- 2 x hdmi
- 1 x Micro SD Card Slot
- 1 x SD card slot
- 1 x audio jack
- 1 x Ethernet Port
- 1 x VGA Port
7.5 Score 75 
- Pros
- Lots of extra connections
- Flexible aluminum frame
- Hide cables neatly
- Negatives
- Connections sometimes difficult to reach
- Doesn’t work without a USB-C port
The Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand is a laptop and tablet stand that has a large number of connections. The sturdy, aluminum frame features two USB-C ports, four USB-A ports, two HDMI ports, slots for a micro-SD and a regular SD card, a VGA connection, an Ethernet port and a audio jack. The accessory comes with a USB-C cable, which you can use to connect it to a laptop or tablet. So you’ve already lost one USB-c port, but on the whole you don’t actually hand in one. So that’s fine, depending on your situation.
Using Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand
Installing the Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand is a matter of plug and play. You plug the supplied USB-C cable into your laptop or tablet and into the accessory and you can immediately start pairing. You can connect up to two monitors to a tablet or laptop, for example, without using the available ports on your laptop. Does that have an advantage? You know for sure: you hide the cables neatly. Usually laptops have HDMI ports on the side, so cables stick out. The HDMI ports of the Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand are located in the base of the accessory, and you can hide it neatly through the bottom.
The latter also applies to the VGA connection, if you really need it, and the Ethernet port. The USB-C connections are also located on the same piece. These are typical connections where you rarely have to change cables, so it’s good to see that you can neatly hide them. At the front are different types of connections, which you do use more often. Then think of the slots for the two types of SD cards, the audio jack and two USB ports. The other two USB-a ports are on the sides of the foot. Those two ports are less accessible than you’d like, but that depends on the size of your laptop or keyboard.
The HDMI ports support image signals up to 4k (ultra hd) at thirty frames per second. The VGA port is stuck at 1080p at 60 Hertz, which is not surprising. The LAN port supports speeds of up to 1 Gbps, while one of the USB-c ports supports USB Power-Delivery (USD PD). This allows you to charge a tablet or laptop via a USB-C cable and adapter. You can therefore connect multiple screens via MST (Multi-Stream-Transport) when you use a USB-C cable between your laptop/tablet and the accessory. Finally, it’s good to know that the card readers can hold cards up to 2 TB of space. So that’s something to take into account. Given the prices of (micro) SD cards, many users will not quickly run into this limit, so it is not a major obstacle.
Who is the stand intended for?
The Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand is particularly suitable for people with tablets and laptops who do not have many connections or simply lack connections. Since in recent years we have started to work more on convertibles and hybrids (tablets that turn into laptops and vice versa) and have had to give up on connections, a docking station with many connections can offer a solution. After all, you get access to connections that you are missing or already using, which of course ultimately ensures a better working situation. Especially if you can neatly hide the cables, as with this product.
To make full use of the Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand, you must connect it via the USB-C cable. We’ll mention it just to be sure. Because when you connect the Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand with a USB-A to USB-C cable, only the extra USB-A ports will work. The USB-a port on your laptop simply does not support the other functionality. Using an adapter does not solve the problem. If you have a laptop without a USB-C connection and you want to get the most out of this product, it’s better to skip it. There are other products that can expand the number of USB-a ports for you.
Finally, the design of your laptop or tablet with keyboard is important. The Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand has a strip with a short step against which a wide foot rests under the keyboard part of the device. But when that strip is low, the whole system sinks down. That makes sense, but in some cases the device also covers the connections on the front. Admittedly, this makes it look neat and tidy, but at the same time the connections at the front are less accessible. The result: you often have to lift your laptop or keyboard to get something done and that just doesn’t work.
Buy or leave?
The Hama USB-C docking station with notebook stand is basically a fine product. The accessory is very suitable for anyone with a work tablet or a modern laptop, which is equipped with at least one USB-C connection. You then get access to twelve (actually eleven, but technically you do not surrender anything) connections, which actually make working easier. Add to that the aluminum frame is flexible and sturdy and offers access to many functions in a neat and accessible way and you have a product that we recommend for a specific group of people.
If you don’t have a laptop with a USB-C connection, it’s better to leave this product alone. Most of the connections don’t work. You do get access to four USB-A connections, but then it is better to buy an accessory that simply expands the number of USB-A connections. In addition, the design of your laptop or tablet with keyboard plays a major role. If the device sinks too far down, it will get in the way of the connections at the front. That said: do you have a laptop or tablet with USB-C on board? Then this is too handy accessory for your (home) work.
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