The Apple M1 MacBook Air is one of the thinnest but powerful laptops. Well, it lives up to its name, with a lightweight body. However, all these cool features come at a price. The M1 MacBook Air only has two ports in the form of Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports. And when it comes to connecting the MacBook Air to peripherals such as an external monitor or keyboard, these two ports are not enough. This is when the docking station appears.

The main advantage of these laptop docking stations is that they allow you to seamlessly connect to quite a few peripheral devices. By connecting to an external monitor, you can enjoy a full desktop mode. This is a one-time setting. Once completed, you only need to move your fingers to connect/disconnect.

Therefore, if you want to increase the functionality of the M1 MacBook Air, here is the best docking station you can buy. But before that,

Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core is a compact docking station that is likely to complement the slim profile of the M1 MacBook Air. However, don't let the small form factor fool you, because this docking station is a powerful device. First of all, it is a dual power supply device. It can supply power to the connected MacBook Air and at the same time obtain power from the laptop to supply power to the connected devices. Now this is pretty cool.

In addition, it can provide up to 60W of power, which is enough for your MacBook Air. If you must know, the power of M1 MacBook Air is 30W. In other words, there are enough ports to expand the functionality of your laptop.

It comes with a USB-C PD port, an HDMI and a DisplayPort 1.4 connector, and a bunch of USB ports. If you want a wired internet connection, you can use the Ethernet port. In addition, the USB port is powerful enough to facilitate high-speed data transfer.

In theory, this docking station allows you to connect up to two 4K external displays. In fact, you will be able to connect a monitor to the M1 MacBook Air. This is not necessarily a disadvantage of the docking station, but a limitation of the M1 laptop.

Nevertheless, this docking station works well with the M1 MacBook, and several users support this statement as part of their comments. The power supply works as advertised. However, you must obtain a 60W power adapter.

Plugable’s Thunderbolt 3 Dock is a bit more expensive than Belkin Dock, but it greatly complements the Apple M1 MacBook Air. There are plenty of ports, including DisplayPort and HDMI ports. For the record, it comes with 11 ports, including an Ethernet port.

Like the above docking station, this docking station is slim and stylish and can be placed anywhere on the desk. All ports are on one side, so all wires and cables can be easily connected. Just make sure to route the cables so that your desk looks neat and tidy.

The same restriction exists here. You can only connect a monitor with a resolution of up to 4K via DisplayPort or HDMI. The 96W power output is more than enough for the M1 MacBook Air. At the same time, the build quality is very good. The only disadvantage is that the power adapter of this docking station is larger than the docking station itself.

Nevertheless, users have a good experience with this docking station. It can be easily connected, and there are few problems such as display flicker.

The Anker PowerExpand Elite is not one of the thinnest docks, but it brings 13 ports to the foyer. It is expensive, but you can benefit from dual Thunderbolt ports, USB-C ports, and 85W power transmission. Yes, if you have a monitor that only supports HDMI, then you can use the humble HDMI port.

The ports are located at the front and back for easy insertion of connectors and cables. In addition, the clever design means you can place it vertically or horizontally.

There are many power options on the sleeve of the PowerExpand Elite. In addition to 85W charging, it is also equipped with a 15W Thunderbolt 3 port and an 18W USB-C PD port, which can charge your smartphone or tablet. The USB-A port and card reader slot can easily connect a large number of USB-A peripherals or transfer data between memory cards.

Like the above, it can handle quite a few external displays on a Windows laptop. But for now, only one monitor is suitable for M1 MacBook.

But in the final analysis, Anker PowerExpand Elite is an expensive device. Unless you have a Windows system that you plan to use occasionally, this is a bit overkill, because you won't be able to connect dual monitors.

The best part of any Thunderbolt 3 docking station is that you can use it on USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 laptops, whether it's a MacBook or a Windows laptop.

The only problem with connecting a laptop dock to an M1-based MacBook is that it limits the number of displays. This can be a major bottleneck, especially if you want to keep your Mac on a vertical stand and work on a dual-monitor device.

If you have to choose between the three, we recommend that you use Belkin Dock Core. Compared with the other three, it is affordable and works very well with the M1-based MacBook Air.

Last updated on October 19, 2021 The above articles may contain affiliate links that help support the guidance technology. However, this does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains fair and truthful.

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Namrata likes to write articles about products and gadgets. She has been working at Guiding Tech since 2017 and has about three years of experience in writing functions, operating methods, buying guides and interpreters. Previously, she worked as an IT analyst at TCS, but she found her position elsewhere.

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