Belkin Connect 11-in-1 USB-C Pro Dock Review: All the Essentials, and Then Some

The Belkin Connect 11-in-1 USB-C Pro Dock has conscionable astir each information and AV transportation a laptop idiosyncratic could want. With lone a tiny privation database of features for the adjacent generation, I deliberation Belkin enactment unneurotic a fantastic, grab-and-go USB-C workstation.

Price and Availability

The Belkin Connect 11-in-1 USB-C Pro Dock retails for $150 and is disposable to acquisition astatine Amazon, Walmart, B&H Photo-Video, oregon straight done the manufacturer.

Travels Nicely successful Bags and Luggage

The Belkin Connect 11-in-1 is 10.2 inches wide, which is astir of the left-right footprint of a 13-inch laptop. Belkin intended for laptop users to dock their Apple and Windows machines connected this USB hub, and it’s the cleanable magnitude for my precocious 2020 MacBook Pro.

From beforehand to back, the portion is 3.5 inches, and it’s lone 0.9 inches tall. You’ll person zero issues taking this Belkin workstation from A to B, whether that’s 10 minutes down the roadworthy oregon the different broadside of the globe. All ports are housed connected the backmost of the device, and flipping the hub implicit reveals wraparound silicone padding to forestall the Belkin Connect from sliding astir and scuffing surfaces.

I’ve travel astir to the cosmetics of this Belkin hub, but astatine first, it struck maine arsenic thing you’d find connected shelves 10 oregon 15 years ago. It’s conscionable not wholly modern-looking, which astir apt won’t beryllium a large woody for astir folks. That said, I bash privation Belkin would person added different 2 oregon 3 inches to the built-in USB-C pb to marque the dock easier to usage connected the go.

Solid Ports and Features

Belkin went for an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink layout for the Belkin Connect, a determination astir media creatives volition beryllium pleased with.

I besides similar it erstwhile the companies that marque these USB-C hubs inactive fuss to see much than 1 USB-A larboard and SD paper slots. Even though USB-C is astir arsenic mainstream arsenic it’s ever been, galore of the gadgets successful a contented creator’s arsenal inactive usage these older connections.

One of the main benefits of the Belkin Connect is its quality to output video to up to 3 displays simultaneously. The Connect does truthful by mode of Silicon Motion technology, and you’ll privation to marque definite you’ve got the latest drivers downloaded connected immoderate laptop you’ll beryllium hooking up to the Belkin Connect, disposable done the Silicon Motion download page.

Do support successful caput that lone the left-most HDMI larboard tin output up to 4K/60Hz. The different larboard defaults to 4K/30Hz, portion the VGA lone pushes up to 1080p.

Some different noteworthy larboard perks see 10Gbps transportation speeds crossed each USB ports, up to 85-watt PD charging from the big connection, and a lightning-fast 2.5Gbps Ethernet hookup. There’s adjacent a 3.5mm auxiliary that works arsenic some an input and output! The Belkin Connect supports pass-through charging, too, though you whitethorn privation to allocate duties to a dedicated power bank.

Belkin adjacent provides a escaped Mac and Windows Belkin Dock Utility to assistance you negociate your web security, providing features similar MAC code monitoring and interface management.

Putting My Workstation to the Test

I wanted to cognize however the Belkin Connect would fig into the mean 9-to-5 of a video oregon photograph editor, 2 professions I deliberation the folks astatine Belkin were reasoning a batch astir erstwhile they built this dock. First and foremost, I went and popped the Belkin Connect successful my laptop container and quested disconnected into the wilderness.

Arriving astatine the office, it took little than a infinitesimal to link the dock to my 13-inch MacBook Pro. Depending connected your workstation layout, 1 happening to support successful caput is that each the Belkin Connect’s ports and big USB-C are connected the backmost of the unit. This whitethorn beryllium good for astir folks, but others whitethorn person a circumstantial carnal workflow that can’t oregon shouldn’t beryllium fussed with.

I had zero issues wiring up 2 HD monitors to the Belkin Connect. Again, conscionable beryllium definite you person the due Silicon Motion drivers installed connected immoderate laptop you program connected utilizing your Belkin Connect with. In my case, MacOS really required maine to download show bundle called InstantView. Then, each I had to bash was link 1 show to HDMI 1 and the 2nd to HDMI 2.

Connecting a USB flash thrust to the Belkin Connect, I went up and cued up 5 HD movie files for transfer, on with 15 hi-res photos. It took somewhat implicit a infinitesimal to upload each the images and conscionable shy of 11 minutes to upload 8GB worthy of HD cinema.

Some whitethorn find it convenient to usage the Belkin Connect arsenic a laptop stand. Admittedly, the inch oregon truthful assistance provided immoderate wrist alleviation erstwhile tying connected my MacBook, but I preferred keeping it disconnected the Connect. Not to notation the ports are overmuch harder to get astatine erstwhile your laptop is sitting connected apical of the dock.

What About the Competition?

Is determination thing this dock isn’t bully for? Technically, you could use it arsenic a portion of your PC gaming rig, but the 4K/60Hz headdress is going to forestall definite games from reaching their afloat potential, astatine slightest successful presumption of effect time. If you program connected doing immoderate PC gaming, I’d urge the Razer USB-C Dock instead.

It’s a spot cheaper than the Belkin Connect, and portion solution and refresh are inactive capped astatine 4K/60Hz, you tin sacrifice onscreen pixels to crippled successful HD astatine up to 240Hz. If you privation to prevention adjacent much connected a USB-C hub, I’d urge the Anker 553 8-in-1 USB-C Hub. Its Ethernet speeds aren’t arsenic accelerated arsenic the Belkin Connect, and you get 2 less USB-C ports.

Should You Buy the Belkin Connect 11-in-1 USB-C Pro Dock?

The Belkin Connect 11-in-1 USB-C Pro Dock is simply a fantastic desktop companion oregon on-the-go accessory for contented creators but besides for casual users who conscionable request 1 oregon 2 much ports for an mundane laptop.