The Dell XPS 13 and 15 are powerful laptops, but they suffer from severe port poverty. A good docking station solves that — but the XPS 15 in particular needs a dock that can deliver 130W power delivery to avoid the dreaded 'slow charger' warning. We tested the top Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C docks to find the best for every use case, from creative pros to budget-conscious home office users.
The Dell XPS 13 and XPS 15 are some of the best ultrabooks you can buy — thin, light, and fast. But that slim chassis comes at a cost: you get exactly two Thunderbolt 4 ports (on most models) and maybe a USB-A or headphone jack if you're lucky. That's it.
If you want to connect an external monitor, ethernet, a few USB peripherals, and keep your laptop charged — all at once — you need a docking station. And if you own an XPS 15, you need one that can deliver 130W of power delivery to avoid the system throwing a "slow charger" warning and throttling performance.1
Here are the best docks for your Dell XPS, ranked by use case.
Best for: XPS 15 owners who want one-cable simplicity without the slow charger warning.
The Dell WD22TB4 is the only dock that delivers a full 130W over a single Thunderbolt 4 cable to the XPS 15.1 Every other dock tops out at 90–98W, which means your XPS 15 will show a "slow charger" notification and may throttle under sustained load.
It's not the flashiest dock — 7 ports, Thunderbolt 4, 2.5Gb Ethernet — but it's the only one that's a true native fit for Dell's flagship. If you own an XPS 15, this is the one to get.
Who should buy it: XPS 15 owners who want guaranteed full-speed charging and a reliable, no-surprises dock.
Who should skip it: XPS 13 users (you don't need 130W) or anyone who needs more than a handful of ports.
Best for: People who want every port imaginable and don't mind paying for it.
The CalDigit TS4 is the "everything but the kitchen sink" dock.2 It packs 18 ports including Thunderbolt 4, 2.5Gb Ethernet, USB-A, USB-C, DisplayPort, HDMI, and a combo audio jack. It delivers 98W of power delivery — plenty for an XPS 13, and enough for an XPS 15 in light workloads (though you'll see the slow charger warning under heavy load).
The build quality is exceptional — all metal, solid, and designed to sit on a desk for years. It's expensive, but if you need the port count, it's worth every penny.
Who should buy it: Power users, video editors, and anyone connecting multiple peripherals who values port variety over raw XPS 15 charging.
Who should skip it: XPS 15 owners who need guaranteed 130W charging, or anyone on a tight budget.
Best for: Photographers and videographers who need fast SD card transfers.
The CalDigit TS3 Plus is the previous-gen flagship, and it's still excellent. What sets it apart for creative professionals is its UHS-II SD card reader — significantly faster than the UHS-I readers found on most docks.2
It delivers 87W of power delivery over Thunderbolt 3, which is enough for an XPS 13 and adequate for lighter XPS 15 use. You get 15 ports including DisplayPort, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and gigabit ethernet.
Who should buy it: Photographers and videographers who transfer large SD card files regularly and want a premium, reliable dock.
Who should skip it: Anyone who needs Thunderbolt 4 speeds or 130W PD for an XPS 15.
Best for: Home office users who don't need Thunderbolt speeds.
The Anker 575 is a 13-in-1 USB-C dock that uses USB-C 10Gbps instead of Thunderbolt.3 That means lower bandwidth — you won't get dual 4K at high refresh rates — but it's a fraction of the price of Thunderbolt docks.
It delivers 85W of power delivery, includes HDMI, DisplayPort, ethernet, SD card reader, and multiple USB-A ports. For an XPS 13 in a home office setup with a single monitor, it's more than enough.
Who should buy it: Budget-conscious buyers, home office workers, and XPS 13 users who need basic connectivity.
Who should skip it: XPS 15 owners, multi-monitor setups, or anyone who needs Thunderbolt speeds.
Best for: Triple 4K monitor setups.
The Plugable UD-ULTC4K uses DisplayLink technology to drive up to three 4K monitors simultaneously.4 Most Thunderbolt docks can only drive two displays natively, so this is the go-to choice for multi-monitor productivity.
The trade-off: DisplayLink uses software-based compression, which adds a tiny bit of latency and CPU overhead. For office work, spreadsheets, and coding, it's imperceptible. For gaming or video editing, you'll want a native Thunderbolt solution.
It delivers 100W of power delivery and includes a generous port selection.
Who should buy it: Anyone running three external monitors from their XPS 13 or 15.
Who should skip it: Gamers, video editors, or anyone sensitive to DisplayLink's slight latency.
| Spec | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Power Delivery (PD) | XPS 15 needs 130W to avoid throttling. XPS 13 is fine with 60–98W. |
| Thunderbolt 4 vs USB-C | TB4 gives you 40Gbps bandwidth, dual 4K, and daisy-chaining. USB-C 10Gbps is cheaper but limited. |
| SD card reader | UHS-II is ~2x faster than UHS-I. Critical for photographers. |
| Port count | More isn't always better — check that the ports match what you actually plug in daily. |
If you own a Dell XPS 15, get the Dell WD22TB4. It's the only dock that delivers the full 130W your laptop needs, and the "slow charger" warning is genuinely annoying to live with.1
If you own an XPS 13, you have more flexibility. The CalDigit TS4 is the best premium choice, the Anker 575 is the best value, and the Plugable UD-ULTC4K is the best for triple monitors.
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