Wavlink USB-C Quad Display: 30-second review
The Wavlink USB-C Quad Display 4K@60Hz Universal Dock is an all-in-one docking station that enables multiple monitors and accessories to be connected to your laptop through a single cable. The hub's big feature is its ability to connect up to four monitors to a single machine, expanding screen real estate, making it ideal for creative professionals and office workers dealing with multiple documents.
Setting up the Wavlink dock is straightforward, as tested on a MacBook Pro 16in M1 Max with three BenQ monitors and a smaller video monitor. Before use, the hub drivers need to be installed, which all feel a little retro compared to some of the best laptop docking stations we've reviewed. However, it's a simple download from the Wavlink website, and after installation, the connections for the displays are as simple as connecting the HDMI or DP cable. Once done, each monitor springs into life, and standard MAC or PC OS monitor settings allow easy window arrangement and all the usual adjustments.
Once the drivers have been installed, the Dock essentially becomes plug-and-play. When you arrive at your desk, simply plug in the single USB Type-C cable from the Dock to your laptop, and you instantly have a connection to the monitors and any other devices or memory cards that are plugged in. Another great feature, and one that saves AC wall socket space, is that you can plug your laptop into the hub, which supports 100W charging for laptops. There's also a 30W PD through the front USB Type-C port, which is ideal for tablets and, of course, phones.
However, while the Dock offers plenty of connectivity, its fastest data connection option is through USB 3.2 Gen 2, and it lacks faster USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 or USB 4 options. For creative users, there are SD and MicroSD card slots on the front; however, this is countered by the absence of CFExpress Type-A or B slots, which are used by many of the latest cameras, such as the Canon EOS R5 II and Nikon Z8.
However, this hub's USB ports still provide incredibly fast connections at 10Gbps and 5Gbps, which should meet most people's data transfer demands.
The Wavlink dock is a neat solution that enables you to connect multiple monitors and accessories to one machine quickly. It might not be plug-and-play, but the driver download and install are simple. Once done, the ability to connect multiple devices and monitors to one laptop makes this a great choice for many users.
Creatives will inevitably benefit from the additional screen space and connected accessories, but data transfer rates, if not checked, will be affected if multiple drives are being accessed simultaneously. However, an organised workflow will help to navigate any issues on this front, and the benefits of such a neat solution do, for the most part, outweigh these slight slowdowns. For more general use, this dock absolutely nails it; it's simple to use and performs extremely well to the point that once it's set up, it will just become an integral part of the furniture.
Wavlink USB-C Quad Display: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? $358
- When is it out? Available now
- Where can you get it? You can get it Amazon
The Wavlink USB-C Quad Display 4K@60Hz Universal Dock is available through various major retailers and online platforms, making it easily accessible for individuals and businesses in the UK and the US. The docking station offers a great solution for anyone looking to expand their workspace with multiple monitors and accessories.
- Value: 4 / 5
Wavlink USB-C Quad Display: Specifications
Wavlink USB-C Quad Display: Design
- Discreet design
- AC Powered
- Plenty of ports
The Wavlink USB-C Quad Display 4K@60Hz Universal Dock takes on the usual boxy design, which, while it might not break any ground when it is aesthetics, it's certainly functional. The exterior is made from high-quality plastic of the type you need to tap a few times to discern whether it's metal or plastic, which highlights the quality. Overall, the Dock has a stylish, discreet appearance, making it well-suited for both a stylish creative studio and a professional office. The purpose of the Dock is to be used and left in situ rather than portable, so it is positioned on a work desk connected to the AC power, monitors and accessories and ready for connection to a laptop when needed.
The AC power supply, which is an additional box about half the size of the Dock itself, comes with a decent-length cable, enabling it to be neatly tucked away. Thanks to this AC power supply, the Dock can provide power directly to a connected laptop. For example, if you connect a MacBook Pro, the USB Type-C port on the back of the Dock can supply 100W of PD power. There is another USB Type-C port on the front of the Dock, which provides PD power at 30W—still enough to give a Vivo X100 or other smartphone a quick power boost.
While there are multiple connection ports around the Dock, the main feature is the ability to connect up to four 4K monitors using the ports on the back of the box. These ports are aligned in four columns, each with a DisplayPort and HDMI port. Although there are eight connection options, you can use only four, one from each column. Next to these are three USB 3.0 ports, a LAN 2.5Gbps port, and a USB 3.2 connection to the laptop, along with a small power button. As well as 4K monitors, you can also plug in two 5K monitors, again one into each column.
On the front of the Dock, there is a USB Type-C port, an SD and MicroSD slot, another fast USB 3.1 port, and a small dual-function 3.5mm audio port for mic and headphones on the right. The final feature is the venting at each end of the box, part of a larger cooling system that includes a large internal heat sink. Wavlink highlights that this 76252mm² heat dissipation area has been designed to enable stable operation even in a 60°C high-temperature environment, and this should help with high-demand data transfers as well as supplying data to four connected monitors and accessories.
- Design: 4 / 5
Wavlink USB-C Quad Display: Features
The Wavlink USB-C Quad Display 4K@60Hz Universal Dock is packed with features that make it ideal for many types of professionals working with multiple office applications or those in the creative sector. The headline feature of this Dock is the ability to connect up to four 4K monitors or two 5K monitors at the same time. This ability dramatically expands screen space and enables you to easily manage multiple applications, documents, or creative projects without constantly switching between or minimising and maximising windows. For graphic designers, video editors, admin and data analysts, this should save you loads of time searching for that elusive minimised tab.
Along with multiple monitor connections, the Dock offers an extensive range of other connectivity options, including multiple USB 3.0 and 3.1 ports for fast data transfer. These ports are essential for creative professionals who work with large files, such as those from the latest cameras, as well as handling creative documents with high-resolution images and video. While the Dock might not match the ultra-fast transfer speeds of the latest USB4 connections, the array of ports available is still incredibly fast. There are two USB Type-C ports. However, it's worth noting that the main rear Type-C port is the one that connects to your laptop and offers 100W Power Delivery (PD), while the Type-C port on the front offers 30W PD for smartphones or smaller devices.
The inclusion of SD and MicroSD card slots is a nice touch, particularly beneficial for photographers and videographers who need quick access to their media files. CFExpress is quickly superseding these card types; however, for now, SD is still the most popular format and is widely used across multiple professions outside of the creative sector.
Another nice feature is the dual-function 3.5mm audio port on the front, which supports both mics and headphones. This is great for video conferencing, editing, and other multimedia tasks. When it comes to networking, the Wavlink USB-C Quad Display 4K@60Hz Universal Dock includes a 2.5Gbps LAN port.
Finally, security is a critical consideration in any professional setting, and the Wavlink dock addresses this with its built-in Kensington lock slot, essentially enabling you to secure the Dock and prevent theft physically.
- Features: 4 / 5
Wavlink USB-C Quad Display: Performance
Setting up the Wavlink USB-C Quad Display 4K@60Hz Universal Dock on both PC and Mac systems is straightforward, although not quite plug-and-play. Before plugging the Dock into your machine, a quick drive download is required: https://www.wavlink.com/en_us/drivers/download/2947cbee1250.html. Once this has been installed, the USB Type-C from the Dock can be connected to your laptop, and all monitors and accessories will be recognised.
In practice, once this driver was installed, switching between a MacBook Pro and an ASUS ProArt Creator Laptop was simple enough. The computer's native OS settings enabled the configuration of the monitors and any connected accessories. It also enables you to maintain the same desktop setup so that both computers can utilise the same screens and accessories through the Dock. However, it's worth pointing out that it is not simultaneous.
As with all docks, the main function is to enable you to connect your monitor, accessories, and other items to the Dock rather than your computer. This vastly increases the number of devices that can be plugged in at any one time and expands the types of connectors that can be used, especially with smaller laptops and Macs.
Once you have an array of devices plugged in, all that connects the hub to the computer is a single cable, enabling much the same connection to all those devices as if they were plugged in directly.
Once everything is connected, you can power on the Dock using the small power button at the back; this small button is small; however, due to the design of the Dock, it's easy to find when you need to power on or off the Dock. A few seconds after powering on the screens and connected devices, they will flicker to life and be ready to use as if they were plugged in directly. The ordering of the monitors typically correlates with how they are plugged into the ports at the back. Still, if there's any confusion or they need to be plugged in the right order, you can quickly adjust this using the display settings on your computer. For Mac users, this involves moving the monitors to the correct position in the display settings. Once configured, you can drag your cursor from one screen to the next, providing plenty of room to view multiple applications across the screen at one time.
In this test, we used three BenQ 27-inch monitors, which just fit the length of the large 1.2m IKEA Natura standing desk, along with a smaller field monitor. One of BenQ monitors was plugged in using the DP socket, while all other monitors were plugged in using HDMI. Aside from plugging in, all four monitors were able to display at 4K without issue with no lag or image break up.
The four-monitor setup was extremely straightforward. The simple approach quickly meant that aside from plugging in the USB cable, little else was required.
However, there were a few observations that it's worth being aware of. The first is that there is a lack of an all-eject feature, as is common with the OWC docking systems. Another point is that this Dock is based on the USB 3.2 Gen 2 rather than the faster USB 4 protocol. However, that does mean that you have wide compatibility, and the price is kept well balanced.
Along those lines, while you have all of these ports for connecting accessories, monitors, and hard drives when several data devices are connected and in use, you will see a drop in performance of up to, if not exceeding, 50%, which is a common issue with most Docks.
Overall, however, the Wavlink USB-C Quad Display's performance once connected and the driver installed is superb. It will suit all office environments and is a good starting block for creatives, although a fast USB 4 Thunderbolt Dock may be a better fit.
- Performance: 3 / 5
Wavlink USB-C Quad Display: Final verdict
The Wavlink USB-C Quad Display 4K@60Hz Universal Dock is a great choice for anyone who needs a way to expand their workspace with multiple monitors and the ability to connect various accessories through a single device. This Dock will enable you to keep all of your devices connected so that once you arrive at work, that single cable will enable you to connect rather than swapping and changing cables and connections as you switch between devices.
The ability to connect up to four 4K monitors is a great feature. With all the data that flows through the box, heat could be an issue. However, there's plenty of cooling, and even after a day of editing with three monitors running a variety of applications and two SSDs and SD cards transferring data, the Dock was more than able to handle the data flow.
The pure volume of connections is a huge benefit to anyone who utilises a variety of devices throughout their working day. With the PD in for laptops and mobile phones, this helps to free up two AC sockets, which is helpful when you have up to four monitors to power alongside a variety of hard drives and other connected devices. When it comes to data, it's a shame that there's no custom eject feature that enables you to disconnect all devices, such as SSDs, in one go; still, for the price and the abilities of this Dock, It's well-balanced and incredibly useful.
If you work with documents and multiple applications or with creative programs such as DaVinci Resolve and Adobe Photoshop and want to see everything at once, this is a great solution.
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