What is the best docking station for Lenovo's ThinkPad P1?

What makes the CalDigit TS3 so great?

When it comes to choosing the best docking station for the Lenovo ThinkPad P1, the best choice by far is the CalDigit TS3 Plus. This is entirely due to the insane amount of ports it has: five USB-A 3.1, two USB-C 3.1, DisplayPort 1.2, two Thunderbolt 3 (one of which is used to connect to the laptop), Ethernet, S/PDIF, an SD card reader, and 3.5mm audio. Once you hook your device up to this little beast, you'll have more ports than you know what to do with. On top of this, the dock also supports dual 4K displays at 60Hz and outputs up to 87W of charging power. As a result of all the stellar features and quality, the CalDigit TS3 Plus is pricey. However, it is absolutely worth it.

A more affordable option

If the CalDigit TS3 Plus is too pricey for your budget, the IOGear GTD300 is a much more affordable alternative that delivers a solid performance. Like the CalDigit TS3 Plus, it supports dual 4K displays at 60Hz, but it comes with only one USB-A 3.0 port alongside the basic HDMI, DisplayPort 1.2, and Ethernet. This means that while it's perfect for hooking your device up to monitors, the IOGear GTD300 doesn't add much in terms of peripheral connectivity. That being said, though, the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 comes with two USB-A 3.1 ports and two Thunderbolt 3 ports on its own, so the loss of support for peripherals isn't as significant as it would be for many other laptops. Overall, the IOGear GTD300 is a superb option if you want the basic benefits of a docking station and are looking to save some money.