Kensington SD4700P Universal USB-C and USB-3.0 Docking Station REVIEW | MacSources

Enhance your mobile computing repertoire with a multifunctional docking station

Even though I love my MacBook Pro, I often struggle with the lack of ports; the four Thunderbolt 3 ports and single 3.5mm output port do not seem to support all of my needs. For example, I often need USB-A ports for jump drives or for external peripherals. As another example, I have wanted to utilize an external monitor but did not have the USB-C Multimedia adapter. For yet another example, I have needed to connect via ethernet and did not have a USB-C to Ethernet adapter. Luckily, devices like the Kensington SD4700P provide a variety of additional ports for accessibility and productivity. In light of the modern dongle fad, shirk the bandwagon and opt for a docking station instead.

The Kensington SD4700P Universal USB-C and USB-3.0 Docking Station arrived in an 8 3/4 inches long by 4 1/8 thick by4 1/2 inches tall tan cardboard box. Other than the 6 5/16 inches wide by 3 5/16 inches tall white label sticker, the remainder of the outer packaging was left unadorned. The sticker listed the company name along the top left, and the product name was written in three languages just below the company name. You will find a large SKU barcode, product manufacturing labels along the left and a small drawing of product inclusions, and company address along the right/bottom. When I lifted the front flap, I was greeted by the matte-black 9.02-ounce Kensington device. The front panel had a small LED light along the bottom left, a 3.5mm headphone out jack, USB-A/USB3.0, and PD USB-C port. The side panel closest to the USB-C port had a grey “Display Link Plug and Display” image, while the opposite side panel had a computer lock port. The back panel provided four USB-A/USB 3.0 ports and a Gigabit Ethernet port toward your right and a DC 20V Power input port, PD USB-port, an HDMI port, and Display Port along the left. The top panel had “Kensington” etched into the surface, and the bottom panel had two 1/16 inches diameter mounting screw ports and a product label sticker with the company name, product name, serial number, and product manufacturing labels.