Docking stations provide a ton of functionality but they aren’t always the prettiest addition to any desktop.
You might have that clean single cable connection to your laptop, but the dock itself is just a box with a bunch of cables coming out of it. Not super attractive.
Some manufacturers at least try to make the dock’s front-facing side look nice. But at the end of the day, some of us don’t want this box on our desk.
In this article, we’re going to show you how you can hide that docking station out of sight.
Key Takeaways
- Before hiding your dock, keep in mind what ports you want access to, proper ventilation, and secure mounting methods.
- Convenient places to hide your docking station are under your desk, behind your monitor, on the side of your desk, or even on a wall behind your desk.
- Methods to hide your dock in these areas are covered below.
Before Hiding Your Docking Station
Keep these few things in mind before hiding your docking station to maximize functionality and safety.
Allow Convenient Port Access
Docking stations are functional tools because of all the connections they offer on the dock itself. They have convenient ports for daily use like USB ports, SD card readers, headphone jacks, and more.
If you use these ports pretty regularly, ensure you still have easy access when hiding your dock. It can become a huge annoyance to not have easy access to all your dock’s connections.
Hide Dock In Well Ventilated Areas
Because docking stations are doing a ton of work, they can generate some heat.
In our review of the BenQ DP1310 Docking Station, BenQ ribbed the walls of the dock to double the surface area for cooling purposes! My old Dell TB16 docking station actually has a fan built into it!
This means we shouldn’t hide a docking station somewhere without adequate ventilation. It won’t be a great idea to stuff it in a drawer or any small enclosed space.
If you hide your dock in a small enclosed area, it can get much hotter than necessary. This leads to performance issues, not to mention just being a hazard.
Ensure your docking station lasts a long time and is comfortable in a decently ventilated space.
Use Secure Mounting Methods
Docking stations can cost a ton of money. This one below costs around $400 at the time of writing!
Connect up to 18 devices with a single cable with the TS4's expansive connectivity. This supports powerful 98W charging and the ability to connect a single 8K or dual 6K 60Hz displays.
Because these docks can be so valuable, we need to mount them very securely. We wouldn’t want our investment to fall off the underside of our desk.
A falling dock can snag our laptop’s ports and cause even more damage! Take extra care and ensure your docking station is securely hidden!
Know Your Dock’s Dimensions
Some of the mounting solutions and brackets we discuss will require knowing the measurements of your docking station. The overall thickness will be the most commonly referenced measurement.
Ways To Hide Your Docking Station
Use Under Desk Dock Mounts
One of my favorite places to hide a dock is under the desk. This keeps all the messy-looking cables under your desk as well.
If you need port access, simply mount it under the front edge of the desk in a super functional location. I recommend placing it on one side of the desk or the other, just so we don’t crash our legs into the dock.
This under-mount holder is suitable for any device that has a max thickness of 1.5" and max weight of 4lb, including docking stations. It's easy to install with strong adhesive back mounts.
There are a few options that can work here. The above option is a two-bracket system that can fit docks up to 1.5 inches in thickness.
If you want to protect your dock from sliding backward, you can use a three-bracket version instead. The three-bracket version linked above is meant for laptops but can work with any device under 1.2 inches in thickness.
If you have a super thick docking station, this three-bracket version can support a dock up to 2.7 inches in thickness.
You can also use two tricks to prevent your dock from falling out of these bracket solutions.
- Connect your cables in a way that traps the dock.
- Use double-sided tape in addition to the brackets.
The first method involves routing a cable through the body of the bracket. This traps the dock and protects it from falling. The second method is to use double-sided tape so your dock can’t move at all when mounted together with the brackets.
My 3D Printed Under Desk Mount
I 3D printed a quick and dirty under-desk mount for my Dell TB16 docking station. As you can tell I trapped the Type C thunderbolt cable with my bracket so it cant move around.
This was short-lived because the TB16 dock comes with a super short USB-C cable. This restricted my laptop placement options greatly.
I also was not able to place it by the front of my desk due to the short USB Cable. Today’s docking stations typically come with longer laptop connection cables, so this shouldn’t be an issue for newer docks.
Hide Dock Under Desk Shelf
If you’re not familiar with monitor shelves or desk shelves, check out our article on desk shelf benefits. These are platforms that sit on your desk that raise your monitor to an ergonomic height and give you more storage space underneath.
We can use that storage space to easily keep a docking station relatively hidden with good port access. If port access is important to you, it’s hard to beat this method.
In the image below of my desk setup, you can see my docking station is front and center under the desk shelf with very easy access.
You don’t see any cable mess, there is no need for any drilling, and you get all the desk shelf benefits!
I am using this Aothia Desk Shelf, which is very large and affordable. If you want nicer looking desk shelves, check out Grovemade and Balolo.
Just be warned, these boutique brands are very expensive. We have an article on the best Grovemade desk shelf alternatives here.
Use Vertical Surface Mounts
If you would prefer to keep your docking station against a vertical surface, check out these vertical dock mounts. These would work great if you want to mount your dock to a wall or the side of your desk
This adjustable wall mount is suitable for any device that has a max width of 2.25" and a max weight of 6lb, including docking stations. It's easy to install with strong adhesive and helps organize devices neatly out of the way.
This option on Amazon appears to be a 3D-printed pair of brackets that can hold a docking station up to 6 lbs in weight. If your docking station is less than 2.25 inches thick, this could be a great little side-desk pocket to place a docking station.
This won’t be a super robust mount, as the docking station will be just sitting in a pocket and probably at a slight angle. However, if you are just looking for something that gets your docking station off your desk, this will get the job done.
Strapped Wall Mount
Turns out, people like to wall mount a lot of their electronic devices. The following wall mount is made to hold docks of all shapes and sizes.
This “universal mount” works by using a back plate that can be screwed into any surface. Three straps connect to this back plate allowing you to cinch down your docking station.
This heavy-duty strap mount is perfect for wall-mounting your devices. It enables you to place your items in an ideal location in your desk setup.
You don’t have to use all three straps. You might be able to get away with just two straps which could look a bit cleaner.
By using straps instead of brackets, you can have a much more secure mount as you dictate the strap tightness.
Because this uses a back plate to interface with the straps, you can mount your dock pretty much anywhere. That means walls, the side of your desk, under your desk, and so on.
Mount Your Dock Behind Your Monitor
This method is specific to those using Kingston docking stations. Or if you can imagine a way your docking station would interface with the mounting features below (did someone say zip ties?).
This mount allows you to mount a compatible Kensington docking station on the back of any VESA-compatible monitor. You can place the dock at your desired height setting and is compatible with Kensington Docking Station models: SD3600, SD3650, SD4500, and SD4600P.
This bracket is great because it interfaces with your monitor’s VESA mounting holes. If you are not familiar with VESA mounting, check out our article on VESA mounting 101.
Once you bolt this plate onto your monitor with the supplied screws, it extends two slots which can be used to mount a docking station.
This can make for a very clean design as the cable mess will be hidden behind your monitor. Just keep in mind you will have to cable manage those monitor cables afterward.
Use Desk Clamp Mount
Kingston also makes a desk clamp mount that can mount their docking stations. If you don’t have a Kingston dock, you might be able to route a Velcro strap or something similar through the slots in the product below.
This mounting bracket allows you to attach docking stations with VESA mounting holes to numerous mounting surfaces for maximum flexibility. It's compatible with docking stations that have VESA mounting holes, including Kensington docks.
This is nice because it can result in a very rigid desk-mounted setup for your docking station. The rigidity will come in handy when you have to connect and disconnect cables. It also does not require any drilling!
A clamp doesn’t have to be mounted on your desk specifically. You can attach it anywhere it clamps, including monitor arms or other nearby furniture.
Browse Custom Dock Mounts On Etsy
If none of the above options sounded good to you, Etsy is the next place to look. Surprisingly, Etsy happens to have 3D-printed desk mounts for specific docking stations.
There is also a decent selection of dock-specific mounts available!
Check out some of the supported docking station models I found on Etsy below! There are more on Etsy, so just search your dock’s make and model.
Dell WD19TBS / WD19TB / WD19 / WD19S / WD22TB4
Why Docking Stations Are Worth It
Docking stations provide a serious amount of functionality in a small volume. You can make a bunch of very useful ports available with just one cable going to your computer. And it can charge your computer at the same time!
We highly recommended docking stations in our article on hiding your laptop, just because of the single cable operation and the power button on the dock!
The single cable connection with USB-C and integrated power delivery looks fantastic visually, and it is super utilitarian at the same time.
There Is More To Hide!
Don’t stop at just hiding your docking station. We also have some dedicated articles on hiding wired keyboard and mouse cables, and even hiding monitors themselves when you’re done using them.
Hiding your electronics is a worthy task. Your desk gets closer and closer to being an inviting and distraction-free workspace. We highlight this in our article on setting up a productivity-focused desk.
