I love my MacBook pro but as we all know, there is no such thing as a perfect product. Apple decided to remove their USB ports and leave only 2 type c ports. And in order to connect a normal USB, SD card or anything but a C type connection, we need a USB adapter.
Today I’m going to review the OWC USB-C travel dock, a very interesting gadget that brings us all the ports we need in one compact device.
What’s in the Box?
- USB-C Travel Dock
- Manual
Design and Features
It might be called a USB-C Travel Dock, this dock isn’t just for travel.
Anytime you will need extra ports that you don’t have, this dock will be a live saver.
The OWC USB-C Travel is quite small, It feels solid yet light-weight, around 3 inches/76mm and weighs 91 grams. The design is very slick and you can see it was made out of quality materials. The edges of the case are made of metal, the top, and bottom made of plastic.
On top of the case, there’s a tiny indicator light to check if it’s plugged in and getting power. On the front, there is a USB-C port that acts as the PD port and can handle up to 100 watts of power.
When it comes to connectivity, you’re getting two USB 3.1 ports, a single HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a single USB-C port. Basically everything you need. I really like the built-in USB-C cable, yes it’s short, but it hides perfectly in the dock.
The Dock isn’t quite as fast as the native ports on my Macbook, but, with a laptop, you don’t have that choice. Aside from USB-C, there are no other ports available.
On the left side, there is a type-A USB 3.1 port and the HDMI port.
On the right is the other type A port along with the SD-Card reader.
I had a chance to test each post and they all work great! You don’t need a guild on how to use the OWC USB-C Travel Dock is very simple. Just plug it into your laptop and plug in whatever connector you wish to use with it. It will work on any operating system and there is no initial setup process.
Specifications
- Supports 4K display resolution — up to 4096 x 2160 @ 30Hz
- Color Depth: up to 24-bit
- 5W — 15W bus powered
- Up to 100W power delivery
- Height: 0.9 in (2.3 cm)
- Width: 3.2 in (8.0 cm)
- Depth: 3.2 in (8.0 cm)
- Length of Captive Cable: 5.9 in (15.0 cm)
- 6.0 oz (170.0 g)
- macOS X 10.10 Yosemite or later
- macOS Sierra 10.12 or later
- PCWindows 10 or later
- iOS 10 or later
- Andriod, Chrome, and Linux versions with USB Type-C support
- No driver required
- Any Mac, PC, or tablet with a built-in USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 port.
Ports
- (1) USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-C captive cable)
- (2) USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-A)
- (1) USB-C Auxiliary Power Port (up to 100W)
- (1) SD Card Reader (UHS-II)1
- (1) HDMI 2.0
My Opinion
I tend to travel quite a lot, and even if I’m not traveling I’m always mobile.
Even if you don’t travel, the OWC USB-C Travel Dock is a great way to add functionality to your laptop. As a Mac user, I had no choice but getting a dock so I could connect anything but a C-Type cable.
Using the OWC USB-C was quite enjoyable, it can be used not only for travel but on every day, I’m using it almost every day and I can’t imagine what I would do without it. Its definitely one of my favorite and needed gadgets, I just toss it in my bag, because I know it will be handy.
OWC USB-C Travel Dock CAN be purchased from :
OWC Site
Disclosure: OWC USB-C Travel Dock was sent to me by OWC for reviewing.
