Everyone dislikes a wire nest. Docking stations and splitters have been created and gifted to us mere mortals by the technology gods to organize unruly command centres and boost power outputs to turn any PC—desktop or laptop—into the captain’s chair on Star Trek‘s U.S.S. Enterprise.

The last minute back-to-school rush can push any household to the limit while scrambling to obtain everything necessary for the upcoming year. We here at CGMagazine have your back this year with plenty of back-to-school shopping guides on the way. First up, the best back-to-school docks and splitters of 2022.

The following peripherals not only boost the power and ports at any given desk, but help remove the eyesore of cord salad at any station, so the only overwhelming feeling is the crushing weight of deadlines. Without further explanation, these are the best back-to-school docks & splitters for 2022 (in no particular order).

The master of any task, this docking station from Kensington dares to add many more ports to any desk already packed with an abundance of cords. With the ultimate goal of expanding productivity, the SD4840P is preferably used with USB-C laptops, Ultrabooks that support power delivery, and monitors that can reach triple 4K heights. With 1x HDMI 2.0b port, 2x DisplayPort++ 1.4 ports, and 85W of power delivery, the SD4840P can handle the heavy lifting, so users can focus on meeting due dates in time for back-to-school.

Get it on the Kensington website starting at $219.99.

A smaller, yet powerful option from Kensington is the UH1440 mobile dock, with adaptability to work with most systems, iPads, laptops, and smartphones with either Thunderbolt 3/4 or USB-C ports. Featuring ports for days:

The upcoming UH1440 is pretty similar to the UH1400P and specializes in mobile devices. It’s a useful peripheral for those who always misplace their devices or forget to plug stuff in. This handy dock also forgoes the need to install any other software; it just works. The UH1440 is for those who dislike complicated setups when buying for their back-to-school needs.

With a staggering total of 12 available ports, this docking station from Plugable could make even the mightiest of power strips blush. With the power delivery capability to three 4K screens, 2 USB 3.0 ports, 3x HDMI 1.4, 3x DisplayPort 1.2, this tower of power flagship display port dock can support even the most gruelling session in time for back-to-school activity.

Get it on Amazon for $269.00.

This simple device from C2G does exactly what is intended for users who don’t require all the bells and whistles of other stations. The 2-port amplifier splitter is a one input to two output devices with the sole capability of splitting a PC, or gaming console to two other displays. Simply put, an easy way for back-to-school screen linking done with convenience. Also, potentially great for people that are planning a gaming tournament for the late night hours in the dorms and want only the best picture possible.

Get it from the C2G website for a reduced $116.99.

Another 10 port docking station comes in hot at Razer with the Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma, with stylish RGB capability, Razer Synapse 3 compatibility, and top of the line power distribution.

Our review from Brock McLaughlin states, “Setting up the device took mere seconds. It’s pretty much plug and play. Plug the dock into the power adapter, followed by plugging the Thunderbolt 4 USB-C cable into the upstream port on the front to your computer or laptop. Then plug in the rest of your wired accessories into the other USB dongles, and you’re good to go,” with a warning of no DisplayPort inclusion for those in need of it for back-to-school.

Snag yours on the Razer website at $329.99.

Revealed back at CES 2022, the Plugable USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 hub docking station injects three USB4/ Thunderbolt 4 ports into a command station’s veins, while also boasting a name pulled directly from a Star Wars droid, officially called the USB4-HUB3A. The included Goshen Ridge Chipset allows adaptability akin to the host device’s capabilities, ultimately getting the most out of the PC that is the heart of the command centre. A trusty back-to-school option indeed.

Snag one on Amazon for $280.00.

A different option comes in at a bigger size, but with more capabilities, introducing the massive FireCuda Gaming Hub which doubles as an external hard drive with 16 TB of storage space. Although the hub unfortunately doesn’t utilize SSD storage, it features RGB colour and massive space for all back-to-school storage and power needs. With dual USB-A and USB-C ports on the front of this beast, plug and play is simple with 2.0 Gen1 capability.

Get one on Amazon for a reduced $138.00 for the 8 TB.

IOGEAR proves size doesn’t matter with the USB-C Triple HD compact dock that can literally fit in a users pocket, for a grab-and-go affordable option for back-to-school power. Add three monitors to a portable setup on the fly, with 2x HDMi ports and a DisplayPort in a small package. While this device seamlessly plugs into almost any laptop’s USB-C port, it expands portage with four USB-A ports (2x 2.0, 2x 3.0), back-to-school station setups truly anywhere.

Snag one on Amazon for $79.95.

Back-to-school power can be made simple for the 2022 season with the best back-to-school docks and splitters, according to CGMagazine!

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