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Some of the best Chromebooks these days are going in the same direction as Windows laptops, stripping out classic ports like HDMI or Ethernet in favor of Thunderbolt or USB-C. These are modern ports, but you'll need a dock to connect your Chromebook to multiple displays or a wired internet connection. There are a lot of great Chromebook docking stations, many of which pass Google's tests and carry the Works with Chromebook certification, but none of these docks were made by Plugable.

Plugable is a reputable docking station brand, and sure, you could use any standard Plugable docking station with your Chromebook. Still, there wasn't a guarantee it would work correctly, as Google does not verify those docks. Those docks also don't get automatic secure firmware updates, either. But now Plugable has the UD-MSTHDC, which is the company's first Works with Chromebooks docking station.

While the dock is made out of plastic and doesn't feel as premium as you'd expect for the $200 price, it adds a ton of ports to my Chromebook, most of which I use daily. The dual monitor support is also a plus, making work simple and easy at my desk. Overall, it was a joy to use and made my Chromebook an even better workstation.

About this review: Plugable supplied us with the UD-MSTHDC Works with Chromebook dock for review, and had no input in the content of this article.

Plugable UD-MSTHDC Docking Station front view and back view
Plugable UD-MSTHDC Works with Chromebook Docking Station
XDA Recommends

The Plugable UD-MSTHDC Works with Chromebook Docking Station is an excellent dock for Chromebooks. It gets you dual monitor support with HDMI and Display Port, as long as those monitors are 4K at 60 Hz. It also adds USB-A, Ethernet, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack to your Chromebook.

Ports
2x HDMI 2.0, 2x DisplayPort 1.4, Audio in/out, 4 x USB-A 5GBps, Ethernet, 60W charging to host, 2x USB-A 10GBps, 1x USB-C 15W
USB Power Delivery
60W
Power supply included
Yes
Warranty
2 year
Max display res.
4K 60Hz HDMI or DisplayPort
Price
$200
Pros
  • Certified by Google
  • Powers dual 4K displays at 60Hz
  • Can charge Chromebooks at 60W
  • Has lots of USB-A ports
Cons
  • Made of plastic and feels cheap
  • The host connection port is on the side
  • No microSD or SD card slots

Plugable UD-MSTHDC docking station: Price and availability

  • The dock costs around $200
  • It's available at many online third-party retailers

The Plugable UD-MSTHDC docking station retails for $200. It can be purchased at a number of third-party retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, and Newegg. This is around the standard price for a Works with Chromebook docking station. As a reference, Acer's USB Type-C Dock D501 comes in at $250. Then there's the HP USB-C Dock G4, a cheaper alternative at $150.

Design: It's all plastic

  • This is a flat, horizontal dock that's made of plastic
  • There are rubber feet on the bottom
  • The power adapter is huge

There's not much to the Plugable UD-MSTHDC docking station. It is a standard, flat, horizontal docking station that should tuck nicely next to a monitor on a desk. It measures about 8 x 3.5 x 1.5 inches.

To my surprise, it has no metal or aluminum anywhere, unlike what you'd find on a similar Anker or CalDigit dock designed for Windows PCs or Macs. It's made of plastic instead, so it does feel a bit "cheap," but it helps keep the price down and makes the dock lighter — although it feels a bit too light for my taste. I set the dock down next to my keyboard and accidentally hit it with my hands during an intense typing session. This moved the dock about a quarter of an inch from where it was before. There are rubber feet on the bottom, but they didn't do much in this case.

Plugable UD-MSTHDC Works with Chromebook Dock without cables

For how slim this docking station is, the power adapter, which outputs 20V and has a 100-240V input, is quite huge. It comes in two parts, with a brick and a detachable AC cable. I had trouble routing the adapter's brick behind my desk to fit my setup, but you'll have this problem with similar docks like the Kensington SD5780T.

Because of this, you might not want to travel with the dock; it's intended for desk use. For security, though, the dock does have a Kensington slot on the right side. I appreciate this since businesses have another way to keep it from being stolen.

Ports and performance: Almost everything you'll need for your Chromebook

  • There are 12 ports total (including the host connection)
  • The data/power port to connect to your host Chromebook is annoyingly located on the side of the dock

This Chromebook dock has a lot of ports, but not enough for photographers or creative types. The front of the dock (left to right) has a 3.5mm headphone jack, two USB-A 10GBps ports, a USB-C 10GBps 15W charging port for accessories, and a power button. The back is where the action happens, as you'll see (left to right) the power in, the ports for your display (two sets of HDMI and DisplayPort), Ethernet, and four USB-A 5GBps ports.

The side has a USB-C port to the host for 60W charging and data. Only nine of the other ports can be used when hooked up to dual displays, as two go to the monitor and one to the Chromebook for data and power.

I love the number of USB-A ports here, especially the front-facing ones, for my USB drive and headphones while my Chromebook was docked to my monitor. The rear ports also let me plug in a keyboard dongle and a printer. All that's missing on this dock is an SD card slot, as I often transfer media files off my camera. I had to use a separate SD card adapter, which defeats the purpose of a dock. I advise photographers to consider another Chromebook dock for this reason alone.

I love the number of USB-A ports here, especially the front-facing ones.

The dock can also provide up to 60W of power to a Chromebook, which powered my daily Chromebook, the Framework Chromebook, just fine. I didn't experience any issues with the dock connecting to displays or accessories, and the data transfer speeds were exactly as advertised. It's just a bummer that the dock's primary connection cable to the host is on the right side. This required some work in routing the cables. It would have been better if this port was on the back instead.

Plugable UD-MSTHDC Works with Chromebook Dock ports on the right

Even though it's marketed to use with Chromebooks, it can also be used with PCs and Macs (I used it with my Mac Mini and Surface). The Works with Chromebook certification only means the dock gets automatic firmware updates and has been tested to work on ChromeOS devices. If connected to Windows 10, Windows 11, or with a system with a Thunderbolt port, you get all the same functions as you would with a Chromebook. The only difference is with Macs — you'll only get support for one display, with the second being mirrored.

Plugable UD-MSTHDC docking station: Should you buy?

You should buy the Plugable UD-MSTHDC docking station if:

  • You want a certified Chromebook docking station
  • You want a dock with a lot of USB-A ports
  • You want a dock that supports dual displays

You should not buy the Plugable UD-MSTHDC docking station if:

  • Your docking station has to have SD card slots
  • You like the premium feeling metal of aluminum docks
  • You don't have $200

If you want a great docking station for a Chromebook and don't mind routing cables through the dock's side, then the Plugable UD-MSTHDC will work well in your desk setup. The dock can power your Chromebook or any great ChromeOS tablet and dual monitors, and it can provide a lot of USB-A ports and Ethernet. It's just a shame that for $200, this dock is made of plastic, and there are no SD card slots, which would have otherwise made it fit well with even more setups.

Plugable UD-MSTHDC Docking Station front view and back view
Plugable UD-MSTHDC Works with Chromebook Docking Station
XDA Recommended

The Plugable UD-MSTHDC Works with Chromebook Docking Station is an excellent dock for Chromebooks. It is made of plastic, is not overly expensive at around $200, and gets you dual monitor support with HDMI and Display Port, as long as those monitors are 4K and 60 Hz. The dock also gets automatic firmware updates and adds USB-A, Ethernet, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack to your Chromebook.

Pros
  • Certified by Google
  • Powers dual 4K displays at 60Hz
  • Can charge Chromebooks at 60W
  • Has lots of USB-A ports
Cons
  • Made of plastic and feels cheap
  • The to host port to device is on the side