Choose the accessories that solve the problem you face at both desks: a compatible dock for reconnecting several peripherals, a portable monitor if you need a second screen in both places, or a riser with a separate keyboard and mouse for prolonged laptop use. Check your work laptop’s documented connections and your employer’s equipment rules before buying; a USB-C connector alone does not establish video support or permission to use an accessory.
The useful accessory depends on what you reconnect, carry or adjust when you move between home and the workplace.
If your work laptop connects to a display, network cable and input devices at each location, consider whether a dock would reduce repeated connections. Check the laptop’s supported ports and display configuration before choosing one.
A portable monitor is relevant when the extra screen needs to travel with you. For a USB-C video connection, Dell’s support guidance says the laptop port must support DisplayPort Alt Mode or Thunderbolt; a data-only or charging-only port will not provide a picture.
If you need to raise the laptop screen, plan for separate input devices too. The Health and Safety Executive advises using a separate keyboard and mouse when elevating a laptop on a riser, so the screen and controls can be positioned separately.
Start with your employer’s equipment rules and the exact laptop model. Then choose the accessory around the task you repeat at both locations, rather than around the number of ports or features on a listing.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Employer approval | Ask which personal peripherals, receivers, drivers and storage devices are permitted. Confirm who supports work equipment and how work data must be handled; Acas advises employers and workers to agree equipment and information-security arrangements. | I need an accessory I can use with my work laptop without conflicting with IT support or rules for work data. |
| Video connections | Check the exact laptop port for Thunderbolt or USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode, then check its supported external-display arrangement. Dell says USB-C ports limited to data or charging do not provide video to a USB-C monitor. | A second screen matters to me, but I need to know whether my laptop can drive it before choosing a monitor or dock. |
| Desk reconnection | List the displays, network connection, input devices and power connection used at each desk. Match the dock’s connections to that list and confirm the laptop and employer support the intended setup. | I reconnect several desk devices whenever I change location and want fewer individual connections to make. |
| Screen portability | Check the monitor’s inputs against the laptop’s video outputs. For the intended connection, also check its cable and power requirements before relying on a one-cable setup. | I need to carry a second screen between home and the workplace rather than leave one at each desk. |
| Working posture | Consider screen height alongside keyboard and mouse position. The Health and Safety Executive advises separate input devices when a laptop is raised on a riser; use your employer’s display screen equipment process for individual setup needs. | For longer laptop sessions, I want to raise the screen without having to type on a keyboard raised with it. |
| Call accessories | Check whether an external camera, headset or wireless receiver is allowed on the work device. Confirm the connection and any required software with your employer’s IT team. | I move between locations for video calls and need call equipment that works with the laptop I actually use for work. |
A matching connector does not mean a portable monitor will display an image. Dell says a USB-C monitor needs a host port with DisplayPort Alt Mode or Thunderbolt for USB-C video.
Check the exact work-laptop port in its documentation, then confirm the external displays the laptop supports before selecting a monitor or dock.
An accessory may need software or support that your employer does not permit. Personal devices and storage also need to fit the organisation’s data-handling arrangements; the Information Commissioner’s Office advises keeping personal and organisational data separate.
Ask IT about the accessory, any receiver or driver, and the approved route for connecting and storing work data before making it part of your setup.
When the whole laptop is raised, its keyboard and trackpad rise with the screen, limiting how separately you can position them for extended work.
Pair a riser with a separate keyboard and mouse, as the Health and Safety Executive advises, or use a separate display. Follow your employer’s display screen equipment process for individual needs.
The monitor’s input list does not establish that your laptop can supply the intended video signal or that a one-cable connection will provide everything the setup needs.
Check the laptop output and the monitor input together, including the cable and power arrangement you plan to use. Consider an alternative input only if both devices support it.
These manufacturers illustrate different connection requirements and managed-workplace options; a brand name alone does not establish compatibility with a particular laptop.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad Hybrid USB-C with USB-A Dock is an example to investigate for a workplace using both USB-C and USB-A laptops.
Dell’s USB-C monitor support guidance is useful when checking whether a work laptop can connect to a portable display.
Microsoft’s Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a managed-dock example for organisations using compatible Surface devices.
These options cover a travelling second screen, desk reconnection and work-call accessories. Choose by the task you need to support, then check each item against your work laptop and employer’s rules.
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A portable FHD screen to consider if you need an additional display in both work locations. For the intended USB-C video connection, check the laptop’s DisplayPort Alt Mode support and obtain employer approval.
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A portable second-screen option when touch input is relevant to your work. The product title specifies 100% sRGB, VESA compatibility and a 180° adjustable stand. Check laptop video support and whether your intended connection needs separate power.
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A dock to consider when you repeatedly reconnect desk displays and peripherals. Its title identifies dual HDMI and 100W Power Delivery pass-through. Confirm the laptop’s supported display arrangement and host connection, employer approval, and the power adapter needed for your setup.
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A separate camera option for calls at either desk. The product title specifies 5× digital zoom and a remote control; check whether your employer permits an external camera on the work device.
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A headset option if calls are part of your routine in both locations. Confirm Bluetooth compatibility with the work laptop and your employer’s rules for wireless peripherals before choosing it.
Yes, check which accessories your employer permits and supports before relying on one for work. Acas advises agreeing what equipment is needed, who provides it and the rules for information security; this is particularly important if an accessory needs a driver, receiver or access to work data.
No. Dell says USB-C video requires DisplayPort Alt Mode or Thunderbolt; a port limited to data or charging will not show an image through that connection. Check the exact laptop port and the monitor’s intended input before buying.
It can. The Health and Safety Executive says display screen equipment regulations can apply to workers who routinely split their time between home and the workplace in Great Britain. Northern Ireland’s Health and Safety Executive also says its regulations can apply to workers who routinely split their time this way; use your employer’s assessment process for your particular setup.
A riser raises the attached keyboard as well as the screen. For prolonged laptop use, the Health and Safety Executive advises a separate keyboard and mouse so the screen can be elevated while the input devices remain separately positioned; a separate display is another setup to consider.
Do not assume it is an acceptable workaround. The Information Commissioner’s Office advises keeping organisational and personal data separate when personal devices are used for work. Follow your employer’s approved device, access and storage arrangements rather than moving work data to personal storage to get around an accessory problem.