Choose accessories for the constraint you actually have: a monitor for more screen space, or a laptop riser with a separate keyboard and mouse when you need to position the laptop screen independently. Consider a dock only after checking your laptop’s documented video and charging capabilities. For regular home or hybrid work, check your employer’s workstation assessment and equipment arrangements before buying; accessories alone do not establish that a setup meets workplace requirements.
Start with how you use the laptop, where it needs to fit and which equipment your employer already handles.
If your laptop moves between home and office, consider what you can carry or put away. A riser and separate input devices address screen and keyboard positioning; check the laptop’s display output before adding a monitor or dock.
If you regularly work across documents and applications, an external display may address the lack of screen area. Match its connection and intended display settings to the exact laptop model, not just the shape of its ports.
Before connecting or buying work accessories, ask what equipment is approved and how workstation assessment, provision and support are handled. The Health and Safety Executive covers long-term and routine hybrid home work in Great Britain; Northern Ireland has separate Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland guidance.
Identify the limitation in your current setup, then check the space, laptop capabilities and workplace arrangements that affect the proposed accessory.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Screen and input position | Check whether a riser holds your laptop securely and leaves room for a separate keyboard and mouse. The Health and Safety Executive advises separate input devices when elevating a laptop screen for sustained use. | I work mainly on the laptop screen and want to position it without having to use a raised built-in keyboard. |
| Display connections | Check the exact laptop’s documented video outputs and the monitor’s inputs. For USB-C video or a dock, confirm the required DisplayPort Alt Mode, USB4 or Thunderbolt capability, intended display configuration and charging requirements; a USB-C connector alone does not establish these functions. | More screen space would help, but I need the monitor or dock to work with this laptop and the way I plan to connect it. |
| Employer equipment | Check the workstation assessment, approved devices and arrangements for provision, repairs and support. In Great Britain, the Health and Safety Executive says workers cannot be charged when a display-screen equipment assessment indicates action such as providing equipment is needed; Acas advises agreeing who provides or pays for equipment and repairs. | Before buying work equipment myself, I want to know what my employer will provide or approve. |
| Desk space and travel | Measure the available desk area and check a stand’s supported laptop size and weight. If equipment travels between locations, consider its packed size and the connections needed at each desk. | My setup needs to fit at home and, if I take accessories to the office, be practical to carry and reconnect. |
| Calls and collaboration | Check whether your existing camera and audio equipment meet your work needs, then confirm any employer rules for connecting a headset or webcam. | Frequent calls may make separate audio or camera equipment useful, but they are not the first purchase for every workstation. |
A dock’s display sockets do not establish what the laptop can output. Video support and the intended number of displays depend on the host connection and supported configuration.
Find the exact laptop model’s documented display capabilities, then compare them with the dock, cable and monitors you intend to use.
Elevating the screen also raises the built-in keyboard and trackpad. For sustained laptop use, the Health and Safety Executive advises a separate keyboard and mouse so the screen can be raised independently.
Allow desk space for those input devices when choosing a riser and positioning the screen.
Your employer may have assessment, device-approval and support arrangements that affect which accessories you can use. Acas advises employers and staff to agree who provides or pays for equipment and repairs.
Check the homeworking, expenses and IT processes before purchasing a monitor, dock or wireless peripheral for an employer-managed laptop.
An unapproved device could leave you with equipment you cannot use for work.
A riser, monitor or dock addresses a particular need; it does not replace consideration of the whole setup and work routine. Great Britain’s Health and Safety Executive and Northern Ireland’s Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland address home and hybrid display-screen work through individual workstation considerations.
Use accessories to address identified needs while following any applicable employer-led assessment and reviewing how the arrangement works in practice.
These examples illustrate different accessory types; their specifications and compatibility checks apply to the named products, not every product from each brand.
Dell’s UltraSharp U2725QE is a reference point for a laptop-connected external display with hub features.
Kensington’s EQ Adjustable Aluminium Laptop Stand is an example of a riser for a laptop-based desk.
Logitech’s MX Keys S illustrates an external-keyboard option for a setup used with multiple compatible devices.
These options cover external displays and laptop display adapters or docks. Choose among them by the screen space you need and the connections your laptop supports; a riser and separate input devices address different needs.
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An external-display option when you need more screen space than the laptop provides. Check its inputs against your laptop’s documented video output; if you intend to use USB-C for charging, confirm the required power support before buying.
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Consider this additional display if the setup needs to move between work locations. Confirm that your laptop supports the video connection the monitor requires, along with its power requirements, before relying on a single-cable arrangement.
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A larger-display option for a desk with sufficient space. The title specifies 3840 × 2160 resolution, 165Hz refresh rate and Type-C 65W; check the exact variant and dimensions, your laptop’s supported display settings and whether 65W meets its charging requirements.
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Consider an adapter when a laptop needs display and peripheral connections at a desk. Its title lists 4K HDMI, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet, dual USB 3.0 ports and 100W Power Delivery pass-through. Confirm your laptop’s USB-C video support and the display and power arrangement you intend to use.
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Consider this dock if you intend to connect two external displays through a laptop connection. The title specifies dual HDMI 4K and 100W Power Delivery pass-through; verify that your exact laptop supports the planned display arrangement and check whether a suitable power adapter is included.
Choose a riser if the main need is to elevate the laptop screen in a compact setup; choose an external monitor if you need more display area. For sustained work with a raised laptop, the Health and Safety Executive advises a separate keyboard and mouse.
No. A USB-C connector alone does not establish video output, support for multiple displays or charging capability. Check the exact laptop model’s documented connection and display support against the monitor or dock and the intended cables.
Yes, if the equipment is for work, check the applicable assessment and equipment arrangements first. In Great Britain, the Health and Safety Executive says workers cannot be charged where a display-screen equipment assessment indicates action such as providing equipment is needed. Acas advises agreeing who provides or pays for equipment and repairs; that does not establish a right to a particular product.
Check the separate guidance from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland and your employer’s assessment process. Its display-screen equipment guidance says the rules can apply to long-term home workers and people who routinely split work between home and the workplace; do not assume Great Britain guidance sets every applicable condition in Northern Ireland.
No. A monitor, riser or dock may address a specific practical need, but it cannot stand in for consideration of the individual workstation and work routine. Follow the relevant employer-led process and review whether the arrangement works for the tasks you do.