This 11-in-1 docking station instantly decluttered my desk (and now it's 24% off for Black Friday)

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

What's the deal?

The Baseus 11-in-1 Spacemate docking station is currently 24% off on Amazon, selling for $106, down from its regular price of $140.

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ZDNET's key takeaways

The Baseus 11-in-1 Spacemate docking station is regularly priced at $140.It's a well-made, reliable docking station with a space-saving design that allows you to declutter your desk.
It doesn't have Thunderbolt support, and I wish the front LCD panel provided more information.

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There is no shortage of docking stations on the market, but they all have a common issue: they tend to be large and bulky. The assumption seems to be that everyone has ample desk space to dedicate a significant portion of their real estate to a dock.

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What if you want to save space with a docking station or prefer a minimalist setup? Previously, this proved to be a rather ambitious ask until I came across a docking station that bridges both worlds: the Baseus 11-in-1 Spacemate docking station combines connectivity with a space-saving form factor.

Baseus 11-in-1 Spacemate docking station tech specs

Ports: 2 x HDMI (4K@60fps max), 2 x DisplayPort (4K@60fps max), USB-C and 2 x USB-A 10Gbps data ports, USB-A 2.0, 100W PD, 1Gbps Ethernet port with support for WOL (Wake On LAN) and PXE (Preboot eXecution Environment), 3.5mm auxiliary jack supporting 24bit/96HzEmbedded LED intelligent digital displaySupport for three additional displays on Windows (MacOS supports one additional display)4.84 x 2.59 x 2.59 inches1.07 pounds

This dock takes a unique approach by adopting a tower configuration, which builds upwards rather than outwards, thus minimizing its footprint on your desk. To ensure stability and prevent it from toppling over and causing damage and mayhem, it features a detachable magnetic base equipped with a "nano adhesive" pad. 

This design allows the dock to remain securely anchored to your desk while offering the flexibility to detach it from the base and take it with you. The detachable base is particularly useful for those who appreciate a tidy, space-efficient setup but still require the functionality of a full docking station.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The dock also features a front display with an at-a-glance operating status for each interface. While this is a nice touch, the information displayed is limited. It would be more useful if the display showed more details, such as connection speeds and power transfer data, to give users a better understanding of the dock's performance.

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Additionally, a screen lock button is on the top of the dock. You can quickly lock the display by tapping it once on Windows PCs or twice on Macs. This feature is particularly handy for creating instant privacy, ensuring that sensitive information can be swiftly and easily -- albeit rather obviously -- protected.

As for the ports, these are what you'd expect from a docking station, offering a selection of USB-C, USB-A, DisplayPort, HDMI, and 3.5 mm audio. There's also a fixed 12-inch braided cable -- long enough to be useful but short enough not to be unwieldy.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

As with all Baseus products that I've tested, this is a quality product made to appeal to a broad audience. In my hands-on experience with the device, I found that everything worked as promised on the spec sheets, and the dock is reliable in day-to-day use. I did notice that it got warm under a demanding load, but this only occurred when I was pushing it hard during testing and wasn't hot enough to worry about. 

ZDNET's buying advice

The Baseus 11-in-1 Spacemate docking station is normally priced at $140. Overall, this is a solid option for extending your USB-C port while keeping your desk tidy, and given the specs and build quality.