Is a Dell docking station compatible with an HP laptop?

Written on 5 November 2026

Why docking station compatibility crosses brands

Older docks clipped onto a connector on the bottom of the laptop, and that connector was different for every brand. Current business docks connect over a USB-C or Thunderbolt cable, which follows the same standards whoever made the laptop.

Dell says so in its support article on industry standard compatibility: its USB-C and Thunderbolt docks, including the WD19S, work with laptops from other manufacturers such as HP and Lenovo. The same article adds that there are functional limits on a non-Dell laptop. Those limits are what you need to know before you buy.

What the USB-C port on your laptop has to support

Brand matters less than the port. For a dock to drive monitors, the laptop's USB-C port has to carry video, through DisplayPort Alt Mode or Thunderbolt. For the dock to charge the laptop, that port has to accept charging. A DisplayPort symbol or a lightning bolt next to the port is a good sign; the specification sheet of your model is the reliable answer.

Charging power of a dock on another brand of laptop

This is the difference you notice most. A dock may charge its own brand at full power and other laptops at less. These figures come from the manufacturer's information and the specifications of our docks:

Is 90 W or 75 W enough?

Compare it with the charger that came with your laptop: the output in watts is on its label. If the dock's figure for other brands is at or above that number, the laptop should charge as it does on its own charger. If it is below, the laptop charges more slowly and may lose charge under heavy load. Our guide to a laptop not charging through the docking station goes through the other causes.

Dock features that only work with the same brand

Beyond charging, Dell lists a few features that work only with a Dell laptop on its docks. None of them affects the screens or the peripherals in daily use, but an IT department managing laptops remotely may rely on them.

• The power button on the dock switching the laptop on and off.
• MAC address pass-through, so the network sees the laptop's own hardware address rather than the dock's.
• Wake on Dock and Wake-on-LAN.

Choosing a USB-C dock for your HP, Dell or Lenovo laptop

Same brand as the laptop: you get the full charging power. On an HP laptop, the HP USB-C Dock G5 or the HP USB-C/AV G2 Universal; on a Dell, the Dell WD19S, which gives a Dell up to 130 W.

Different brand, or a desk shared by several makes: check the charging figure for other brands against your charger. The Dell WD19S still gives 90 W to an HP or Lenovo laptop. All our docks are refurbished, tested and come with a two-year warranty. Send us your laptop model and we will tell you which of them fits.