Getting the best laptop docking station for your needs is a great way to expand the functionality of your laptop, while making it easier and more comfortable to work on.

The best laptop docking stations can really help you work from home as well. These handy peripherals can effectively turn your laptop into a feature-packed desktop replacement. This is especially important if you've got a laptop with limited ports, such as a MacBook.

The docking stations in this list of the best laptop docking stations let you expand the connectivity options of your laptop, making it an even more versatile machine by adding ports such as additional USB ports, Ethernet LAN ports and video connections as well.

So, what do you need to look for when shopping for the best laptop docking stations? Well, you need to make sure that whatever solution you’re looking at will provide any features and ports you may need in your day-to-day workload. With the best laptop docking stations, you can have the best of both worlds: a portable laptop that has the connectivity of a bulkier desktop PC.

With this guide, we’ll dive into all the best laptop docking stations that’ll give you everything you need to stay productive and to turn your trusted laptop into a fully-featured work machine.

Make sure you check out our guide to the best laptops as well, where we highlight the top devices money can buy.

• You might also be interested in these 5 productivity gadgets that your laptop will love

StarTech claims its Thunderbolt 3 docking station is the most advanced dock ever. Often, docking stations require multiple leads, but StarTech’s latest offering avoids that. The device has been designed to work with thinner notebooks and uses only one cord. 

As the name suggests, it supports dual 4K displays (at 60Hz) and harnesses the raw power of Thunderbolt 3, offering 40Gbps bandwidth while keeping portability in mind. That’s not all, though. It can be used with up to three USB 3.0 devices and you also get Gigabit Ethernet capability. There’s also the ability to charge mobile devices, and you benefit from Direct DisplayPort integration. This accessory will set you back £312, which is a hefty whack, but not a bad investment if you’re in the market for a powerful dock.

Targus offers this Dual Video Docking Station which won’t break the bank, and comes with integrated laptop recharging facilities that are compatible with most 90W notebooks. So even if you’ve forgotten your charger, you’ll be good to go with this nifty device.

You can hook up two displays to this dock, and in terms of ports, you get a pair of USB 3.0 ports, alongside a pair of USB 2.0 connectors, plus two powered USB 2.0 ports, and Gigabit Ethernet. Targus also offers a Multiplexer Adaptor which makes this docking station USB-C compatible.

AmazonBasics is a great brand if you want simple and affordable peripherals, and its AmazonBasics USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Docking Station is a brilliant budget laptop docking station. You can connect up all your peripherals via six USB ports, and use two displays simultaneously. That’s certainly handy if you need multiple displays for work purposes. 

Four of the USB ports are version 2.0, while two are USB 3.0 – and they give you access to transfer speeds of 5Gbps. Despite its low price, this is a brilliant way of expanding your laptop's capabilities.

Kensington is a well-known and respected brand which has developed a reputation for its docking stations. Its latest USB 3.0 model can be used with MacBook or Windows laptops. 

This device will let you transform one USB port into six (it sports four USB 2.0 ports around the back, and a pair of USB 3.0 affairs on the front). You also get a DVI connector and adapters to use it with either HDMI or VGA leads, and there’s an optional multi-display adapter for hooking up more than one monitor. 

It sits nicely next to your laptop, and is affordably priced – it really is one of the best laptop docking stations around right now.

Toshiba is another big tech name that makes laptop docking stations. The Dynadock V3.0 is one of the firm’s most popular offerings, and is targeted at Windows laptop users who want to benefit from expanded capabilities.

Like most docking stations nowadays, the Dynadock offers USB 3.0 ports, although more than many as you get four of these here. There is also a DVI connector (with adapters for HDMI or VGA) along with an Ethernet port, and the dock uses one cable connection for ease-of-use and portability. And because the Dynadock sports an upright design, it’ll fit nicely on even the most cramped desk environment.

Microsoft is a company known primarily for its software prowess, but in recent years, it has been increasingly working on the hardware front. The Surface line-up of tablet hybrids demonstrates this perfectly. If you own one, you’ll be happy to learn that you can also reap the rewards offered by a docking station.

The Surface Dock will let you turn your Surface convertible into a fully-fledged desktop PC. It’s compatible with the Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. Connectivity-wise, there are two Mini DisplayPorts, one Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 3.0 ports and an audio-out jack. This dock doesn’t come particularly cheap, though.

The J5Create Ultra Station is a neat and compact dock indeed, being a thin bar which you can attach to the back of your notebook. It provides a variety of connectivity options for Windows laptops and MacBooks: you get a pair of USB 3.0 ports (one of which has power for charging) and a USB 2.0 port, along with VGA and HDMI ports, Ethernet, plus speaker and mic jacks.

However, that’s not all. There’s also a nifty ‘wormhole’ USB connection that allows you to hook up another computer – as well as your initial laptop – and do things like share files by simply dragging and dropping them across from machine to machine. This can also be used to share your keyboard and mouse between devices, and works cross-platform (i.e. you can hook up and share things between a Windows notebook and MacBook).

Although there are universal laptop docking stations out there, of course, many models are built by manufacturers for their own notebooks. Dell’s USB 3.0 dock exemplifies this. It works with most of the company’s latest laptops in the Inspiron series and, like much of the competition, uses USB 3.0 as the prevalent port – it has three USB 3.0 connectors, along with two USB 2.0 ports.

As the name suggests, 4K screens are catered for, and you get a DisplayPort along with a pair of HDMI ports, meaning you can hook up a total of three external monitors (one of them 4K) if you wish. Dell bundles an HDMI to DVI adapter, to support older displays still using DVI, and this dock also boasts an Ethernet port along with audio/headphone jacks.

The Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Laptop Docking Station for Windows makes for a strong budget option for those who want extra connections. The specs include a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 (5Gbps) link from PC to dual video, as well as connections for Ethernet, audio input/output, and two USB 3.0 ports. The HDMI port can support a single display of up to 2560x1440, though if two displays are set up this reduces the maximum resolution to 1920x1200.

However, it is only compatible for Windows machines. Additional limitations are that it cannot be mixed with non-DisplayLink USB graphic adapters, such as MCT, j5, or SMSC. It also doesn't support DVI dual-link or Displayport connections, HDCP, or the playback of protected Blu-ray disks. Despite these limitations it's still a useful piece of budget hardware that's good for many uses.

The Wavlink Universal Docking Station is a very versatile piece of kit that is compatible not just with Windows machines but also Intel-based Macs. It includes dual display outputs for monitors, and it supports HMDI and DVI/VGA displays with resolutions of up to 2048 x 1152. In theory this means you can expand you laptop to have three display monitors.

There are also no less than six USB ports, two of which are Superspeed USB 3.0, with the other four being USB 2.0 for use with other hardware such as printers, keyword, scanner, or a digital camera. There's also an Ethernet port, as well as earphone and mic audio sockets. This is a strong and flexible piece of hardware that comes in at a surprisingly low price.

• Check out the best gaming laptops

Content plays a major role in the journey of building your online presence and brand. Without it, you're going to struggle in today’s ruthless business world. In fact, digital marketing is arguably one of the most important areas of commerce, although it’s often neglected.

To maximise your operation's potential, you need a reliable content management system (CMS). You’ll find plenty of them out there, and they all allow you to create and manage your own content, website and blogs. But some are more effective than others - and that's where we can help.

With the written word and media, you have a potential way to become a key influencer in your industry, and to connect with your customers on top of offering them quality products. So in this article, we’ll highlight the best systems, which cater for different needs and budgets.

• These are the best web hosting services of 2020

If there’s one CMS most people have heard of, it’s WordPress. The platform was launched in 2003 and has become a major part of the internet since. Based on PHP and MySQL, it provides you with tools to create a feature-packed website or blog using written content, videos, images and more.

You also have the ability to install a mixture of pre-made and third-party themes to personalise your website. They cater for all sorts of industries, from retail to hospitality. Although you can download the software for free from Wordpress.org and install it on your server, there’s also the option to get a domain and hosting with WordPress. In addition, you have WordPress native apps at your disposal and since recently Block Editor is now supported on mobile devices.

The business plan costs $25 a month (around £19, AU$34) and gives you full access to the theme store, unlimited storage space and a custom domain. That’s not a bad investment if you want to create a website and maintain it going forward.

• You can sign up for WordPress here

Squarespace is another popular CMS platform (largely thanks to its omnipresent podcast advertising!), and it started out at around the same time as WordPress. The main difference is that it isn’t open-source – so you can’t download the software and install it on your own server.

Instead, it’s an integrated website builder, blogging platform and hosting service. The premise is that you sign up for a subscription and Squarespace makes it easy to build a website from scratch, which is obviously handy if you don’t have any previous web development experience, or if you need to get a site up and running in a short space of time. Like WordPress, you can install different themes and build a website using text, images and videos.

There’s also a commerce platform available. It lets you build and manage your own online store, without having to pay a hefty sum for a tech pro to do it for you. Again, there’s the option to go for a business-ready package. For $18 per month (around £14, AU$24) you get your own domain, unlimited bandwidth and storage, SSL security, Zapier - an automation tool, and Google AdWords credit.

• You can sign up for Squarespace here

One of the main attractions of content management systems is that they’re often easy to set up and use. If you’re running a business, you’ll want to have a website to promote your products and services, but you may not have the technical know-how to build one yourself.

The java-based Magnolia CMS is targeted specifically at companies that need websites which can do pretty much everything. It sports a hub integrating areas such as e-commerce, analytics, marketing automation, social media, CRM and ERP. The beauty here is that you can add these functions as time goes on and your business develops.

Security is at the heart of the system, too, as it employs an architecture that separates your website’s public and private elements to help combat attacks. You can even define what users and admins are able to do, so you’ll always know who can write, edit, view and publish certain content. Prices are tailored to business needs.

• You can sign up for Magnolia here

Similar to WordPress, Weebly may well be a name that you’re familiar with. It’s an easy-to-use content management system that lets you set up a simple website within a matter of minutes. The platform uses a drag-and-drop format, so you can add features and media to your website easily. And by the same token, you can swiftly remove anything whenever you want.

There are a load of pricing options to choose from, all based on different business and personal needs. After the basic, free option, the cheapest plan is $12 a month (around £9.4, AU$17), which provides you with unlimited storage, a domain name and Google Ads credit. There is a small business option, and that’ll set you back $25 a month (around £19, AU$34). For that, you get all the usual features, as well as handy tools like password protection and tax calculators.

• You can sign up for Weebly here

Wix is a cloud-based web development platform which lets you create HTML5 and mobile-optimised websites easily. 

The platform offers a drag-and-drop system, and you can add more functionality by installing plugins. Wix caters for elements including email marketing, e-commerce, contact forms and community forums. As is normal for CMS platforms, you have the option to remove adverts, use your own domain name and get increased bandwidth by going for a premium plan. In February, Wix Turbo was released, which noticeably increases the performance and speed of websites.

Prices start at $4.50 a month (around £3, AU$6), although if you’re a small business, you have the Business Basic plan which the company says it's best for small businesses. The price is $17 (around £13.5, AU$24.75) and you benefit from uncapped bandwidth, 20GB of storage, a free domain, a custom favicon, an online store builder and ad vouchers.

• You can sign up at Wix.com here

Content management systems are great for publishing content online, obviously enough, but they’re also gold dust when it comes to collaborating on content across teams. Bynder is a marketing platform that lets brands create, find, use and work on content easily. 

It provides a plethora of high-quality workflows to help brand managers, marketers and editors produce, approve and circulate new marketing content. There’s also the ability to create a shareable style guide so all content is consistent and matches the company’s brand image. 

While it sports some handy features, Bynder is a lot more expensive than other offerings, although you can try out the service with the 14-day trial. You'll need to contact the company for exact pricing, but you should expect to pay at least $450 per month (around £345, AU$570) and prices can reach thousands. That said, the software is designed to take a good deal of strain off your marketing budget by simplifying many mundane and time-consuming tasks. 

• You can sign up for Bynder here

• Editor's note: Wix has asked not to be included in this article

• Check out the best website hosting services

Update: now with new apps to get you fit and healthy in the new year.

We all know that Christmas is a time for stuffing your face without too much thought for the consequences. Then several days later you find yourself surrounded by chocolate wrappers and empty bottles wondering how on earth you're going to get back into shape.

But fear not, we're on hand to help you start burning off the calories as you enter 2019.

These fitness and health apps will aid you in working off the Christmas pounds and many of them are available for both iOS and Android.

Endomondo

Endomondo has been around a long time and it remains a favorite among fitness fans, so you know it’s good. It’s also regularly updated, so it keeps getting better.

It’s aimed primarily at runners, walkers and cyclists, helping them track the likes of distance, route and speed, but it can also track over 60 other sports, so whatever you’re into or thinking of getting into, Endomondo can probably track you and help keep you on track.

With weekly goals, challenges, and alerts when you hit a personal best there’s plenty to keep you motivated, so you’re unlikely to give up on this two weeks into the new year.

But if you think you might still struggle, enlist some friends to get fit with you. That way you can follow each other’s progress through the app and keep each other motivated.

Available: Android and iOS, free

Lifesum

The hardest thing about dieting is working out what you should actually eat and in what proportions. This is where Lifesum comes in handy. It lets you manage your water and food intake, gives you feedback on what foods to go for, advises you on what to avoid and offers reminders and motivation throughout the day.

You can also work out what type of diet suits your eating habits and health needs. These include the 5:2 diet, the high protein diet, the low carb, high fat diet (LCHF) and the isocaloric diet. In other words, just about any diet you could think of.

Available: Android and iOS, free

Racefully

One of the best ways to lose weight and get in shape is by going for a run, be it just around the block or for a 5K. However it's never the same without a friend or two to keep you company. On your own, you can feel alone and demotivated.

We can't all be in the same place at the same time, but the Racefully app gives you the ability to connect with runners from all across the globe who want to run and compete with each other in real-time.

Additionally, the app ensures fair competition with others based on differences in route, gradient and weather.

Available: iOS, free

Farmdrop

In order to live healthy, you need a balanced diet. Easier said than done. Just opting for the odd over-priced salad isn't as effective as you might have convinced yourself. Meanwhile you're surrounded by plenty of unhealthy temptations.

Farmdrop, an online marketplace offering up fresh food and groceries directly from local farmers and producers, aims to make choosing the right foods a little easier.

Using the app, you're able to browse seasonal recipes, search for products using a wide range of food categories, select top picks and get inspired by the produce and ingredients of over 70 independent British producers. Once you've found something, you can place an order and get it delivered straight to your home.

Available (only in the UK): iOS, free

Fitnet

Unable to hire a physical personal trainer to help you get rid of that beer belly? No problem - Fitnet can help. The app lets you work out to videos from personal trainers while it uses your device's front-facing camera to analyze your performance.

It then provides you with real-time feedback. Other features include calorie tracking, 5/7 minute workouts to suit busy schedules, the ability to set goals and compatibility with Apple TV and Chromecast.

Available: iOS, free

Sworkit

As well as being costly, personal trainers can also be time consuming. So why not digitize the experience with Sworkit? Costing completely nothing, it provides you with video routines covering areas such as cardio, yoga and pilates that last from five to sixty minutes, meaning there's a lot of flexibility if you're busy.

You can also set the times you can work out, and the app adapts to your schedule.

Available: Android and iOS, free

Eat this, Not That! The Game

Who said losing weight has to be boring? Eat This, Not That aims to make shedding those pounds fun by gamifying the experience. To be fair, you don't actually do much exercise. Instead, the idea is that you sit in your favorite armchair while tapping through round after round of food items.

Your job is to work out which food is the healthiest. Once you've tapped, the "eat this" and "not that" labels are revealed - and hopefully you will have learned something. The game is split into several categories: breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

Available: iOS, free

Weight Watchers

Let's be honest, going to your local Weight Watchers event and admitting you need to lose weight can be a tad daunting. However, the world-renowned weight loss program is available in app form.

It lets you track your food, activity and weight, search for thousands of foods and recipes, keep updated with your weight-loss progress by using a built-in interactive chart, add custom recipes, and scan barcodes to find out which foods are good and which aren't.

You should be on your way to losing weight in no time, as long as you can learn to lock those chocolate biscuits away.

Available: Android and iOS, free

It’s a ridiculous time in the morning, and you’ve just about got out of bed. At this point, you’re extremely tired and could do with an extra few minutes of shut-eye, but you know you have work in an hour.

You quickly get washed and dressed, before making your way to the kitchen to fix up some breakfast and grab a cup of coffee. Now it’s time for that painfully boring commute, which could easily make you cry at any given moment.

Whatever you tell yourself, the fact is you can make your journey to work even better. You’ve no doubt got a smartphone tucked away in your pocket, so why not make use of it and the time you have on the bus or train? 

Time is precious, and you can potentially achieve a lot during your commute - even if it’s pretty short. Get productive with an app, or have fun with a game to kill the time. There are plenty of them out there, and we look at the best apps and services for quick commutes.

Want more time sinks? Then check out these:

• Best Android Apps
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Medium (Android, iOS, free)

Reading is powerful, and there’s so much you can learn by doing it. On your daily commute - especially if you’re on a train or bus - you no doubt see people with their heads buried in books, newspapers and magazines. Well, with Medium, you can read quality content straight from your phone. What’s cool, though, is that the app has a ‘read time’ feature, meaning you can identify how long an article will take to read. Most are pretty easy to get into, and you can easily get through a piece within fifteen minutes.

• Download Medium on iOS
• Download Medium on Android

Stronghold Games Timer (Android, iOS, free)

If you’d like to kill time and have a bit of fun as well, then it’s worth checking out Stronghold Games Timer. Available on both Android and iOS, the app offers a selection of easy games that are controlled by sand timers. They’re based mainly on the theme of space, but there’s also a whacky game about the UN Security Council. You can set a timer for each game, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes. There’s a pre-timer option of five minutes, so you could easily play a few while you’re on the bus or train.

• Download Stronghold Games Timer on iOS
• Download Stronghold Games Timer on Android

News In 60 (iOS, free)

Sometimes, it can be hard to keep up-to-date with the things happening in the world when you have so much going on in your life. But you can change that with News In 60. The app finds all the important news in a day - covering areas such as current affairs, technology and sports - and summarises them so they only take a few seconds to read. You can easily share your favourite articles with friends and save them as bookmarks to access later on. It’s been optimised for high-download speed, low bandwidth and night use.

• Download News in 60 on iOS

Recolor (Android, iOS, free)

It’s easy to get bored while travelling to work on the train or bus. You’ll often sit there, read a newspaper briefly and just daydream till you reach your destination. Recolor, a digital colouring book, could literally brighten things up for you. Available on both Android and iOS, the app lets you colour in pictures such as mandalas and animals. You could easily get through one or two within fifteen minutes. What sets it apart, though, is the fact there are stress-relieving qualities. The colours are fresh and easy on the eyes, and the process is all about easing your mind. You can use this app as a therapeutic way to get your brain ready for a busy day of work.

• Download Recolor for iOS
• Download Recolor for Android

Seconds (iOS, free)

Not everyone travels to work by car, train, bus or other means of transport. There are many people who opt to walk, mainly because it can be healthier and avoids the stampede of passengers. If you’re one of these individuals, you may feel as though your daily walk to work is like an exercise course. And why shouldn’t it be? Seconds is a handy app to have if you agree. It lets you set up templates and timers for exercise. There are loads of interval timers to choose from, including a small 7-minute workout session. Should you be feeling up for it, you could time your walk and incorporate a few push-ups. You may get a few odd looks, but good health is what it’s all about.

• Download Seconds on iOS

Headspace (Android and iOS, free)

Meditation is one of the best ways to improve your focus throughout the day, relieve stress and help you get some much-needed sleep. And with time to spare while you commute, you have a good time to put your mind at rest. Often, meditation is seen as a timely, skillful process but Headspace proves otherwise. It lets you meditate on-the-go, giving you access to guided sessions. The great thing about the app is that the latter are split into ten minutes, so you can meditate before you head into the office. Although the app is free to download, it’ll actually cost you about a tenner a month. 

• Download Headspace on iOS
• Download Headspace on Android

Map My Walk

There are many people who commute to work by walking, especially if they live in interconnected cities and towns. Perhaps you’re one of them. You probably see it as a great way of exercising, and with Map My Walk, you can calculate your pace, route, distance, calories and steps. It’s a handy way to look at how much your daily commute contributes to your health and wellbeing. You can import data to connected devices from Jawbone, Misfit, Fitbit, Garmin and Withings. There’s also the ability to map and plan your route before you leave your house.

Serial Reader (Android, iOS, free)

It feels great to get ingrained in a good novel, but in reality, not everyone has the time to get through long-read prose. There’s just not enough time in the day. With Serial Reader, though, you can use your commutes to delve into small chunks of books. This smart app lets you subscribe to classic books and sends you an instalment to read each day. You should be able to read each issue within 20 minutes, and if you manage to do that, then there’s no reason why you can’t finish a whole book within a few days. The app has over 300 books available, including classics like The Three Musketeers, Treasure Island, Wuthering Heights, My Antonia, Les Miserables and Peter Pan.

• Download Serial Reader on Android
• Download Serial Reader on iOS

Duolingo (Android, iOS free)

Long commutes may feel like wasted time, although they don’t have to be. You can easily do something productive when walking or on public transport - like learning a language. Duolingo covers a plethora of languages, including Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian. The best thing about it is that language learning is presented as a game, where you pick up words and earn points at the same time. There’s the option to learn in daily doses of 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes. 

• Download Duolingo on iOS
• Download Duolingo on Android

LibriVox Audio Books (iOS, free)

Radio still plays a big role in today’s media-dominated world, and there’s nothing better than a good old radio drama. Of course, it’s easy to access popular radio stations on most smartphones and media players today, but LibriVox Audio Books is an app that gives you direct access to over 15,000 audiobooks and dramas. Free to download and use, it’s made possible a team of volunteers who record, edit and distribute these books. New releases are published daily, and you can find everything from biographies to novels. They’re all presented in easy-to-digest, quick audio recordings. The app could add a new dimension to your commute.

• Download LibriVox Audio Books now

Trello (Android, iOS, free)

You can do pretty much what you want while you commute. It can be a time for rest, entertainment and, like it nor not, actual work. The fact is, you’ve no doubt got a really busy job, so your regular commute can be a good time to be pragmatic and get things done. Trello is an excellent companion for this. Widely seen as one of the best task management apps on the market, you can sort out everything that needs to be done in visual cards that can be tracked. There’s even the ability to add teams and individuals to cards, so you could delegate tasks or get support from your colleagues while you’re travelling to work or an important business meeting. In 20 minutes, you could organise a lot.

• Download Trello on iOS now

30/30 (Android, iOS, free)

While the daily commute is an opportune time to sit back and relax, it’s also a good time to get productive and prepare for the day of work. Tasks managers are a brilliant for keeping organised, and 30/30 is a great example. It lets you create comprehensive task lists and track them to ensure you don’t fall behind. There’s a pre-set time of 30 minutes, meaning you could easily go over emails, documents and other work-related material while you travel to your office. Once the time’s up, you’re encouraged to start another task. It’s worth noting that you have the option to customise the duration of tasks.

• Download 30/30 on iOS
• Download 30/30 on Android

Buddhify (Android, iOS, free)

When you have so much going on in life life - from family commitments to work deadlines - it’s easy to become stressed. Meditating is a good way to relieve anxiety and keep productive throughout the day, and Buddhify makes this easy. The app provides more than 80 audio-guided tasks, all of which have been tailored for different parts of the day. These include commuting, sleeping and taking a work break. They last up to 30 minutes, and you can track your progress through statistics.

• Download Buddhify on iOS
• Download Buddhify on Android

Day One (Android, iOS, free)

The fact is, there’s so much you can do while you commute: play games, meditate and so much more. But what about journalling? That’s probably something that’s never come across your mind, but it’s actually quite fun. Using Day One, you can easily enter your thoughts and memories into diary entries that are synced and backed up in the Cloud. It lets you store up to ten journals with different colours and names, and you’re able to add as many photos as you’d like. These journals will help not only give you something to do while you get to and from work, but also map your thoughts and feelings. That’s extremely handy if you have a job in the creative world.

• Download Day One on iOS now

Power Nap App (iOS, free)

If you work long hours, then it’s easy to end up becoming sleep deprived. Or perhaps you have so much on your mind that you find it harder to doze off. Either way, you should be getting plenty of shut-eye in order to have a fulfilled, productive day. This is where power naps come into the picture, and the Power Nap app app will help you take one for 30 minutes each day. It sports a 30-minute alarm to ensure you don’t sleep for too long, relaxing sounds so you can drift off easily, and high-quality audio tracks. There’s no reason why you can’t use this app on a long commute if you have some headphones handy.

• Download Power Nap on iOS now

Readly Magazines (Android, iOS)

There isn’t a shortage of reading apps out there, whether they cover books or newspapers. But maybe you’re a magazine fan instead. If that’s the case, then you should have a look at Readly Magazines. It’s an app that gives you access to some of the country’s biggest magazine titles. You can download and read more than 1,500 top titles for £7.99 a month (in the UK), which isn’t too bad when you consider that magazines can cost a few quid each. The app itself lets you read titles as many times as you want, across up to five different devices, and offline or online. That means that if you’re on the tube, you’ve got access to some good reading material. 

• Download Readly for iOS now
• Download Readly for Android now

Alarm Every 15 Minutes (Android, free)

It’s easy to lose track of time, and if you use your commutes to get work done and plan the day ahead, then it’s important that you keep tabs on how things are progressing. You could be reading a few emails, and before you know it, ten minutes have past. If you have an Android device, the app Alarm Every 15 Minutes will help. As the name suggests, the app vibrates whenever fifteen minutes go by, so you can time manage your commutes effectively. You’re able to use it as a way to ensure you don’t fall asleep and miss your stop, too. There’s also the ability to tweak the vibrations, all the way up to 45 minutes per every full hour. 

• Download Alarm Every 15 Minutes for Android now

TED Talks (Android, iOS, free)

When it comes to killing time, watching videos of cats dancing on YouTube probably comes into your mind. But while videos like that are entertaining, they’re pretty redundant and you don’t get much from them. TED Talks are much different. These videos are topical and aim to inspire viewers. And there’s a mobile app for Android and iOS videos, giving you access to over 2,000 talks from some truly remarkable people. Topics vary greatly, such as technology, science and lifestyle. With the app, you can browse the whole TED video library, get subtitles in more than 90 different languages, bookmark talks and save them to watch them offline. 

• Download TED Talks on iOS now
• Download TED Talks on Android now