USB C Dock, Dongles, or Monitor/Dock?

[Foss]

I've ordered and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new 15" MBP; however, I would like to have my solution in place at work and home of how to most efficiently use the new USB C/TB3 ports. Currently, I (probably like most) have zero devices that use either of those standards. My set-ups now are as follows:

Work
2 x 24" 1080p monitors via HDMI
4 x USB 2/3 Devices

Home
1 x 30" Dell 3007WFP via DVI-I to DP+USB
3 x USB 2/3 Devices

The quandary that I'm in is how to best connect all those devices to my new machine while being cost efficient/future proof/less clutter. The most cost efficient but least future proof and middling amount of clutter would be to go all dongles. The most future proof and least clutter but least cost efficient is to go with a new USB-C monitor like the LG 27UDW88-W (http://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-27UD88-W-4k-uhd-led-monitor), my current front runner. A USB C Hub (like https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/usb...56469094&utm_source=affiliate&utm_campaign=cj) is the middle ground where I could connect all my devices to the hub but need separate power for the laptop and the hub. The hub might actually cause the most clutter out of all three options. This does not even address what to do when I'm traveling. I need to figure this out very soon and order appropriately, because if I don't, I have no way to connect any monitor or USB device which would be a pretty big problem.

Thoughts, opinions, suggestions? I'm sure everyone that have ordered the new MBP are in a very similar boat.

 

[wegster]

Depends - can you convince work to replace those monitors? (unlikely but maybe.. ?)
I'm sticking with earlier systems than the new one, but same issue applies - I just picked up a 34" LG UW QHD w/TB2 ports on it and an integrated USB3 hub. So power + 1 TB cable to rule them all, and I have a 7 port USB3 hub plugged into the back of the display.

At work, I have a pair of 27", one QHD with mini-DP or DP and the other 'standard' HDMI+1080p. As I've been running a 2011MBP I get the 'nice bonus' of gaining a USB3 hub at home via TB -> TB on the display at home, but at work, I plug in the same same 7 port USB hub + leave the second display USB->HDMI from the hub. So - 3 cables at work, 2 cables at home.

I was hoping to move to the newer models but the price to value (to me) doesn't work out, so I picked up a 2015MBP to tide me over, and will probably go for one of the solid TB docks and buy two of them, or wait a big longer to see if it's possible to do TB2->TB3/USB-C, at which point I'd pick up a USB-C hub instead.

For travel, decide on what you really need - I've been keeping a single multi-output breakout dongle for travel (HDMI, DP, VGA outputs) but that would have to change for the newest models - I might be convinced to pick up a 'mini' version of a USB-C hub in that case solely for travel.