Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station review: A powerful tool for those who need it

If you work in the video industry, you’ve more than likely used a Lexar product at least once — and chances are, you’ve used it more than just once. That’s because Lexar’s products are often quite affordable, making them accessible to every videographer, regardless of skill level. Recently, however, Lexar dropped a new solution aimed at the professional sector: the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station. It’s a docking station that can simultaneously dock and offload files from multiple SD cards.

While this is a relatively new product from Lexar, it’s not the company’s first venture into the “storage dock” concept. Back in 2013, Lexar released the Lexar Professional Workflow Reader. It was unique at the time, as it was the only modular card reader on the market. The product had a lot of potential, but Lexar shelved any follow-up generations — at least until now. The Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station takes the concept of the original reader and expands on it tenfold. In this review, we’ll break down what it improves and whether it’s worth your hard-earned dollar.

Breaking down the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station

Layout

The Professional Workflow Docking Station houses six docking bays. Two of these bays are 40 Gb/s Thunderbolt 4, while the other four are 10 Gb/s. All the ports are compatible with and customizable for Lexar Professional Workflow peripherals. This includes the Lexar Dual-Slot UHS-II SD Card Reader, UHS-II SD/microSD Card Reader, CFexpress 4.0 Type B Card Reader, CFexpress 4.0 Type A Card Reader and Portable SSD. (Note: The Docking Station supports non-Lexar SD cards and microSDs when used with Lexar card readers.)

That’s already impressive, but there’s more. The Docking Station also features two Thunderbolt 4 ports — both located on the back of the device — along with a front-facing 10 Gb/s USB-C port and a 10 Gb/s USB-A port. Both Thunderbolt ports can be used to connect additional media or to charge devices. (Again, the Thunderbolt ports are compatible with non-Lexar SD cards when connected directly with a wired connection.) The second Thunderbolt 4 port provides 15 W of power and supports daisy-chaining up to six additional docks, one 8K display or two 4K displays.

Additionally, there’s a Thunderbolt port for connecting the Docking Station to your PC and a USB-C power port for the included 140 W power adapter.

Build

The Professional Workflow Docking Station is built with aluminum housing that’s both heat-dissipating and scratch-resistant. Internally, it features a built-in fan and airflow channels. Together, these work to keep the system cool and everything running at top performance.

Putting the Professional Workflow Docking Station to the test

First impressions of the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station

Throughout the unboxing and setup process, one word kept coming to mind when handling the Professional Workflow Docking Station: “professional.” The Docking Station is neatly packed in the sturdy box it ships in, with the included cables stored cleanly beneath the unit. We were also impressed with the build quality. It’s made from aluminum and has a good amount of weight to it. In hand, you can feel that this system is built for professionals.

Setting up the system was straightforward. We paired the Docking Station with an M1 Ultra Mac Studio here at Videomaker headquarters. Once connected, we powered on the system. When starting up, the Docking Station briefly kicks on its built-in fans, but after a moment, it quiets down. Throughout our time using the Docking Station, aside from the initial startup, it was virtually silent.

The tests

We ran the Docking Station through two key tests. First, we gave it a real-world task: transferring 22 GB of data from one Mac Studio to another. Then, we tested each supported configuration using the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test.

Here are the results:

Real-world test

We started with a folder containing various file types — PSD, INDD, PNG and JPEG — totaling about 22 GB. For the transfer, we used a 2 TB Lexar Professional Workflow Portable SSD plugged into one of the Docking Station’s 40 Gbps ports. The full transfer took no more than 10 seconds. Offloading the files onto the second Mac Studio took about the same time — 10 seconds. The system handled the data like it was nothing.

Next, we transferred the same files again — this time writing simultaneously to the 2 TB Portable SSD, a 1 TB Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type B card paired with the Lexar Professional Workflow CFexpress 4.0 Type B Card Reader, and a 256 GB Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II card using the Lexar Professional Workflow SD/microSD UHS-II Card Reader. Even with all three running at once, the Docking Station didn’t slow down. The cards performed according to their rated speeds.

Overall, the Docking Station handled real-world use with ease. There was little to no performance loss compared to plugging the cards directly into the Mac Studio.

But while the system felt fast, what did the actual read and write speeds show?

The 5 GB stress test

In every test, the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station proved itself more than capable. During our 5 GB stress test using the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test, the system maintained solid read and write speeds across different setups.

The 1 TB Lexar Gold CFexpress 4.0 Type B card, paired with its matching card reader, delivered impressive speeds — around 2,488 MB/s read and 1,409 MB/s write. These are right in line with what we expect from high-end CFexpress cards and show no bottlenecks from the Docking Station itself.

The 2 TB Workflow Portable SSD in the 10 Gbps slot also performed well, with read speeds around 866.8 MB/s and write speeds at 793.4 MB/s. SD cards connected through the 10 Gbps ports clocked in at about 974 MB/s write and 827 MB/s read — consistent across multiple runs.

We also tested the Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II SD card with its dedicated reader. This setup hit about 245 MB/s write and 189 MB/s read — slightly faster than when using Thunderbolt directly or the built-in SD card reader on the computer, which saw a slight dip in performance.

What we love about the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station

Efficient modularity

One of the biggest strengths of the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station is its modular design. Its six available bays let you customize your setup based on the type of media you’re using. So, you can swap in the exact readers you need — Lexar’s Portable SSDs, CFexpress Type A or B cards, SD cards, microSD cards. What’s really unique about the Docking Station is that it’s essentially a two-in-one system. It’s both a SSD docking station, as well as a pro-level media reader for SDs and microSDs. There’s nothing quite like it on the market currently.

Another added benefit of its modularity is that you don’t have to juggle multiple adapters or carry a bag full of card readers. Just pop in the modules that match your workflow, and you’re good to go. It’s a smart design choice that makes the Docking Station futureproof, too. As new media formats come out, Lexar can simply release compatible modules — and you won’t need to buy a whole new dock.

It’s fast — really fast

We were impressed with how fast Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station performed. Lexar claims that modules are up to 2 to 4 times faster than the competition. Based on our testing, we agree. Regardless if you’re ransferring media from a CFexpress 4.0 card, a UHS-II SD card or a portable SSD, the speeds are impressive across the board.

It will simplify your workflow

Piggybacking off the previous point, the Docking Station can (and will) streamline your workflow. For example, you don’t need to plug and unplug different drives over and over again. You can simply connect everything at once. he Professional Workflow Docking Station makes it easy to offload files from multiple drives at once without sacrificing speed or reliability. While the speeds don’t drastically outperform direct connections, most computers just don’t have the port real estate to handle this kind of simultaneous media management.

With six bays ready to go and extra Thunderbolt and USB ports, you can keep your entire post-production setup organized in one place. This efficient setup can’t be understated for someone constantly offloading data and using multiple storage devices.

It works with other SD cards and microSD cards that aren’t Lexar

While there are some added benefits to using Lexar SDs, you aren’t locked into the ecosystem. This is huge for professionals who already have gear they trust. If you’ve got a Samsung, SanDisk or other branded SD cards in your kit, you can use them with Lexar’s card readers, thus making them compatible with the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station.

What are the drawbacks?

Price

Don’t get us wrong; the price of the Docking Station itself is quite reasonable. It runs for about $599. However, for that price, you’re only getting the Docking Station; you aren’t getting the media you need to start using the Docking Station. So, you’ll have to purchase a Lexar Professional Workflow Portable SSD for $299 (2 TB) or $449 (4 TB) or get a Lexar Card Reader (which runs anywhere between $65 to $100 depending on which card reader you need) — and that’s not including the cost of CFexpress cards, SDs or MicroSDs if you don’t already have some. And the kicker here is that you should have a few of these configurations to really justify getting the Docking Station. Otherwise, if you just have, for instance, a Lexar Professional Workflow Portable SSD, you’d be better off just using that.

So, while the Docking Station really does streamline your workflow, you first need to have an ecosystem of Lexar storage products to streamline in the first place. And if you don’t already have that library of products, to really get the benefits of the Docking Station, you invest in more than just the Docking Station, which can be pretty pricey.

Marketplace

Lexar Professional Workflow Go Docking Station

Tailored for mobile creators, this compact two-bay dock emphasizes portability and field use. As the more portable version of the Docking Station, each bay supports 10 Gb/s transfers. Notably, it features a detachable 5000 mAh battery, enabling over 4.5 hours of operation without external power. Users can manage files directly via a smartphone, eliminating the need for a laptop. Its durable aluminum build resists scratches and helps with heat dissipation — just like the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station.

At $99, it’s a much more affordable and portable option for creators looking to back up their content on the go or anyone not working with a large number of storage devices.

SanDisk Professional PRO-DOCK 4

Another option on the market is the SanDisk Professional PRO-DOCK 4. It supports up to four SanDisk PRO-READER modules and comes loaded with ports: dual Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet, audio jacks and even DisplayPort 1.4. With a built-in 260 W power supply and 87 W power delivery, it’s built for high-power workflows.

At about $339, it’s more affordable than Lexar’s dock. However, the PRO-DOCK 4 only works with SanDisk Professional PRO-READER modules. If you want a workflow that supports portable SSDs, you’ll also need to buy the SanDisk Professional PRO-Blade SSD Station, which costs around $439. That brings the total to well over the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station’s $599 price tag.

Lexar points out that one of the main advantages of its Docking Station is that it’s both a pro-level reader and an SSD docking station. So while the PRO-DOCK 4 and PRO-Blade SSD Station might be cheaper separately, they only offer half the functionality when used alone. That means the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station better value overall.

Kingston Workflow Station

For creators on a budget or those with a lighter media load, the Kingston Workflow Station is an attractive pick. It’s compact, portable and supports up to four modules, including SD, microSD and USB miniHub readers. It’s also the cheapest of the bunch at around $69. But with its lower price comes lower speed — it runs on USB 3.2 Gen 2 rather than Thunderbolt — and it’s definitely not built for high-volume, multi-stream offloading. Still, for solo shooters or small teams, it’s a solid starter option.

Should you get the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station?

If you’re a working professional who already owns multiple Lexar products — especially the Workflow series of readers and SDs — then yes, this Docking Station is a great investment. It brings all your gear together, speeds up offloads and cuts the clutter from your setup. It’s well-built, flexible and fast where it counts.

But if you’re not already in the Lexar ecosystem, you’ll need to factor in the cost of buying card readers, storage and memory cards to make the most of it. That can push the total price pretty high, especially for smaller production teams or solo creators. And if you’re only offloading one card at a time, there are cheaper, simpler solutions that will get the job done.

Ultimately, the Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station can be a powerful tool — but it’s best suited for professionals working with lots of media, multiple formats and a need for speed.

Lexar Professional Workflow Docking Station

$549.99 at B&H Video

Tech specs