Funlab Lumindock

Hardware Type: Dock

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Review:

(Note: This product was received at no cost for review via the Amazon Vine program.)

When the Nintendo Switch first came out and replacement docks cost $80, all a third-party dock had to do was be cheaper and not “brick” your Switch. Now in 2024, Nintendo Switch owners are spoiled for choice, and in my time reviewing docks I’ve seen all sorts of different features docks offer to try to compete in the market.

Some docks try to be as small and portable as possible, some have additional ways to charge Joy-Cons and other controllers, and a few have built-in capture card capabilities. However, I think the Funlab Lumindock is the first Nintendo Switch dock I’ve reviewed whose most noticeable feature is “ooh, shiny!”

I’ll address this upfront: The Lumindock is gorgeous. When plugged in, it features a stylized design clearly patterned to resemble the Zonai designs from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, when the Nintendo Switch is plugged in and running, it fades in a cycle between various colors, but when the Nintendo Switch is not in use there’s a button that can be used to set it to a specific color, to change lighting modes, or to turn off the lighting entirely.

When I say “gorgeous”, I’m not just talking about the lighting, either. The materials and construction of this dock seem sleek and sturdy, with a surprising heft to it, and I was handling this I repeatedly found myself thinking “this is really classy”. And if that’s all this was, this would be a pretty decent dock, though there’s more to this story – some good and a little bad.

The back of the Lumindock has the expected plugs for an HDMI cable and USB-C charging cable, though neither are included so you’ll need to supply your own. In addition to this, there are three USB 3.0 ports, a button on the right side for adjusting the lighting, and a button on the left to change between the TV screen and Nintendo Switch screen, with this latter feature being absolutely pointless because the Nintendo Switch screen is almost entirely blocked by the dock itself.

Above these are four slots to plug in additional Joy-Con controllers for charging, with lights behind each to indicate if they are currently charging (red) or done (green). Curiously, I noticed that after turning green for a moment the lights on fully-charged Joy-Cons would shut off, which struck me as counter-productive. Another odd choice is that these lights are located behind the Joy-Cons, making them harder to see if you’re looking at the dock from anywhere but above or the side.

I mentioned before that this dock seems particularly sturdy and hefty, and this seems to tie in with one thing that I think is both good and bad about this dock. Both the Nintendo Switch and the Joy-Con controllers seem really firmly wedged into place once they’re plugged in, which means you have to put in a bit of effort to tug them out again. It’s nothing especially difficult, but it did seem worth noting.

Also, I need to address two claims that this dock’s creator makes that are impossible to confirm. First, they say that this Nintendo Switch dock supports an image resolution up to 4K. This is odd, since the Nintendo Switch itself (both the original and OLED model, the only versions that dock) only supports up to 1080p while docked. Perhaps this dock’s creator is hedging their bets that a Nintendo Switch successor will not only support an improved resolution output but will be compatible with current-generation Nintendo Switch docks. It’s not outside of the realm of possibility, but it seems like a longshot.

The other thing that’s impossible to confirm is that this dock’s internal design is constructed in a way to prevent power surges that could “brick” your Nintendo Switch. I would assume this is true, as Switch “bricking” has become increasingly uncommon since the early days of the Nintendo Switch, but it’s not like I have the ability to send a surge through to check this claim, and even if I could, I’d prefer not to bet my Nintendo Switch on a manufacturer’s claims.

One more note before I wrap things up here. When I post hardware reviews, I try to make it a point to link to the manufacturer’s page where I can in the header, as I have done here. But I feel I should mention that this dock’s fairly high $60 price point on that page is far above the standard price on Amazon, which as of this writing sells the dock for a much more reasonable $40. If you’re considering buying this dock, definitely compare and contrast prices before deciding where to buy, and remember you’ll need to get a power adapter and HDMI cable too if you don’t already have them.

All in all, the Funlab Lumindock is certainly not without its flaws – the lack of a power adapter and HDMI cable is disappointing, the way the Switch and Joy-Cons get wedged tightly into this device is a bit worrisome, some of the claims about what it can do are impossible to prove and somewhat dubious, and a few design choices seem odd, pointless, and counter-productive. However, even with these flaws, this is a fine dock for your Switch, one that looks great and even provides some added functionality. If your Nintendo Switch dock is proudly displayed next to your TV, the Funlab Lumindock will be a great way to make it look and function even better.

tl;dr – The Funlab Lumindock is a gorgeous replacement for Nintendo’s dock with a stylish glowing Zelda design, sturdy build, and four slots to charge Joy-Con controllers. It doesn’t come with any cables and it has a few other minor flaws, but overall this is a great replacement for Nintendo’s dock that adds both style and functionality.

Grade: B+

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