What’s the best way to share two monitors and peripherals between my desktop and work laptop?

The simplest and often most reliable setup is a USB switch for the keyboard, mouse, and headset, while connecting each computer to both monitors separately. You can then use each monitor’s input controls to choose whether it displays the desktop or laptop. This avoids putting the video signal through a cheaper KVM, which can cause flickering, black screens, or compatibility issues. For the laptop, a USB-C dock with two monitor outputs may be able to provide both displays, assuming the relevant USB-C port supports DisplayPort output.

Before buying a dock, confirm which USB-C port supports DisplayPort output. Based on the specifications, the USB-C ports marked for DisplayPort 1.4 should be suitable, but not every USB-C port carries video. A dock with two DisplayPort or HDMI outputs should let the laptop run both monitors. You could also use the laptop’s HDMI port for one monitor and USB-C-to-DisplayPort for the other, though a dock is usually cleaner.

A dual-monitor KVM can switch everything with one button, but decent models are fairly expensive. The setup would be both monitors, the keyboard, mouse, and headset connected to the KVM’s outputs; the desktop connected to one input; and a dual-monitor dock connected to another input for the laptop. Check the KVM’s supported resolution and refresh rate carefully, especially if your monitors are 1440p or higher. Very cheap models may not have enough bandwidth for two screens.

A USB-C docking station is another practical option. Connect the monitors and USB devices to the dock, then connect the dock to the laptop with one USB-C cable. The desktop can connect directly to the monitors and use a USB switch for the peripherals. When switching to the laptop, you would only need to move one USB-C cable, unless you use a full dual-monitor KVM.