Best Thunderbolt 4 Docks
If you want to expand your Mac's connectivity options, you should consider using Thunderbolt dock. We've compiled a list of the best docking and port expansion accessories you can buy.
Most modern Mac models come with at least a few USB-C or Thunderbolt 4 ports, but that may not be enough for everyone. One answer to this is to purchase a Thunderbolt dock, which takes up one Thunderbolt port but gives you plenty of connectivity options.
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There are quite a few market docks to choose from, we have chosen the best ones to buy.
Belkin 6-in-1 Dock Core GaN
One of the most popular docking stations at CES, the Belkin 6-in-1 Core GaN Dock, uses gallium nitride, making it a very small device. Measuring 3.14 inches in area and 1.88 inches in height, it is an extremely compact docking station designed for transport.
Using GaN also makes it more powerful as it somehow provides a 130W power supply that delivers 96W of power to the host and 7.5W to the connected hardware.
Belkin GaN 6-in-1 Docking Station
In addition to the power input, it has six ports, including USB-C with PD 3.0 for the host. another USB-C 3.2, two USB-A 3.2 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and an HDMI 2.0 port capable of handling 4K at 60Hz.
Buy on Amazon
The Belkin 6-in-1 Core GaN Docking Station is available now for $139.99 on the Belkin website.
Belkin Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock
The Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock is a 12-port dock with a wide range of ports and a sleek design. However, it also comes with a hefty $349 price tag.
Belkin Connect Pro Dock
The dock has two Thunderbolt 4 ports: one for upstream data and one for downstream data. It also has a pair of USB-A 3.1 ports, two USB-A 2.0 ports, and one USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port with USB-C PD 3.0 support.
There is also an SD 4.0 card slot, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a combo audio jack.
Buy at Belkin.
A total of up to 90 W can be used to charge any device. It can also handle a single 8K display or dual monitors up to 4K.
However, due to limitations of Mac computers, Apple users cannot use both HDMI ports at the same time. If you want to use two monitors with a Mac, you will have to use one HDMI port and a Thunderbolt 4 port.
This makes the second HDMI port a waste of space for Mac users as Belkin is targeting the PC market with this offering.
The Belkin Connect Pro Docking Station retails for $349.99.
CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 (TS4)
An An excellent docking station that can meet the needs of most Mac users. CalDigit Thunderbolt Station 4 features a massive 18 ports, a familiar design and fast data transfer speeds.
CalDigit TS4 Docking Station
On the front panel of the docking station there is a UHS-II SD4 card reader, a microSD UHS-II SD memory card reader 4, audio combo jack, USB 3.2 port with 7.5W output power, USB-C port with 7.5W output power, and USB-C port with 20W output power.
The rear panel houses even more ports, including four USB-A 3.2 ports, a USB-C port, 2 Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, audio in and out ports, and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port.
Buy from B&H
In short, you won't be left wanting to use more wired connectivity with this port.
When powered up, it can deliver up to 98W of power, which is more than enough to power a MacBook Pro. On the video side, it can drive a single 8K or 6K display or a pair of 6K displays.
The transfer speeds are fast, the dock is neutral enough to look great in any configuration, and the price at B&H and Amazon.com is $399.99.
OWC Thunderbolt Dock
The OWC Thunderbolt Dock offers additional ports in a fairly sleek and a stylish body. way.
OWC Thunderbolt Docking Station.
The dock's front panel features a 96W Thunderbolt 4 port, a combo audio jack, and a USB-A 2.0 port. and an SD 4.0 card reader.
The dock's power supply is located on the rear, along with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and three USB-A 3.0 ports with data transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps.
Buy on Amazon
You can use it to control two dual 4K displays or one 5K, 6K, or 8K display. In addition, it also includes support for high-performance storage such as NVMe and other accessories.
The OWC Thunderbolt Dock doesn't offer as much port variety or abundance as some of the other docks on this list, but it costs less at $229 at OWC and on Amazon. This can be a good option for users on a budget.
TBT4-UDX1 plug-in module
In January, we gave the TBT4-UDX1 plug-in a thumbs up as a powerful 11-port Thunderbolt 4 dock. It's a simple, convenient option that even comes with an HDMI to USB-C adapter for mounting multiple monitors.
Pluggable TBT4-UDX1
Included ports range from three Thunderbolt 4 ports to one HDMI, four USB 3.0 connectors, 2.5 Gbps Ethernet with, SD card reader and combo audio jack.
It's a robust docking solution that can also handle two 4K 60Hz displays or one 8K screen. However, it does not support DisplayPort.
Buy on Amazon
The power is still impressive: 96 W, so you can charge your MacBook Pro halfway in about 30 minutes.
The Plugable TBT4-UDX1 is available on Amazon for $289.95 and the Plugable Store for $289.95.
Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Slim Hub
The Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Slim Hub strives for simplicity by increasing the number of available Thunderbolt 4 ports instead of adding a dozen other types of ports. There are four Thunderbolt 4 ports available, one of which connects to the user's Mac.
Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Slim Hub
The top Mac delivers up to 100W of power via an oversized power supply. It also includes an additional USB-A 3.2 port for using an additional SSD or accessory.
Buy on Amazon
Use of Thunderbolt 4 ports is limited depending on the connected Mac. It can support two 4K screens at 60Hz, one 8K screen at 30Hz on compatible PCs, or one 6K screen at 60Hz when used with M1, M2 or M3 Macs.
Buy the Satechi Thunderbolt 4 Slim Hub for $199.99 from Satechi. It can also be purchased on Amazon.com.
Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock
The Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock received a 5-star review from AppleInsider and is likely to be the best dock this site tests for quite some time. It also has the best price/functionality ratio to date.
The front ports include a pair of 10 Gbps USB-A ports, two 10 Gbps USB-C ports, an SD 4.0 memory card slot, and a headphone/microphone combo port designed for headsets with a TRRS connector. and the power indicator on the right.
Buy on Amazon
There are three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back, one of which is for connecting the dock to the host Mac, and two more for connecting to peripherals or displays.
Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock
It also has two 10Gbps USB-A ports and two 10Gbps USB-C ports on the back, as well as an HDMI 2.1 port for video and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port. port. It also has the typical 3.5mm mic jack, as well as left and right unamplified RCA outputs needed to connect high-quality speakers.
At the base there is an M.2 NVMe SSD slot for additional memory expansion. The data transfer rate to this storage is about 2500 megabytes per second, depending on its characteristics. .
A connected MacBook can receive up to 100 W of power via a Thunderbolt connection.
Buy the Sonnet Thunderbolt 4 Dock for $299.99 on Amazon.
Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub
If you want to maximize Thanks to the large number of ports Thunderbolt 4 on a CalDigit Thunderbolt Element Hub or Dock is a great choice for most users.
CalDigit Element Hub
The accessory itself is more of a USB hub than a docking station, but it fills a unique role among potential Mac accessories. On the front, you'll find four 40Gbps, 18W Thunderbolt 4 ports. That's more ports than most other hubs on the market.
In addition to the Thunderbolt 4 ports, you will also find four USB-A 3.2 ports. While there are several options on the market, there is no hub with a four-Thunderbolt, four-USB configuration.
Buy on Amazon
You can even daisy chain an Element hub to the TS4 CalDigit port to expand your Thunderbolt connectivity options. It can drive two 4K displays at 60Hz or one 8K display. Of course, it doesn't have a DisplayPort to HDMI port, so you'll have to use an adapter.
Thunderbolt 4 Element Hub is a great choice for forward-thinking users who want more Thunderbolt 4 ports in this form factor. It's priced at $199.95.
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