Best Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations for your MacBook

Macworld

Plug your MacBook in and out of a multi-port docking station to swiftly add devices and external displays to your laptop. We tested a bunch to find the best Thunderbolt and USB-C docks available to owners of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

Thunderbolt 3, 4, USB4 or USB-C

The connectors all look the same (technically known as a “Type-C connector”), but there are significant differences, particularly on data-transfer speed—with USB-C maxing out at 10Gbps (usually 5Gbps) compared to the 40Gbps of Thunderbolt 3 and 4. More like Thunderbolt than USB-C, USB4 can be either 20Gbps or 40Gbps. That extra bandwidth allows not just for faster data transfer but higher frame rates to external displays, plus some other smart benefits.

Of Apple’s current laptop range, the M1/M2/M3 MacBook Air and 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro feature two ports that Apple specifies as “Thunderbolt / USB 4” ports, while the 14in and 16in M1/M2/M3 Pro or M1/M2/M3 Max MacBook Pro models come with three Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) ports. Ignore Apple’s dual designation of non-4 Thunderbolt and USB4—it just means that the ports don’t certify as pure Thunderbolt 4, and that shouldn’t worry most users except for the number of external displays each supports.

Apple’s older 12in MacBook features one 5Gbps Gen 1 USB-C port, while the later Intel MacBook Air (2018 and later) and MacBook Pro (from 2016) boast either two or four 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 ports.

If your MacBook is equipped with Thunderbolt 4, then you really should buy a TB4 dock if you need more ports than those 14/16in laptops already possess. USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 docks will work as Thunderbolt 4 is backwards compatible. Indeed, buying a Thunderbolt 4 dock is a wise decision for everyone, based on future-proofing even for owners of Thunderbolt 3 (TB3) Macs.

That said, there are still some great—and often more affordable—TB3 and USB-C docks available, and most Apple users won’t see much difference between TB3 and TB4—the Thunderbolt 4 standard was mainly about getting Windows laptops up to speed, although there are technical benefits for MacBook Pro users, such as smarter daisy-chaining and faster PCI hard-drive connections.

For more detail, read our Thunderbolt 4 vs Thunderbolt 3 vs USB4 explainer.

We have included some cheaper (non-Thunderbolt) USB-C docks. If you don’t require the ultimate bandwidth for the fastest data transfer and best screen frame rates or resolutions, a USB-C dock might suit your purposes and save you money. 

Add external displays to your MacBook

If you use your laptop as your principal computer, you would do well to consider attaching at least one larger display to create a hybrid desktop/laptop setup (with a keyboard, mouse and printer all available via a single connection to your MacBook). You can turn that 13in laptop’s screen real-estate into an iMac-sized 27in or even larger monitor by adding an extra display—or connect two or even four large screens to extend your screen across your whole desk. Take a look at our recommended best monitors and displays for Mac.

If you want to connect more than one external display to your MacBook without adding third-party software you’ll need a Thunderbolt dock, rather than a USB-C dock—unless you install third-party DisplayLink software. Natively over USB-C, Macs can only connect to one external display in Extended mode (where the screen extends beyond what you can see on the laptop screen, as opposed to Mirrored mode that replicates exactly what you get on the laptop screen) but you’ll get two Extended mode screens over a Thunderbolt connection.

While Apple’s MacBooks featuring the company’s own M1/M2/M3 Silicon chip are super speedy compared to the models sporting Intel processors, models with plain (non-Pro or -Max) M1 and M2 and some M3 chips come with an incredible limitation: they don’t support more than one external display in Extended Mode even via their Thunderbolt ports.

Apple has fixed this limitation with its latest M3 MacBook Air models but the plain M3 MacBook Pro remains stuck on single-display support. This may change soon with a rumored software fix for the entry-level MacBook Pro.

This means that when using any docking station, M1 and M2 MacBook (plus M3 MacBook Pro) users cannot extend their desktop over two or more displays, and will be limited to either dual Mirrored displays or one external display—although adding third-party DisplayLink or InstantView software to the Mac and connecting to a dedicated USB-C dock will allow you to add more than one external monitor to an M1 or M2 MacBook. Follow that link for our roundup of the best USB-C DisplayLink docks, and we’ve included our favorite in our roundup below.

Thankfully, the superior M1/M2/M3 Pro and M1/M2/M3 Max MacBook Pro models can support multiple displays. Below our list of the best MacBook docking stations, we’ve listed the native external display options for each MacBook. One dock supports up to four 6K displays if you own a Max MacBook Pro.

While some docking stations promise support for 8K displays, Macs are limited to 6K support via the dock. Macs with an M2/M3 Pro or M2/M3 Max chip can support an 8K display at 60Hz but only when it is connected via the Mac’s own HDMI port and not any port on the dock.

Do I need a docking station?

All the latest MacBook Pro models boast a wider range of built-in ports, so lighter users might not need a docking station at all. Below the list of our recommended Mac docks is a detailed look at the ports that each recent MacBook includes as standard.

With three TB4 and an HDMI port, a MacBook with a Max chip could connect to up to four external displays without the need for a dock, although such a power user would likely require extra Thunderbolt ports for other devices to make up for using all the laptop ports for multiple monitors. See below our list of recommended docking stations for more detail on the external display options with each recent MacBook.

All docks come with a bunch of USB ports: some old-school USB-A and newer, more capable USB-C.

MacBook Pros also have an SD card reader. Although this is rated as UHS-II (312MBps), Apple has pegged it back at 250MBps, so for the fastest speeds (and a microSD slot if you need one), a dock will likely be a better choice for memory-card use if it is rated at UHS-II rather than UHS-I (104MBps).

MacBooks also lack wired Internet access via a Gigabit Ethernet port, so if you want to escape flaky Wi-Fi, buy a dock with at least Gigabit Ethernet, although you could add a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter if you have a spare TB port. Some later docks include faster 2.5Gb Ethernet but you’ll need a 2.5GbE router or other device to get the benefit. As Gigabit Ethernet’s speed is 1Gbps, a cheaper 5Gbps USB-C to Ethernet adapter will work just as well.

Dock or hub?

If you just need a few extra ports, a USB-C hub or Thunderbolt 4 hub might be your best choice—see our roundup of the best USB-C and Thunderbolt hubs for Mac.

However, if you require a bunch of fast ports including Gigabit (or faster) Ethernet and multiple video ports plus more powerful charging capability, then look for a full dock that fulfills your needs, and you are in exactly the right place to discover which dock is best for your and you MacBook.

USB-C and Thunderbolt speeds








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Thunderbolt vs USB-C dock compatibility

Plain USB-C runs at either 5Gbps or 10Gbps, while Thunderbolt (TB3 and TB4) hits speeds of 40Gbps. You can hook up a Thunderbolt laptop to a USB-C dock but you won’t access the faster speeds unless you buy a true Thunderbolt dock. (By the way, Thunderbolt 5, offering 80Gbps, won’t be seen on a Mac until well into 2024.)

• USB and Thunderbolt speeds explained

USB PD: Power Delivery for your laptop

Look out for a dock with USB PD. The PD stands for Power Delivery. 

Charging the laptop: The M1/M2/M3 MacBook Air requires a PD charger with at least 30W power, but you can fast-charge an M2 Air with a charger rated at over 70W. You’ll need 67W for the 13-inch MacBook Pro and 14-inch MBP (with 8-, 10- or 11-core CPU), 96W for 14-inch MBP (with 12-core CPU), and 96W (preferably 140W) for the 16-inch MBP. The older 15in MacBook Pro requires a 87W PD charger.

An 85W/96W MacBook Pro can be charged by a 30W or 60W charger, but slower than it would be with its native charger. A larger MacBook with a heavy workload might start fading even while being charges on a lower wattage.

If you own a larger MacBook Pro, buy a dock with a PD (Power Delivery) potential of at least 85W if you can. Portable hubs are usually rated at a lower power such as 60W.

USB PD 3.0 maxes at 100W, while USB PD 3.1 can support up to 240W of power. The 16-inch MacBook Pro requires 140W to fast-charge via its MagSafe 3 cable, so owners of that laptop should look for a PD 3.1 charger.

If you just need a spare charger, we’ve tested the best MacBook chargers for you.

Dock, hub or dongle: Whole lotta ports

You need one (“upstream”) Thunderbolt or USB-C port for connecting to and charging your laptop (although the 14/16in MacBooks can also power via the MagSafe port), and likely at least another (“downstream”) to attach further devices (hard drives, external display, and others).

There are many inexpensive USB-C dongles/hubs that let you add more devices to a MacBook (see our roundup of the best USB-C adapters for Macs) or a Thunderbolt hub offering a few extra ports might be all your need, but for maximum flexibility check out a docking station that takes care of all your extra port requirements, and allows you to simply attach it to your laptop with just one cable when you get to the office or come home.

Here we concentrate on Thunderbolt docks, but also include cheaper USB-C docks—which Thunderbolt MacBooks can use, but at the cost of reduced bandwidth and display limitations. We’ve also included our favorite Thunderbolt hubs for smaller and cheaper alternatives. For more non-Thunderbolt USB-C-only docks check out Tech Advisor’s roundup of the best USB-C docking stations for laptops. Tech Advisor also reviews all the available Thunderbolt 4 docks.

Docks aren’t just for MacBooks. Mac mini (2018 and later) and iMac (2017 and later) owners may also consider expanding their ports with a Thunderbolt docking station.

The inclusion of an SD or microSD card reader isn’t just for camera buffs. It’s a convenient and affordable way to add storage to your laptop setup. We found a 512GB Samsung Evo microSD card on Amazon for around $100 in the US and under £100 in the UK. That’s a very cheap way of adding half a terabyte of portable storage. For more details read up on our best microSD cards.

Some of the docks reviewed below include an integrated SSD enclosure that lets you add up to 8TB of fast storage to your connected MacBook.






Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock – Best Thunderbolt 4 dock for Macs





















Pros


Thunderbolt 4

19 ports

Built-in speedy SSD enclosure

100W PD laptop charging

2.5Gb Ethernet










Price When Reviewed:

402,40 €




Best Prices Today:



€375 at Macway€402.4 at MUSIC STORE Professional





Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock

Ports: 19

Power: 100W PD 3.0; 150W max

External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 6K at 60Hz

Boasting an impressive 19 top-rated ports, Thunderbolt 4 certified and with a bonus internal SSD storage feature, the Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt SuperDock offers remarkable value for money.

It has the most ports and equals the fastest ports seen in the market. Its nearest competitor is the excellent Caldigit TS4, reviewed below. Sonnet clearly targeted the TS4 and the specs are remarkably similar—but the cheaper Echo 20 has a useful SSD enclosure that means you can add up to 8TB of internal storage via the dock. If you don’t need this feature and prefer DisplayPort to HDMI, or you need the most powerful ports on offer, the TS4 is still a great contender, although it costs a fair amount more.

The Satechi Dual Dock Stand, reviewed below, is a cheaper non-Thunderbolt option if the idea of an integrated SSD enclosure is appealing.

Even if your MacBook is Thunderbolt 3, as a Thunderbolt 4 dock the Echo 20 is backwards compatible and will work with your next laptop when it’s time to upgrade.

While you can use Thunderbolt ports to add external displays, Sonnet has swapped one of the downstream TB4 ports for a dedicated HDMI port. You can add up to two 4K displays at 60Hz or a single 6K screen at 60Hz. Unless your second display can connect directly with its USB-C port, you’ll need a USB-C-to-DisplayPort or HDMI adapter cable to connect to one of the downstream TB4 ports.

If you have the right router, you can take advantage of super-fast wired Internet access with the Echo 20’s 2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet—2.5x faster than standard Gigabit Ethernet, with which it also works on standard networks.

One Thunderbolt 4 upstream port (40Gbps, 100W PD)

Two Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (40Gbps, 15W)

Up to two external displays (4K at 60Hz)

HDMI 2.1 port 

Four USB-C ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)

Four USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)

SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps)

2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet port

3.5mm Combo Audio In/Out port (front)

Two (right and left channels) line out RCA jacks (back)

3.5mm microphone jack (back)

150W power supply

Read our full

Sonnet Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock review





Satechi Dual Dock Stand – Best USB-C dock for Macs





















Pros


9 ports

Built-in speedy SSD enclosure

100W PD laptop charging

Zero-footprint docking station



Cons


USB-C not Thunderbolt

USB ports can’t charge devices

No card reader

Requires USB-C charger

















Best Prices Today:



$149.95 at Satechi





Type: 10Gbps USB-C Dock

Ports: 19

Power: 100W PD 3.0; 150W max

External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 6K at 60Hz

Another dock with an SSD enclosure is the Satechi Dual Dock Stand that doubles up as an open-MacBook stand that raises the keyboard to a more comfortable angle..

Unlike the Thunderbolt 4 Sonnet Echo 20, reviewed above, this is a USB-C dock with a 10Gbps rather than 40Gbps bandwidth, but it’s significantly cheaper as a result. The MSRP of the Satechi Dual Dock Stand is $150, which is a very reasonable price for a dual 4K 60Hz USB-C docking station.

With one DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports, you can connect up to two 4K displays in Extended mode at a decent 60Hz refresh rate. The Echo 20 has just one video port. Although that port is the superior HDMI 2.1, you have to add a second external screen via one of the Thunderbolt ports, which will require an adapter.

The SSD enclosure is the star of the show. Placed on the underside of the dock, this is easily accessed and supports both NVMe and SATA SSDs. You need to buy the SSD separately. Amazon is selling NVME SSDs for around $50 (1TB), $80 (2TB) or $300 (4TB).

One USB-C port is for passthrough PD power at up to 75W to the laptop, which is enough for all but the 16-inch MacBook Pro at full pelt. Even that model will charge fine—just slower than smaller MacBooks. Note that you will need to connect your own USB-C charger to the dock: check out our recommended MacBook chargers.

If you use your MacBook’s own keyboard and desire up to two quality external displays, plus need to increase your base storage with fast SSD drives, the Satechi Dual Dock Stand is a neat, zero-footprint docking station that matches your MacBook for style and adds nine useful ports.

Dual-USB-C upstream connector to laptop (10Gbps, 75W PD 3.0)

Passthrough power USB-C port

Two USB-C (one at 10Gbps, one at 5Gbps)

Two USB-A (one at 10Gbps, one at 5Gbps)

One DisplayPort 1.4

Two HDMI 2.1 ports

Gigabit Ethernet

Read our full

Satechi Dual Dock Stand review





CalDigit TS4 – most powerful Thunderbolt 4 dock





















Pros


Thunderbolt 4

18 ports

98W PD laptop charging

2.5Gb Ethernet

230W power supply










Price When Reviewed:

384,66 €




Best Prices Today:



€384.66 at CalDigit





Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock

Ports: 18

Power: 98W PD 3.0; 230W max

External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 6K at 60Hz

With 18 top-rated ports and Thunderbolt 4 certified, it’s difficult to look past the Caldigit Thunderbolt Station 4, aka TS4. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s an ultra-impressive dock.

It compares well to the Sonnet Echo 20 with just one fewer port—the Echo 20’s integrated SSD enclosure. For port speeds the TS4 matches the Echo 20, and it boasts the highest power supply that we’ve seen on any dock that we’ve tested—a whopping 230W to be spread among the ports, including a front-mounted 20W USB-C that can fast-charge an iPhone and 98W laptop PD charging.

We also love this dock’s flexible vertical or horizontal format.

As with the Echo 20, while you can use Thunderbolt ports to add external displays. Caldigit swaps one of the downstream TB4 ports for a dedicated video port—in this case, DisplayPort. You’ll need an adapter if your monitor requires HDMI. You can add up to two 4K displays at 60Hz or a single 6K screen at 60Hz.

The TS4 also matches the Echo 20 with super-fast 2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet–2.5x faster than standard Gigabit Ethernet.

One Thunderbolt 4 upstream port (40Gbps, 98W PD)

Two Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (40Gbps, 15W)

Up to two external displays (4K at 60Hz)

DisplayPort 1.4 port 

Five USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)

One USB-C port (10Gbps, 20W)

Two USB-C ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)

SD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps)

microSD Card Reader (SD 4.0 UHS-II, 312MBps)

2.5GbE Gigabit Ethernet port

3.5mm Combo Audio In/Out port at front

3.5mm Audio In & Out ports at back

230W power supply

Read our full Caldigit Thunderbolt Station 4 (TS4) review.






Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station – Great choice for 2x 4K displays





















Pros


11 fast ports

4x Thunderbolt 4 ports

90W PD laptop charging

180W power supply

Power button



Cons


4.5W USB-A ports










Price When Reviewed:

Dès 240,21 €




Best Prices Today:



€319.99 at Bechtle€382.80 at inmac-wstore





Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock

Ports: 11

Power: 90W PD 3.0; 180W max

External displays: 2x 4K at 60Hz or 1x 6K at 30Hz

The Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station has everything a dock should have: four TB4 ports, three fast USB-A and one slow one (that at least boasts 7.5W charging power compared to the faster USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 port’s 4.5W), Gigabit Ethernet, SD Card reader, and 3.5mm audio jack.

It can supply two external 4K displays at 60Hz or one 6K monitor but at 30Hz rather than 60Hz like the Caldigit TS4, so single-screen gamers should probably look elsewhere.

At 180W, the power supply is higher than most docks tested here but not as great as found on the Caldigit TS4. It’s essential if you are powering multiple devices connected to the dock. And the On/Off power button (rare on docks) means you can give the laptop battery’s rest when you’re away.

There are useful lights telling you when the dock is powered and when it’s connected.

Check out the latest live prices above as this dock is often on sale for less than the listed price and can represent great value for money.

• One upstream Thunderbolt 4 port (40Gbps, 90W PD)• Three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (40Gbps, 15W)• Three USB-A ports (10Gbps, 4.5W)• One USB-A port (480Mbps, 7.5W)• Gigabit Ethernet • SD Card reader (UHS-II, 312MBps)• 3.5mm audio jack• 180W power supply

A variant model, the Kensington SD5780T dock (available in the US only), drops one of the three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports in favor of an HDMI 2.1 but costs an extra $50.

Read our full Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station review.






iVanky FusionDock Max 1 – Best Thunderbolt 4 dock for four 6K displays





















Pros


21 ports

Two Thunderbolt 4 chips

Up to four 6K displays at 60Hz

2.5 gigabit ethernet



Cons


Pricey

Requires Max processor for four displays


















Type: 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 Dock

Ports: 21

Power: 96W PD 3.0; 180W max

External displays: 4x 6K at 60Hz

Packing more ports (a whopping 21 in total) than any equivalent docking station we’ve tested, the iVanky FusionDock Max 1’s dual Thunderbolt 4 chips mark it apart from the competition with not just more but faster connections. No other dock can match it for number of Thunderbolt ports and its ability to host multiple monitors.

Packing two Thunderbolt chips gives the FusionDock Max 1 the ability to double up on video-capable ports.

Connected to a MacBook Pro with an M1 Max, M2 Max or M3 Max processor it can handle up to four 6K displays at 60Hz using both its Thunderbolt 4 chipsets. It costs more than any other docking station but it’s a unique dual-Thunderbolt 4 system that answers the dreams of multi-screen Mac professionals. It doesn’t work with Intel Macs or even any Windows computer.

This is a dock built for the top-end MacBook Pro Max. Macs with Pro rather than Max processors can connect to two 4K displays at 60Hz. While that would lose the display benefit this is still is good choice as you could have up to four 40Gbps downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports at your disposal.

Its other ports are plenty and top-end, too. We’re not sure who needs six USB-A ports these days, but they are there and all are rated at 10Gbps. We would have preferred more USB-C than USB-A, but one of the Type C ports included boasts 30W device charging power.

On top of all that you get 2.5Gb Ethernet and two fast UHS-II SD card readers.

Two upstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 96W)

Four downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (40Gbps, 15W)

Two HDMI 2.0 video ports

Six USB-A ports (10Gbps, 7.5W)

Two USB-C ports (10Gbps, one at 30W, one at 7.5W)

2.5 Gigabit Ethernet

UHS-II SD card reader (312MBps)

UHS-II MicroSD card reader (312MBps)

3.5mm combo Audio jack (front)

3.5mm Audio out jack (back)

Optical Audio

180W power supply

Read our full

iVANKY FusionDock Max 1 review





CalDigit TS3 Plus – Excellent Thunderbolt 3 dock for Macs