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Best Thunderbolt 4 Hub and Docking Station Windows Central 2021
Due to better performance and compatibility with many other interfaces, the best Thunderbolt 4 hubs and docking stations are slowly replacing the best Thunderbolt 3 docking stations. Even if you have a PC with Thunderbolt 3, USB4, or USB-C, many of these docking stations will provide additional ports. Thunderbolt 4 is still on the rise, so the hardware is limited. Let's take a look at some of the best Thunderbolt 4 hubs and docking stations.
CalDigit Element Hub is made by the same company that makes the powerful CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 docking station, which is our choice for the best laptop docking station overall. Compared with some other Thunderbolt 4 options, the Element hub is smaller in size and lower in price. It is a good choice if you don't have enough desktop space. It does require a sturdy AC adapter, so don't expect to carry it with you on the go without it being quite bulky.
The host laptop is plugged into the side of the docking station and opens seven additional ports. The front end is four USB-A 3.2 (2nd generation) with a speed of 10Gbps and a charging power of 7.5W. The rear edge accommodates AC input and three Thunderbolt 4 ports with 40Gbps speed and 15W charging power. When connecting, please note that the host laptop will receive up to 60W of charging power when needed.
You can connect the Element hub with a larger docking station (such as TS3 Plus) in a daisy chain to get more ports, and the reversible design provides you with additional desktop setting options. As for display support, the Element hub can handle up to 60Hz dual 4K displays, 30Hz single 8K displays, or 60Hz 5K Thunderbolt displays in extended or mirroring mode. If you want to connect high-speed external storage, the expected read speed can reach 3,000MB/s.
As long as you are not looking for a variety of ports, but want to add USB-A and Thunderbolt 4, this is a good docking station that is not as expensive as many other options. The Element Center is currently sold out everywhere, but you can add it to your wish list on the official CalDigit website.
Check out our CalDigit Element Hub review to take a closer look at this awesome accessory.
The CalDigit Element hub is an excellent small Thunderbolt 4 hub for anyone who wants to add USB-A and Thunderbolt 4 ports to a PC without taking up a lot of space.
Razer seems to have a version of almost every peripheral device you can think of, including the Thunderbolt 4 docking station. Faithful to Razer's vision, it is a high-performance option saturated with RGB. Yes, even your docking station can have a sweet Chroma base light to make your office look cooler.
The port settings of this docking station are almost the same as the other full-size docking stations in the series, but it has a small USB-A 2.0 port on the front. Connecting to Thunderbolt 4, you can use three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports, 3.5 mm audio jack, one UHS-II SD card reader, three USB-A 3.2 (2nd generation), and up to 90W host charging power.
Razer's Chroma RGB can be synchronized with your other compatible accessories and provides 16.8 million colors for you to use at will. Please note that the one-year warranty for the docking station is relatively short. The dock is currently out of stock everywhere, but you can register to receive notifications on Razer's website.
Be sure to check out our Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma review to learn more about what makes it the top choice for the TB4 docking station.
Want a powerful Thunderbolt 4 docking station to match your other gaming equipment? Leave it to Razer to add RGB lighting.
Kensington is another leading company in the field of hubs and docking stations. If you are looking for a permanent solution and have plenty of space on your desk, its SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 docking station is a good choice. It is a bit larger than the Element hub, but it adds a better port combination. If you need Ethernet, UHS-II SD card reader or 3.5 mm audio jack, this base is undoubtedly a good choice.
It connects to the host via Thunderbolt 4 and adds 10 ports, including one USB-A 2.0, three USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2) and three downstream Thunderbolt 4. You can provide laptops with up to 90W of charging power (which is great for PCs with dedicated GPUs that require more power), and supports a single 8K display at 30Hz or dual 4K displays at 60Hz.
To improve security, the docking station contains a Kensington lock slot and a Kensington Nano lock slot. If you don't want to put the aluminum base on your desk, you can use a mounting solution.
There is also an SD5750T, designed for the latest Surface PC, including Surface Pro 8 and Surface Laptop Studio. It is difficult to find at the moment, but if you have invested in the latest products from Microsoft, this will be a good choice when this situation changes.
Need more types of ports? Do you mind a bigger and more costly terminal? The Kensington SD5700T should be considered. If you are using a new Surface product, please check the SD5750T model.
OWC's Thunderbolt Dock is almost the same as Kensington's SD5700T in many respects, including port selection, port layout, and lock slot. However, one big difference is the price. The price of the OWC version is approximately US$279, while the price of the SD5700T is approximately US$370. Why is there a price difference? The OWC base has more plastic and a shorter two-year warranty. If these things don't matter, you will get the same connection for less money.
The docking station is connected to the host laptop through Thunderbolt 4 and provides up to 90W of charging power. There is a USB-A 2.0 port on the front, UHS-II SD card reader and 3.5 mm audio jack on both sides. The rear edge has three downstream Thunderbolt 4, Ethernet, three USB-A 3.2 (2nd generation) and AC connections. It will handle dual 4K displays at a 60Hz refresh rate or a single 8K display at 30Hz.
The side contains Kensington lock slot and Kensington Nano lock slot. The first batch of production at the terminal was quickly sold out, but there are more terminals on the way. You can now book from the OWC website.
Want a rich variety of ports without having to pay as much as possible? OWC’s Thunderbolt Dock may be exactly what you are looking for.
The best Thunderbolt 4 hubs and docking stations all provide powerful external display support, a large number of USB-A connections, and charging host laptops. If you need an SD card reader or Ethernet port, a full-size docking station will undoubtedly be a better choice. Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock Chroma is our first choice in this regard.
However, if you do not want to use the full-size option, but need to add a USB-A port and downstream Thunderbolt 4, then the compact CalDigit Element Hub is your best choice. Its cost is lower than other options, it still supports external displays, if you need more connections, you can daisy-chain with other docking stations.
If Thunderbolt 4 is not what you really want, be sure to check out our collection of the best Thunderbolt 3 docks for more purchase options. For more information on future connections, check out our Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 and USB4 and USB 3 guides.
Cale Hunt is a full-time writer for Windows Central. He mainly focuses on personal computers, laptops, accessory coverage and the emerging virtual reality world. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user, spending most of his time in tinkering or writing techniques.
Daniel Rubino is the executive editor of Windows Central. He has been covering Microsoft since 2009, when the site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Surface, HoloLens, Xbox, and future computing visions. Follow him on Twitter: @daniel_rubino.
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