Group test
Thunderbolt 5 docks & hubs
High speed expansion for the latest Macs
Reviewed by HOLLIN JONES
Group test
ON TEST…
> Anker Prime Docking Station
14-in-1 Thunderbolt 5
> CalDigit TS5+
> Kensington SD5000T5
> OWC Thunderbolt 5 Dock
> Plugable TBT-UDT3
> Ugreen Revodok Max
A docking station is the perfect way to add lots of extra ports to your Mac in a single convenient box. As well as providing expandability, these high-end docks also supply power to even the biggest Mac notebook and several smaller devices at the same time and are ideal for connecting multiple high-resolution monitors, adding Ethernet and other high-speed peripherals to your setup.
The Thunderbolt standard has evolved into its fifth generation which brings serious performance upgrades, even though the connection itself still physically resembles a USB-C plug. While only some of the newest Macs support Thunderbolt 5 for now, support will expand in future and these docks work with Thunderbolt 4 and earlier, just not at their full capacity. So, you can consider one an investment.
The benefits of Thunderbolt 5 are of most interest to those working with heavyweight media like 4K or 8K video editing, gaming or graphics work. For casual users, lower powered docks are also available. By choosing Thunderbolt 5 however you will be future-proofing your setup in case of more demanding workloads to come, or indeed for when you upgrade your Mac.