Black Friday Thunderbolt dock deals: What to expect, early sales

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Black Friday Thunderbolt dock deals: What to expect, early sales

Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 Core Hub

Image: Foundry

Early Black Friday deals on Thunderbolt docks have begun, and I’m on the hunt for the best docking station sales for the 2024 holidays.

It’s worth noting that Black Friday 2024 may be the last chance to buy a discounted dock for a while. In 2025, America’s new president has promised tariffs that could reach 60 percent on Chinese goods, and a number of smaller dock manufacturers are headquartered in China. (Larger ones, however, have moved outside the country.)

I’m compiling the best early Black Friday deals on Thunderbolt docks at major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and elsewhere. I’ve listed each Thunderbolt dock deal below, followed by an explanation of why I picked them. (For more details, scroll down to the FAQ at the end that explains what to look for in a Thunderbolt dock and how much you should pay.)

Updated at 11:04 AM PT on Nov. 14 with updated prices.

If you’ve been following our lists of deals, some of these are familiar: they’re solid docks that keep going on sale. And some of the discounts are somewhat deceptive. Last year, the Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core (a perfectly good travel dock, per my review) was being sold for $100 on a “50 percent discount.” This year, it’s being sold for $69.99 at Walmart, and that’s the new “regular price” after going on sale for that much on Prime Day. Still, it’s a steal! Ditto for the Kensington SD2500T, which was $131 last year but now $68.75 at Amazon.

I think the HP Thunderbolt Dock G2 still represents excellent value for the money, and it’s my favorite deal right now. I personally reviewed the HP G4 and it was excellent. Here, the G2 swaps HDMI ports for DisplayPort ports, so if you only have HDMI connections on your displays, you’ll have to buy some $15 DisplayPort-to-HDMI cables. Otherwise, it’s a compact and effective dock for your desk.

I also reviewed the OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock, which is $50 off right now with Prime. The company just launched a Thunderbolt 5 dock, but I’m not recommending the Thunderbolt 5 experience quite yet.

The CalDigit TS4 works for both Macs and Windows PCs. (Our friends at Macworld loved it per their review.) This CalDigit dock is also a good choice if you’re looking for a more full-featured dock. That’s also the reason I’ve included the Surface Dock, which has a good reputation even if I haven’t reviewed it. Ditto for the Lenovo Dock Gen 2.

The Targus USB-C Docking Station is the only exception to the Thunderbolt category, as it uses the DisplayLink protocol, which I’ve found exceedingly stable for office use but not for games.

We’ve also reviewed quite a few Thunderbolt docking stations in our list of the best Thunderbolt docks.

FAQ

1.

When is Black Friday?

Officially, this year’s Black Friday takes place on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. Cyber Monday is the following Monday, or Dec. 2, 2024.

2.

When do early Black Friday deals on Thunderbolt docks begin?

Early Black Friday sales have already begun at several retailers, though sales should ramp up as Black Friday nears. Retailers haven’t been shy about using early sales to unload inventory before the Black Friday craziness begins.

3.

What should you pay for a Black Friday deal on a Thunderbolt dock?

Premium Thunderbolt docks usually retail for about $220 to $270 or so, depending upon the features. I usually hope for $200 or less.

In 2024, you benefit from one key trend: Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 are roughly the same in terms of throughput and features, but retailers hate keeping old hardware on the shelves. It’s likely that you’ll still see substantial sales on older Thunderbolt 3 hardware, with lesser discounts applied to Thunderbolt 4 options.

I’m already seeing evidence of that. The Plugable TBT3-UDZ, which has been one of my favorite Thunderbolt 3 docks for years, is being discontinued in favor of the TBT4-UDZ, the Thunderbolt 4 version. With Thunderbolt 3 hardware on its way out — and very similar to Thunderbolt 4 in what it can do — you should expect additional discounts on older TB3 hardware.

4.

I have a USB-C port on my laptop. How do I know what to use with it?

Consult your laptop’s manual. A Thunderbolt port may be labeled with a small lightning-bolt logo, but that icon can sometimes be used to signal that the port can be used for charging, too. If nothing else, a USB-C dongle/hub will always work with a USB-C port.

5.

I still don’t understand the difference between USB-C and Thunderbolt. How does it all work?

USB ports have been around for years. USB-C (the oval-shaped port) replaced USB-A (the rectangular port) because USB-C was more versatile, with higher speeds and a reversible port connector. USB-C ports can be rated for either 5Gbps or 10Gbps, just like a normal USB-A port. But some USB-C ports connect to a Thunderbolt chip inside your laptop, and this allows the port to run at a higher 40Gbps speed. Physically, the connector looks exactly the same. It’s just what it can do that’s different.

Thunderbolt 5 is slowly entering the market, but with only one or two docks and a tiny number of laptops right now. You won’t see any sales on Thunderbolt 5 docks during the 2024 holiday season.

6.

What’s the difference between a USB-C hub and a Thunderbolt dock?

Speed and features. A USB-C hub connects to a single 4K (or 1080p) display and provides a mix of ports: USB-A, SD card slots, and so on. You can usually plug your laptop’s USB-C power cable (if it uses one) right into it.

A Thunderbolt dock supplies even more bandwidth for more ports. There are two key differences: It has enough bandwidth to drive a pair of 4K displays, and many docks come with their own power supply that can charge your laptop as well as your phone. All that occurs via the Thunderbolt cable that connects your laptop to the dock.

7.

My laptop has USB4, not Thunderbolt. Can I use a Thunderbolt dock?

Yes and no. Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB4 all run at 40Gbps across the same connector. USB4 is identical to Thunderbolt 4. But if your laptop runs USB4, it won’t “understand” Thunderbolt 3 protocols. USB4 laptops, which are still rare, have AMD Ryzen chips inside.

8.

Is Thunderbolt 4 better than Thunderbolt 3?

Physically, they use the same USB-C cable. Functionally, they’re almost the same, and run at the same 40Gbps throughput. Thunderbolt 4 was released almost as a patch to Thunderbolt 3, ensuring that everything worked properly. If your laptop has Thunderbolt, you should be able to buy either a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 dock without any problems. Since Thunderbolt 3 is being phased out, you’ll probably find more discounts on the older Thunderbolt 3 hardware. (For all the gory details, see my roundup of the best Thunderbolt docks.)

9.

I own a desktop PC. Do I need a Thunderbolt dock?

Possibly. Historically, the back of a desktop has been chock-full of I/O ports, especially DIY models that you build yourself. Desktops usually have extra room for internal SSDs, SD cards, and so on. However, if your desktop lacks these things, and if it includes an external Thunderbolt port, you can always add these additional components externally via Thunderbolt.

10.

Some of these docks have bad reviews on shopping sites. What gives?

Read the user reviews closely. While Macs adopted Thunderbolt first, some of the Apple M1 silicon couldn’t keep up with Intel Thunderbolt controllers used by Windows PCs, and the Apple macOS experience suffered as a result. If a Windows user complains, pay attention; otherwise, you can dismiss them.

, Senior Editor, PCWorld

Mark has written for PCWorld for the last decade, with 30 years of experience covering technology. He has authored over 3,500 articles for PCWorld alone, covering PC microprocessors, peripherals, and Microsoft Windows, among other topics. Mark has written for publications including PC Magazine, Byte, eWEEK, Popular Science and Electronic Buyers’ News, where he shared a Jesse H. Neal Award for breaking news. He recently handed over a collection of several dozen Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs because his office simply has no more room.

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