DisplayPort connections will work, but you’ll need a cheap intermediary cable. Here, consider what you want to do: connect a pair of 4K displays with HDMI? Look for Thunderbolt docks with a pair of HDMI ports. You’ll need a Thunderbolt dock (and a laptop port) instead. But sending a fire hose of simultaneous Ethernet, storage, and display data won’t work. That’s fine for a keyboard, mouse, and a hard drive which will power on, send data, and turn off. Just don’t go too crazy: All of the devices that the USB-C connects to will transfer data over the same 10Gbps port.
Prime Day is an opportunity to pick up a USB-C hub with inputs for USB expansion, Ethernet, SD cards, and more for very little - all ports that your laptop might lack. Put simply, USB-C hubs and dongles are relatively cheap, rarely climbing over $60. We haven’t used the Acasis or Acodot hubs, but the price is right. We’ve used the Hiearcool dongle before, and it’s solid. Wavlink’s deal meets the price we’ve hoped these devices would achieve, though. Anker’s price is a little high, but it does include laptop charging. The Anker and Plugable docks also use the same technology. We haven’t reviewed the Wavlink docking station, but it supplies the capabilities of Thunderbolt via DisplayLink, a compression technology we’ve been impressed with. Wavlink Universal USB-C Laptop Docking Station (no charging), $94.99 (52% off at Newegg).Plugable 12-in-1 Docking Station, 60W charging, $159.96 (27% off on Amazon).Anker Triple Display 564 Docking Station, 100W charging, $199.99 (33% off at Amazon).Prime Day deals on USB-C hubs, docks, and dongles The Anker 777 Apex won a middling score in our review, but its features are top-notch and the price is just about at its yearly low. Here’s our review of OWC’s Thunderbolt Go Dock, a more robust option. You’ll need to invest in an intermediary cable like this USB-C to HDMI cable, at $17 per cable on Amazon. We’re not huge fans of the SD5700T deal or the OWC Thunderbolt Dock, because of the lack of display ports.
We haven’t reviewed the Monoprice dock, unfortunately, but the price is right. The Kensington SD2500T is the cheaper little brother of the Kensington SD5500T, a much-loved dock which offers more ports. Our other recommended deal is the “Cadillac of Thunderbolt docks,” the Plugable TBT3-UDZ. The Belkin Thunderbolt Dock deal is for a slightly bulkier dock, and probably should be considered a secondary option.
POWERED THUNDERBOLT 3 HUB PORTABLE
The standout deal won an Editor’s Choice award: Our review of the Belkin Thunderbolt Dock Core reveals it to be an excellent little portable Thunderbolt dock at a massive discount. None of Amazon’s Thunderbolt deals are at their yearly lows, but they’re close.
POWERED THUNDERBOLT 3 HUB FREE
OWC Thunderbolt Dock, 96W charging, $200 (20% off with coupon on Amazon).Kensington SD5700T Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station, 90W charging, $251.21 (13% off on Amazon).Kensington SD2500T Thunderbolt 3 Docking Station, 60W charging, $162.11 (26% off on Amazon).Anker 577 Docking Station, 85W charging, $195.99 (35% off at Amazon).Anker 777 Apex Docking Station, 90W charging, $199.99 (33% off at Amazon).Plugable TBT3-UDZ Thunderbolt Dock, 96W charging, $199.96 (23% off at Amazon).Belkin Thunderbolt 3 Dock Core, 60W charging, $99.99 (50% off at Amazon).
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