Amazon’s Prime Day is one of the best opportunities for shoppers to score great deals on Thunderbolt docks and their cousins, USB-C hubs. I should know — I’ve been tracking them for years now.
Docking stations and hubs offer an opportunity to connect more peripherals to your desk without breaking the bank. Amazon has been the traditional home of the best deals in both categories, year round, which makes it an even more ideal place to shop during Prime Day — and before. Prime Day runs June 23 through 26 this year. (Deals updated June 26 at 9:01 AM PT.)
Deals at a glance
- Best budget docking station: Ugreen Revodok NVMe Docking Station, 100W charging, $56.99 ($20 off)
- Best budget Thunderbolt docking station: Rocketek Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock, 100W charging, $104.84 ($45 off with coupon)
- Best mainstream Thunderbolt docking station: Wavlink Thunderbolt 4 Dock, 100W charging, $151.97 ($48 off)
- Best mainstream Thunderbolt docking station, runner-up: Ugreen Thunderbolt 4 Revodok Max, 96W charging, $161.48 ($88.51 off)
- Best mainstream USB-C docking station: Ugreen 14-in-1 USB-C Docking Station, 100W charging, $74.99 ($85 off)
- Best mainstream USB-C docking station, runner-up: Anker Nano 13-in-1, 100W charging, $104.99 ($45 off)
- Best premium docking station: Wavlink 12-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Docking Station, 140W charging, $195.00 ($105 off)
- Best premium docking station, runner-up: Plugable Thunderbolt 5 (TBT-UDH2) Dock, 140W charging, $279.95 ($70 off with coupon)
When I look for a deal, I have an idea of what a docking station should cost, based upon my extensive history of reviewing docking stations. I then compare it against the feature set the dock offers, as well as the historical price of the item as listed on Amazon and on pricing comparison sites.
Below you’ll find the best deals I found, along with an explanation of why you should buy them. If you’re uncertain whether you need a Thunderbolt dock or USB-C dock, see the FAQ at the bottom of this article. Be sure to check out PCWorld’s best Prime Day deals, too!
Best budget docking station deal: Ugreen Revodok NVMe Docking Station, $59.99 ($20 off at Amazon)
Who is this for? If you’re a budget buyer who doesn’t need to connect more than one external monitor, this one’s for you. USB-C hubs and dongles flop all over your desk; this simply takes that functionality and builds it into a nice compact little docking station. The plus is an SSD slot that can serve as handy local storage. Keep in mind that this dock cuts a few corners; you’ll need to provide your own USB-C power supply (up to 100W, but any USB charger will do) and your own SSD. Otherwise, there’s a USB-C and a USB-A port, HDMI, Ethernet, and a card reader.
Why is this deal good? This dock started off at its $79.99 list and has steadily decreased since then. USB-C hubs can fall into the $30 range or so, but I’d pay a few bucks extra for a nice vertical docking station like this. Oh, and you’ll probably see a lot of Ugreen in these deals — I’ve reviewed a lot of Ugreen docks, and they’re a solid budget brand.
Get Ugreen’s Revodok NVMe Docking Station for $59.99 on Amazon
Best budget Thunderbolt docking station: Rocketek Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock, $104.84 ($45 off at Amazon with coupon)
Who is this for? Note that this is a dock that looks very much like the power brick associated with Microsoft’s Surface line of laptops and tablets, but it’s manufactured by Rocketek instead. It’s one of the few docks with a legacy VGA port. It’s not a bad combination of ports, however, with a two USB-A, two USB-C and a pair of HDMI ports.
Why is this deal good? This is a mainstream dock, with a mainstream array of ports, for a budget price. Just make sure to click that coupon button.
Get Rocketek’s Surface Dock for $104.84 with coupon at Amazon
Best mainstream docking station deal: Wavlink Thunderbolt 4 Dock, $151.97 ($48 off at Amazon)
Mark Hachman / IDG
Who is this for? This a great mainstream dock at an outstanding price, and I’d recommend it for the vast majority of users who own a Thunderbolt docking station. This dock has a 30W USB-C charging port on the front, and another USB-C port (Thunderbolt 4) on the back which can be used for charging or display. But there’s also a pair of dedicated HDMI ports, eliminating the need for specific adapter cables. I’ve personally reviewed this dock, and found it to be solid, albeit with a few quirks.
Why is this deal good? I tend to expect Thunderbolt docks to hover around $200 or so. It’s possible that pricing pressures are pushing Thunderbolt 4 docks below this threshold, while keeping Thunderbolt 5 (largely a Mac technology at this point) about $250. Anyway, I’m quite pleased with this deal and recommend it.
Best mainstream docking station deal, runner-up: Ugreen Thunderbolt 4 Revodok Max, 13-in-1, $219.99 ($80 off at Amazon)
Ugreen
Who is this for? Thunderbolt 4 docks are the current sweet spot of docking stations, so this deal will hit the widest cross-section of potential users. This 13-in-1 dock doesn’t include dedicated display ports, but more high-end displays are now including dedicated USB-C connections which make a direct USB-C to Thunderbolt connection feasible. Also, 96W of laptop charging power is close to the maximum 100W rating. Finally, in my experience, Ugreen’s docks have a solid reputation.
Why is this deal good? We’re in this weird limbo period where tariffs, pre-sale price hikes, and inflationary prices all crash into one another. This dock was priced $10 less for most of June, but has remained close to the $299.99 price for the vast majority of the remainder of the year. I usually think that a good dock should be priced at about $250, and a slightly older Thunderbolt 4 dock being priced at $219.99 works for me. My guess is that Amazon might reduce the price to $209 for Prime Day, but there aren’t any guarantees.
Get Ugreen’s Thunderbolt 4 dock for $169.99 at Amazon
Best mainstream USB-C docking station deal: Ugreen 14-in-1 USB-C Docking Station: $99.99 ($60 off at Amazon)
Who is this for? If you don’t need the full power of a Thunderbolt dock, this Ugreen 14-in-1 docking station offers a ton of functionality in a more accessible USB-C format: three display ports (two HDMI, one DisplayPort), plus 140W charging via a 27W charger output and 100W upstream to the laptop dock. In addition, there’s an SD/TF card reader as well as a pair of USB-C ports and a USB-A port.
Why is this deal good? Most deals on Amazon suffer from the “let’s raise the price right before Prime Day and then discount” syndrome, but Ugreen’s docks don’t seem to follow that path. Ugreen’s docks, in my experience, offer genuine value for not much money. Paying $100 for a discounted USB-C docking station seems a pretty solid deal.
I also like Acer’s 13-in-1 docking station as a Prime Day deal ($108.99, $41 off at Amazon), which is similar though a few dollars more. Its pricing history shows that it’s not quite at an all-time low, but it’s pretty close. I don’t have any history in reviewing Acer’s docks, however.
Get the Ugreen 14-in-1 USB-C Docking Station for $99.99 at Amazon
Best mainstream USB-C docking station deal, runner-up: Anker Nano 13-in-1: $104.49 ($45.50 off at Amazon)
Mark Hachman / Foundry
Who is this for? The Anker Nano dock is two docks in one: a fixed dock for your desk, and a detachable travel dock which pops out when needed. (I reviewed the Anker Nano here.) It’s a nice value for those who will need both — and let’s face it, you probably will. It can even power three displays, which (given the 10Gbps input) might be a bit of a stretch, but lower resolutions are always an option. I wasn’t in love with its charging abilities, which is a little odd for an Anker device. I like the space-saving vertical design.
Why is this deal good? I like value. Many products I review I feed could be cheaper, and I’ll mark down for something I feel is overpriced. At about $105, I feel this is much more in line with what this dock is worth. Also: there’s an Anker Prime dock for $161.49 on Amazon as well. It’s a nice dock, leaning a bit more into charging than I/O, but it’s a victim of the pricing game: most of the time the dock is priced at about $160, with short, sharp spikes to its $269 MSRP to sell the discount.
Best premium docking station deal: Wavlink 12-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 Dock: $195 ($104.99 off at Amazon)
Who is this for? The Apple Mac natively supports Thunderbolt 5, but several Windows gaming laptops do too, and a TB5 dock can future-proof your setup as well as provide a connection to a high-speed single display, if your laptop also supports Thunderbolt 5. This dock doesn’t provide a dedicated display connection, but it’s discounted substantially less than other rival TB5 docks. (You can buy an adapter cable that connects the Thunderbolt output to a standard 4K, 60Hz display for just $10, but if you own a display with a higher refresh rate you’ll need to upgrade.) This dock has three Thunderbolt connections, plus 140W of charging power to the host, and a number of USB-A ports.
Why is this deal good? So far, it’s the best deal on a Thunderbolt 5 dock I’ve seen for Prime Day. Thunderbolt 5 might be overkill for mainstream PC users locked in to Thunderbolt 4, but eventually the host hardware will catch up. I usually consider $250 or so to be a good deal for a Thunderbolt 4 dock, so $195 for a TB5 dock is solid.
Get Wavlink’s Thunderbolt 5 dock for $195 at Amazon
Best premium docking station deal, runner-up: Plugable Thunderbolt 5 (TBT-UDH2) dock, $279.95 ($70 off with coupon at Amazon)
Plugable
Who is this for? Macworld really liked Plugable’s latest TBT-UDH2 dock. Although I haven’t had a chance to test it yet, Plugable’s docks have always impressed me, and the specs look solid on paper, with a pair of HDMI 2.1 ports and 140W of direct charging to the laptop.
Why is this deal good? The price is still moderately expensive, even with the coupon (make sure you click the coupon checkbox!) But there’s a lot here to justify the price, which is normally in the mid-$300 range.
Get Plugable’s Thunderbolt 5 (TBT-UDH2) for $279.95 at Amazon with coupon
Don’t forget dock cables, too
Some docking stations include dedicated display ports, so your display’s HDMI or DisplayPort cable can plug right in. Others don’t, and you’ll need to pair your ports to what the dock offers. Even if your display and dock both support direct USB-C/Thunderbolt connections, chances are that cables won’t be included. Here’s some quick suggestions on what to buy if you need them.
Most Thunderbolt 4 docks support up to two 4K displays at 60Hz. If your display supports both DisplayPort and HDMI, it doesn’t really matter which port you use.
If you’d like cables that support Thunderbolt 5, those options are also available for slightly more:
Other great Prime Day deals
These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found.
FAQ
Why should I buy a USB-C hub or Thunderbolt docking station?
Laptops have generally begun replacing all of the legacy ports (the boxy USB-A plug, HDMI, SD card slots, and more) with generic USB-C ports. That’s fine, but what if you have a wired printer or mouse or external SSD? You’ll need to connect it to your laptop, and you might need the right physical port connector.
If you have a fast external SSD or hard drive, the external throughput will certainly help you get the most out of your peripheral. And if you want to connect multiple displays, you’ll need a USB-C hub (and preferably a docking station) with support for two display connectors.
How do I know whether to buy a USB-C hub or a Thunderbolt docking station?
USB-C hubs and Thunderbolt docks use the same physical USB-C connection. A USB-C port (and USB-C hub or dongle) use a basic 10Gbps connection, while a Thunderbolt port increases the throughput to 40Gbps. Ideally, you should see a small “lightning bolt” icon signal a Thunderbolt port, while an unmarked port may be just a generic USB-C port.
Manufacturers, though, aren’t forced to label their ports. Your best bet is to haul out your laptop’s manual and check.
Thunderbolt docks will only work with a Thunderbolt connection. You can buy a USB-C hub or dongle and connect it to a Thunderbolt port, but it will only run at the 10Gbps speed.
USB-C hubs, dongles, and docking stations: what’s the difference?
I use hubs and dongles interchangeably to describe the small devices that hang off your USB-C port with a short cable. A docking station is generally large and heavy enough that it will remain on your desk. Virtually all Thunderbolt devices are large enough to be considered docking stations.
You can buy USB-C docking stations that lack Thunderbolt connections, but those are a bit rarer. A docking station also usually includes a charger so you can use it instead of your laptop charger. I also associate a docking station as something that resides on your desk, all the time.
My laptop has USB4, not Thunderbolt. Can I use a Thunderbolt dock?
USB4 and Thunderbolt 4 are functionally the same. Intel refuses to certify non-Intel platforms like AMD’s Ryzen for Thunderbolt, and the new Copilot+ PCs from Microsoft powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chips are in the same boat.
USB-C hubs work with basically anything with a USB-C port on it. Don’t worry about those at all.
How do I know whether to buy Thunderbolt 3, 4, or 5?
Thunderbolt is backwards-compatible, so you can own a laptop with Thunderbolt 4 and connect it to a Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 dock without worry. It’s not forward-compatible, however. While Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 both transfer 40Gbps, you’re probably best to play it safe and match the specs of your port to the specs of the device. Thunderbolt 5 has been largely confined to gaming laptops, and doesn’t look to expand to the mainstream anytime soon.
You can buy a Thunderbolt 5 dock if your laptop supports just Thunderbolt 5, but you won’t see the full benefits of it until your laptop supports Thunderbolt 5, too. On the other hand, you’ll need both pieces (a dock and laptop) to support TB5, so upgrading the dock during a Prime Day sale in anticipation of a upgrading your laptop down the road isn’t a bad idea.
How will tariffs affect the prices of Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs during Prime Day sales?
This is the big wild card.
Many hubs and docks are made in China, which has been a prime tariff target for this administration. On the other hand, dock makers like Plugable have specifically told me that they’ve moved manufacturing out of China, too. But consider: CalDigit announced its TS4 docking station in 2022 for $359.95. Its current list price: $449.95, and it’s “on sale” at Amazon for $379.
You’ll probably go crazy trying to figure out tariffs. Just buy the price.
Some of these docks have had bad reviews on shopping sites. Why?
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 you see a negative comment, try and determine if it’s a Windows user making it. The experience may be totally different.
Are the best Thunderbolt dock and USB-C dongle deals at Amazon?
Historically, yes. I check other sites, but over the past few years Amazon has consistently offered the best deals on these two product categories. Thats not always the case; Best Buy, for example, is often very competitive in Chromebooks.