Greatest Black Friday Thunderbolt dock offers 2025
Black Friday offers on laptop computer docking stations and Thunderbolt docks have begun, and I’m on the hunt for one of the best docking station gross sales for the 2025 vacation season. Welcome to Black Week, the interval main as much as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
I’ve tracked one of the best laptop computer docking-station gross sales for the previous a number of years. For 2025, I’d count on to see predominantly Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 (the generic equal) docks to be on sale this vacation season, since Thunderbolt 5 docks are typically aligned with gaming PCs.
I’ve listed every dock deal under, along with an evidence of why I picked them. Though I test a number of retailers and e-tailers, a lot of the prime offers in years previous have been on Amazon. Be at liberty to evaluate the offers under, or else evaluate my record of one of the best Thunderbolt docks and test to see how these costs have been affected for Black Friday gross sales. I’ve connected a FAQ on the finish of this web page with further shopping for recommendation.
Greatest Black Friday Thunderbolt dock offers
- Plugable Thunderbolt 4 Dock, Thunderbolt 4, $131.95 (41% off at Amazon)
- Kensington SD5000T5, Thunderbolt 5, 140W charging, $195.90 (50% off at Amazon)
- Ugreen Thunderbolt 4 Dock 8-in-1, Thunderbolt 4, 85W charging, $161.48 (35% off at Amazon)
- OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock, Thunderbolt 4, 90W charging, $199.99 (20% off at Amazon)
- CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock, Thunderbolt 4, 98W charging, $303.99 (32% off at Amazon)
- OWC Thunderbolt Hub, Thunderbolt 4, 60W charging, , $85.90 (34% off at Amazon)
This yr, I made the choice this yr to section out older Thunderbolt 3 docks, because the functionally equal Thunderbolt 4 docking stations present a greater expertise.
If you happen to’re in search of one of the best Thunderbolt 4 dock deal on proper now, Plugable’s dock is one of the best out there. Please ignore Plugable’s advertising and marketing towards the Apple Mac: this dock works simply superb for Home windows PCs, with none particular drivers. The one hitch is that it requires your shows to have an HDMI connection, which nearly all do.
Usually, I wouldn’t consider placing “Thunderbolt 5” and “deal” in the identical sentence. However Kensington’s SD5000T5 is a extremely stable deal for any dock proper now, particularly in the event you’re trying to future-proof your desktop. Kensington’s SD5000T5 suffered a bit as the primary Thunderbolt 5 dock I checked out, although it’s moderately priced for premium {hardware}. I’ve included it as one of many first good Thunderbolt 5 docking station gross sales I’ve seen for Black Friday.
In any other case, I feel the uGreen Thunderbolt 4 dock affords one of the best deal. Our sister web site TechAdvisor reviewed the Ugreen 8-in-1 dock we advocate, and assigned it 4 out of 5 stars. I reviewed the marginally bigger Ugreen Revodok Max 213 myself. It was our greatest Prime Day dock deal at $160.
I’ve reviewed OWC’s Thunderbolt Go dock, and it earned 4 out of 5 stars. It’s $100 off MSRP.
CalDigit’s TS4 can be fairly pricy, but it surely earned prime marks from our sister web site, TechAdvisor. OWC’s Thunderbolt 4 additionally carried out fairly effectively in TA’s evaluate, too. That is often a kind of docks everybody desires to purchase, and it’s on a good sale.
Anker’s Anker Prime Docking Station is 40% off or $161.49 on Amazon, however that’s a USB-C docking station that makes use of a 10Gbps connection. We’ve additionally reviewed fairly a number of Thunderbolt docking stations in our record of one of the best Thunderbolt docks, which incorporates real-time pricing info…so you’ll be able to test these for gross sales, too!
Black Friday: The very best PC offers round
Try our roundups for one of the best PC-related offers in all kinds of classes!
FAQ
When is Black Friday?
Formally, this yr’s Black Friday takes place on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Cyber Monday is the next Monday, or Dec. 1, 2025. Amazon’s Black Week kicks off Nov. 20.
What must you pay for a Black Friday deal on a Thunderbolt dock?
Premium Thunderbolt docks often retail for about $220 to $270 or so, relying upon the options. I often hope for $200 or much less, however we’ll see.
Although Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 (and USB3 and USB4) docks all embody the identical fundamental characteristic set, it’s possible that retailers and e-tailers have offered by way of their previous Thunderbolt 3 {hardware}. (If this confuses you, please see our record of one of the best Thunderbolt docks and the reason for the completely different options.) This most likely leaves Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 because the default selection.
I’ll advocate one or two offers on Thunderbolt 5 docking stations, however Thunderbolt 5 is a premium platform with no use so that you can purchase it proper now. Not one of the 2026 cellular processor platforms will combine Thunderbolt 5 instantly, favoring Thunderbolt 4 as a substitute.
When do Black Friday offers on Thunderbolt docks start?
Black Friday gross sales have already begun at a number of retailers. Retailers haven’t been shy about utilizing early gross sales to unload stock earlier than the Black Friday craziness begins.
Through the years, I’ve discovered that sure retailers merely outdo others in particular product classes. I routinely search websites like Newegg, B&H, Goal, and Walmart, however Amazon usually has one of the best assortment of offers on docking stations of all stripes, together with Thunderbolt docks.
I’ve a USB-C port on my laptop computer. How do I do know what to make use of with it?
Seek the advice of your laptop computer’s guide. A Thunderbolt port might be labeled with a small lightning-bolt emblem, however that icon can generally be used to sign that the port can be utilized for charging, too. If nothing else, a USB-C dongle/hub will all the time work with a USB-C port.
I nonetheless don’t perceive the distinction between USB-C and Thunderbolt. How does all of it work?
USB ports have been round for years. USB-C (the oval-shaped port) changed USB-A (the oblong port) as a result of USB-C was extra versatile, with larger speeds and a reversible port connector. USB-C ports may be rated for both 5Gbps or 10Gbps, similar to a standard USB-A port. However some USB-C ports hook up with a Thunderbolt chip inside your laptop computer, and this enables the port to run at the next 40Gbps velocity. Bodily, the connector appears to be like precisely the identical. It’s simply what it could do this’s completely different.
Thunderbolt 5 is slowly getting into the market, however with just one or two docks and a tiny variety of laptops proper now. I assumed you wouldn’t see any main gross sales on Thunderbolt 5 docks this vacation season, however I’ve been since confirmed flawed!
What’s the distinction between a USB-C hub and a Thunderbolt dock?
Pace and options. A USB-C hub connects to a single 4K (or 1080p) show and supplies a mixture of ports: USB-A, SD card slots, and so forth. You’ll be able to often plug your laptop computer’s USB-C energy cable (if it makes use of one) proper into it.
A Thunderbolt dock provides much more bandwidth for extra ports. There are two key variations: It has sufficient bandwidth to drive a pair of 4K shows, and lots of docks include their very own energy provide that may cost your laptop computer in addition to your cellphone. All that happens by way of the Thunderbolt cable that connects your laptop computer to the dock.
My laptop computer has USB 4, not Thunderbolt. Can I exploit a Thunderbolt dock?
Sure and no. Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB 4 all run at 40Gbps throughout the identical connector. USB 4 is equivalent to Thunderbolt 4. But when your laptop computer runs USB 4, it gained’t “perceive” Thunderbolt 3 protocols. USB 4 laptops, that are nonetheless uncommon, have AMD Ryzen chips inside.
Is Thunderbolt 4 higher than Thunderbolt 3?
Bodily, they use the identical USB-C cable. Functionally, they’re nearly the identical, and run on the identical 40Gbps throughput. Thunderbolt 4 was launched nearly as a patch to Thunderbolt 3, making certain that every thing labored correctly. In case your laptop computer has Thunderbolt, it is best to be capable to purchase both a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 dock with none issues.
Since Thunderbolt 3 is being phased out, you’ll most likely discover extra reductions on the older Thunderbolt 3 {hardware}. (For all of the gory particulars, see my roundup of the finest Thunderbolt docks.)
I personal a desktop PC. Do I would like a Thunderbolt dock?
Presumably. Traditionally, the again of a desktop has been chock-full of I/O ports, particularly DIY fashions that you simply construct your self. Desktops often have additional room for inside SSDs, SD playing cards, and so forth. Nevertheless, in case your desktop lacks these items, and if it consists of an exterior Thunderbolt port, you’ll be able to all the time add these further elements externally by way of Thunderbolt.
