Plugable is a company that makes plenty of Thunderbolt docking stations to cater to all kinds of different needs. I've reviewed many products from the company in the past, and now, I have the Plugable TBT4-UD5, the company's latest addition. It's yet another solid dock, and one that comes easy to recommend when you consider how affordable it is compared to more premium options.

The slim design and solid supply of ports make this a dock where you're not really missing anything major, and it's actually surprising you can get it for so cheap. I'd say my biggest complaint is the lack of a DisplayPort output option, but HDMI is more widespread, and you also get Thunderbolt/USB-C so you can use it with more premium monitors.

About this review: Plugable sent me the TBT4-UD5 docking station for this review. The company had no input into its contents.

Pricing and availability

Plugable announced the TBT4-UD5 at CES 2024 on January 8, and it became available right away at a wide range of retailers. You can find it on Amazon, Newegg, Walmart, and more.

Pricing comes in at $200, which makes this one of the cheaper Thunderbolt docks around, especially when you consider this is a pretty solid one all around.

What I like

There's a surprising range of connectivity for the price

Plugable has flooded the market with docking stations over the past couple of years, so at first, I was a little hesitant about another one being introduced. However, it turns out this dock offers terrific value with how many ports it has.

This dock offers terrific value with how many ports it has

First off, this is a Thunderbolt 4 dock and it can provide up to 100W of power to your laptop, making it suitable for the majority of high-end laptops out there. But where it starts becoming special is the inclusion of a Thunderbolt 4 downstream part, so you can use accessories like a monitor or super-fast SSD. This came in handy for my setup, since my super ultrawide monitor can't run at its full resolution and refresh rate through HDMI. The Thunderbolt port allowed me to get 5120x1440 resolution at 144Hz without issues.

Otherwise, the dock includes two HDMI ports for up to two 4K displays at 60Hz (including the Thunderbolt port), and it also has one USB-C port, four USB Type-A ports (two on the front and two on the back), and gigabit Ethernet. On top of that, there's a headphone jack, SD card reader, and microSD card reader. All the USB ports are at least USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps), too, with a couple of 10Gbps ports as well. There are no huge sacrifices here unless you want 2.5Gbps Ethernet.

Plugable is nearing a premium level of connectivity here while keeping a budget price tag

This is a great setup of ports that you'd probably find in docks starting at $300. The fact that you can get it for $200 is kind of amazing. Seriously, look for docking stations on Amazon, and you'll quickly find that most Thunderbolt docks cost $250 or more. There used to be an Amazon Basics model that was actually cheaper than $200, but it had slower charging, and even that one got more expensive before eventually disappearing. The Plugable TBT4-UD5 is a fantastic value proposition.

It has a power button

I mention this in a lot of my dock reviews, but I always love it when docks have a power button, and it's especially great to see it come down to a more affordable dock. When it already offers great connectivity at such a low price, this would be an easy area to cut corners in, but it's still here, and still great. You can press the power button to stop charging your laptop and powering your peripherals, making it easy to save power when you're not using your PC.

What I don't like

Design is unremarkable

My complaints with the Plugable TBT4-UD5 are mostly nitpicks, but they're worth mentioning anyway. The first one is that I'm not really a fan of this super wide and thin design. I think it'll fit well in many setups, and it looks good, but I generally prefer slightly thicker and less long designs. This very wide approach also means this wouldn't make sense as a standing dock, and indeed, you don't have that option. You can only use this dock horizontally, which might be a problem depending on your setup.

You can only use this dock horizontally, which might be a problem depending on your setup.

My only other complaint could be said for every dock I've tried before this one, and that's the power adapter. I strive to have my desk as free of clutter as possible, and an extra power brick is always a pain. Still, it's hard to dock points for something that goes for almost every other option on the market, too. Additionally, the obvious corner to cut with this being a cheaper dock is the materials, and this Plugable dock isn't special in any way. It's plastic and it feels fine, but not amazing.

Should you buy the Plugable TBT4-UD5?

I have no trouble recommending the Plugable TBT4-UD5 if you want a docking station that doesn't break the bank. At $200, I'd expect far fewer ports and connectivity options, but Plugable is nearing a premium level of connectivity here while keeping a budget price tag. Unless you really want a vertical dock or something made of metal, this is an easy choice.

You should buy the Plugable TBT4-UD5 if:

• You want a great supply of ports at an excellent price
• You need dual 4K displays and multiple peripherals
• You like having a power button on your docks

You shouldn't buy the Plugable TBT4-UD5 if:

• You prefer a standing dock
• You want something that feels more premium
• You need 2.5Gbps Ethernet