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    Best early Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs

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    Best early Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs

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    Best early Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs

    Image: Rob Schultz/Foundry

    Amazon’s Prime Day sales offer one of the year’s best opportunities to score deals on USB-C hubs and docks and their more powerful cousins, Thunderbolt docking stations. All offer important, necessary ways to expand your laptop’s ports and connect legacy devices like printers and mice.

    Officially, Amazon’s Prime Day begins on Tuesday, July 8, and will run through Friday, July 11. But sales on USB-C hubs, docks, and Thunderbolt ports will run up until and through the four Amazon Prime Days. Early Prime Day deals are on now, and we’ve begun checking Amazon and its top competitors for the best deals.

    I write, test, and recommend the best USB-C hubs and dongles, and do the same for the best Thunderbolt docks. For the past several years, I’ve been responsible for seeking out the best deals in both categories for Amazon’s Prime Days, Black Friday, and more. I think it’s fair to say that you’ll find the best USB-C and Thunderbolt docking station deals right here.

    Below, you’ll find a list of deals, as well as a list of frequently-asked questions explaining what you should look for. This is an interesting transitional period! I don’t expect anything unusual in terms of USB-C hub prices. Thunderbolt docks, however, are a different story: Thunderbolt 5 is arriving in the market, and older Thunderbolt 3 products (which are still somewhat viable) are being phased out. And yes, there are tariffs, which are in flux — although some just kicked in today and more may take effect on day 2 of Amazon’s Prime Day sales. At that point, who knows?

    Last updated at 9:58 AM on July 3.

    I value flexibility in my docking station choices, and right now StarTech’s dock offers the most port flexibility. (I reviewed an earlier StarTech dock, but not this one.) I really like Ugreen’s hardware as well, but it’s more of a hub, and you’ll need to buy display cables that take its USB-C video connections and translate them to HDMI. Those are about $20 per cable.

    Weirdly, I still haven’t reviewed Microsoft’s Surface docking station. But I’ve either used these specific docks or one that’s very similar, and I think you’ll be happy with every one on this list. Just make sure they offer the ports you need at the price you want.

    I was expecting closeout deals on older Thunderbolt 3 hardware, but I haven’t seen them yet. Hopefully some pop up during Prime Day proper!

    Best Prime Day deals on USB-C dongles and hubs

    I was expecting all sorts of pre-Prime Day deals…and there really aren’t. Instead, you’re better off picking and choosing from what you need from the list above. There are some deals, and anything less than $20 won’t strain your wallet.

    I’ve reviewed the Baseus Spacemate 11-in-1 dock listed here, and I rather liked it, even though it felt a little unnecessarily over-engineered. Note that the price when I reviewed it was $199.99, so the discount is a little deceiving — it’s closer to half off the initial price. Note that the 11-in-1 supplies its own charger; the 9-in-1 does not. That’s an added cost you’ll have to pay for.

    FAQ

    1.

    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.

    2.

    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.

    3.

    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.

    4.

    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.

    5.

    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.

    6.

    How will tariffs affect the prices of Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs during Prime Day sales?

    This is the big wild card. The United States has paused its reciprocal tariffs on foreign goods until July 9, the second day of Amazon’s Prime Day deals. At that point, it’s anyone’s guess what will happen.

    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.

    Unfortunately, it’s become even more complicated, practically overnight. Some dock and hub makers have moved their manufacturing out of China and Taiwan to Vietnam, and the Trump administration just set a 20 percent tariff on goods imported from Vietnam, and 40 percent on goods routed through the country. It’s just not clear exactly which company makes its products in Vietnam or China, however.

    There’s probably one sure answer to avoid tariffs: buy early to avoid paying the possibility of extra import tax.

    7.

    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.

    8.

    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.

    , 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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    Jonathan is a tech enthusiast and the mind behind Tech AI Verse. With a passion for artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and emerging innovations, he deliver clear, insightful content to keep readers informed. From cutting-edge gadgets to AI advancements and cryptocurrency trends, Jonathan breaks down complex topics to make technology accessible to all.

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