Black Friday deals on laptop docking stations and Thunderbolt docks have begun, and I’m on the hunt for the best docking station sales for the 2025 holiday season. Welcome to Black Week, the period leading up to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
I’ve tracked the best laptop docking-station sales for the past several years. For 2025, I’d expect to see predominantly Thunderbolt 4 and USB4 (the generic equivalent) docks to be on sale this holiday season, since Thunderbolt 5 docks are generally aligned with gaming PCs.
I’ve listed each dock deal below, together with an explanation of why I picked them. Although I check multiple retailers and e-tailers, most of the top deals in years past have been on Amazon. Feel free to review the deals below, or else review my list of the best Thunderbolt docks and check to see how those prices have been affected for Black Friday sales. I’ve attached a FAQ at the end of this page with additional buying advice.
Best Black Friday Thunderbolt dock deals
- 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 year, I made the decision this year to phase out older Thunderbolt 3 docks, as the functionally equivalent Thunderbolt 4 docking stations provide a better experience.
Normally, I wouldn’t think of putting “Thunderbolt 5” and “deal” in the same sentence. But Kensington’s SD5000T5 is a really solid deal for any dock right now, especially if you’re looking to future-proof your desktop. Kensington’s SD5000T5 suffered a bit as the first Thunderbolt 5 dock I looked at, though it’s reasonably priced for premium hardware. I’ve included it as one of the first good Thunderbolt 5 docking station sales I’ve seen for Black Friday.
Otherwise, I think the uGreen Thunderbolt 4 dock offers the best deal. Our sister site TechAdvisor reviewed the Ugreen 8-in-1 dock we recommend, and assigned it four out of five stars. I reviewed the slightly larger Ugreen Revodok Max 213 myself. It was our best Prime Day dock deal at $160.
I’ve reviewed OWC’s Thunderbolt Go dock, and it earned four out of five stars. It’s $100 off MSRP.
CalDigit’s TS4 is also pretty pricy, but it earned top marks from our sister site, TechAdvisor. OWC’s Thunderbolt 4 also performed quite well in TA’s review, too. This is usually one of those docks everyone wants to buy, and it’s on a decent sale.
We’ve also reviewed quite a few Thunderbolt docking stations in our list of the best Thunderbolt docks, which includes real-time pricing information…so you can check those for sales, too!
Black Friday: The best PC deals around
Check out our roundups for the best PC-related deals in a wide variety of categories!
- Best Amazon Black Friday tech deals
- Best Buy’s best Black Friday tech deals
- Best Black Friday laptop deals
- Best Black Friday Chromebook deals
- Best Black Friday mini PC deals
- Best Black Friday desktop computer deals
- Best Black Friday monitor deals
- Best Black Friday USB flash drive deals
- Best Black Friday SSD and storage deals
- Best Black Friday Thunderbolt dock deals
- Best Black Friday power bank deals
- Best Black Friday office chair and desk deals
- Best Black Friday VPN deals
FAQ
When is Black Friday?
Officially, this year’s Black Friday takes place on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025. Cyber Monday is the following Monday, or Dec. 1, 2025. Amazon’s Black Week kicks off Nov. 20.
What should you pay for a Black Friday deal on a Thunderbolt dock?
Premium Thunderbolt docks usually retail for about $220 to $270 or so, depending upon the features. I usually hope for $200 or less, but we’ll see.
Though Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 (and USB3 and USB4) docks all include the same basic feature set, it’s likely that retailers and e-tailers have sold through their old Thunderbolt 3 hardware. (If this confuses you, please see our list of the best Thunderbolt docks and the explanation for the different features.) This probably leaves Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 as the default choice.
I may recommend one or two deals on Thunderbolt 5 docking stations, but Thunderbolt 5 is a premium platform with little need for you to buy it right now. None of the 2026 mobile processor platforms will integrate Thunderbolt 5 directly, favoring Thunderbolt 4 instead.
When do Black Friday deals on Thunderbolt docks begin?
Black Friday sales have already begun at several retailers. Retailers haven’t been shy about using early sales to unload inventory before the Black Friday craziness begins.
Over the years, I’ve found that certain retailers simply outdo others in specific product categories. I routinely search sites like Newegg, B&H, Target, and Walmart, but Amazon typically has the best collection of deals on docking stations of all stripes, including Thunderbolt docks.
I have a USB-C port on my laptop. How do I know what to use with it?
Consult your laptop’s manual. A Thunderbolt port may be labeled with a small lightning-bolt logo, but that icon can sometimes be used to signal that the port can be used for charging, too. If nothing else, a USB-C dongle/hub will always work with a USB-C port.
I still don’t understand the difference between USB-C and Thunderbolt. How does it all work?
USB ports have been around for years. USB-C (the oval-shaped port) replaced USB-A (the rectangular port) because USB-C was more versatile, with higher speeds and a reversible port connector. USB-C ports can be rated for either 5Gbps or 10Gbps, just like a normal USB-A port. But some USB-C ports connect to a Thunderbolt chip inside your laptop, and this allows the port to run at a higher 40Gbps speed. Physically, the connector looks exactly the same. It’s just what it can do that’s different.
Thunderbolt 5 is slowly entering the market, but with only one or two docks and a tiny number of laptops right now. I thought you wouldn’t see any major sales on Thunderbolt 5 docks this holiday season, but I’ve been since proven wrong!
What’s the difference between a USB-C hub and a Thunderbolt dock?
Speed and features. A USB-C hub connects to a single 4K (or 1080p) display and provides a mix of ports: USB-A, SD card slots, and so on. You can usually plug your laptop’s USB-C power cable (if it uses one) right into it.
A Thunderbolt dock supplies even more bandwidth for more ports. There are two key differences: It has enough bandwidth to drive a pair of 4K displays, and many docks come with their own power supply that can charge your laptop as well as your phone. All that occurs via the Thunderbolt cable that connects your laptop to the dock.
My laptop has USB 4, not Thunderbolt. Can I use a Thunderbolt dock?
Yes and no. Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB 4 all run at 40Gbps across the same connector. USB 4 is identical to Thunderbolt 4. But if your laptop runs USB 4, it won’t “understand” Thunderbolt 3 protocols. USB 4 laptops, which are still rare, have AMD Ryzen chips inside.
Is Thunderbolt 4 better than Thunderbolt 3?
Physically, they use the same USB-C cable. Functionally, they’re almost the same, and run at the same 40Gbps throughput. Thunderbolt 4 was released almost as a patch to Thunderbolt 3, ensuring that everything worked properly. If your laptop has Thunderbolt, you should be able to buy either a Thunderbolt 3 or Thunderbolt 4 dock without any problems.
Since Thunderbolt 3 is being phased out, you’ll probably find more discounts on the older Thunderbolt 3 hardware. (For all the gory details, see my roundup of the best Thunderbolt docks.)
I own a desktop PC. Do I need a Thunderbolt dock?
Possibly. Historically, the back of a desktop has been chock-full of I/O ports, especially DIY models that you build yourself. Desktops usually have extra room for internal SSDs, SD cards, and so on. However, if your desktop lacks these things, and if it includes an external Thunderbolt port, you can always add these additional components externally via Thunderbolt.
