Expert rating
pros
- Tons of ports
- Compact vertical stand
Our verdict
While we consider the Plugable TBT3-UDZ to be the best and most flexible Thunderbolt 3 docking station you can buy, there’s no doubt that it comes with a price to match.
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The Plugable TBT3-UDZ is simply one of the best Thunderbolt 3 docks we’ve tested, though it’s also one of the most expensive. (Thankfully, you can find quality budget options among our recommendations for the best Thunderbolt docking stations, of which the TBT3-UDZ currently tops the list.)
With a plethora of ports including options to use either DisplayPort or HDMI for both displays, the TBT3-UDZ offers flexibility and then some more. There’s even a sturdy stand to set it vertically on a table. We certainly appreciate this as the dock is otherwise 7.6 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches.
The front of the TBT3-UDZ features USB-C 10Gb/s and USB-A (USB 3.1) 10Gb/s ports, microSD and SD card slots (SD, SDHC, SDXC or MMC), and a headphone jack . On the back, five USB-A ports (USB 3.0 ports) and Gigabit Ethernet complement a pair of DisplayPort 1.4 ports and HDMI 2.0 ports. All of this is based on the Intel Titan Ridge chipset.
Display flexibility is an asset among Thunderbolt docks, and Plugable’s TBT3-UDZ has it in abundance. Mark Khachman / IDG
This kind of display flexibility is exceptionally rare and is one of the advantages of a docking station: you can just buy whatever display you like and know that the docking station has an available display port. On the other hand, you pay for that kind of flexibility.
A 30″ Thunderbolt 3 40Gbps cable connects the docking station to your laptop and delivers 96W of power. The front USB-A port supports battery charging and delivers 7.5W of power. Naturally, this is an active docking station with a hefty 170W charger (!). For this reason, you’ll want to leave it on your desk like a traditional dock.
Performance was excellent, running both 4K displays at 60Hz and transferring our test file at near-peak speeds while playing two 4K/60Hz videos simultaneously on both displays over Ethernet. The attractive gunmetal chassis has never felt uncomfortable, though it weighs in at a whopping 4.1 pounds – probably heavier than the laptops it runs on. The extra weight, as well as the chassis stand, keep the TBT3-UDZ stable in an upright, compact position. One of our test displays occasionally had problems waking up from sleep when using this dock, though it’s not entirely clear if the dock, cable, or something inside our test laptop was at fault.
Mark Khachman / IDG
A two-year limited parts and labor warranty is included, and Plugable seems to have a great reputation for customer service.