Best overall: CalDigit TS4. CalDigit's own materials emphasize the TS4's 98W laptop charging and the TS4 Manual calls out up to 18 ports plus 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet. The upside is clear: it's built for desks with multiple storage devices, audio, and peripherals. The trade-off is that the best overall label assumes you'll benefit from the port density; for a simple two-monitor setup, it can be more dock than necessary.
Best for maximum connectivity plus onboard storage: SONNETTECH Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock. SONNETTECH lists up to 100W charging, 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, and an M.2 NVMe SSD slot on its overview page, plus HDMI 2.1 for a direct display connection. The strength is the combination of many high-speed ports and the internal SSD option; the downside is that it's still a premium Thunderbolt dock category, and your laptop needs Thunderbolt/USB4 to justify it.
Best for flexible native dual-display layouts: Plugable Technologies TBT4-UDZ. Plugable Technologies specifies dual 4K 60Hz screens (via HDMI or DisplayPort) and 100W power delivery, and also notes the included 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4 cable. The advantage is layout flexibility—helpful when swapping between different home office monitors. The compromise is that it's still constrained by host display capabilities; it won't magically exceed what the laptop supports.
Best for Dell laptops and high power needs: Dell WD22TB4. Dell's own specifications are unusually transparent: up to 130W to supported Dell systems (with the 180W adapter) and up to 90W to non-Dell systems. The strongest point is that it can replace a separate charger for many Dell mobile workstations; the downside is that outside the Dell ecosystem, you're often back to standard USB-C power delivery limits.
Best one-cable option for many HP fleets: HP Thunderbolt G4 Dock. HP QuickSpecs list up to 100W via USB-C on the 120W version, and up to 230W on HP platforms via the combo cable on the 280W version. The appeal is obvious if you have an HP notebook that can take advantage of the higher-power combo approach; the trade-off is that non-HP systems shouldn't expect the same high-watt experience.
Best for a tidy Thunderbolt 4 desk with fast Ethernet: Kensington SD5780T. Kensington's product sheet calls out 96W power delivery via the Thunderbolt 4 upstream port, an included 180W PSU, and 2.5GbE. It's a strong fit when stability and enterprise-style port selection matter. The counterpoint is that it's not positioned as a minimal dock; it's built for multi-peripheral desks.
Best compact Thunderbolt 4 dock for mixed peripherals: Anker 777 Thunderbolt Docking Station (Apex). Anker's own port list spells out the practical limits: 90W max on the Thunderbolt 4 upstream port, a downstream Thunderbolt 4 port rated at 15W and 40Gbps with 8K@30Hz support, and dual HDMI 2.0 ports listed at 4K@60Hz. The strengths are the straightforward port mix and clear published specs; the weakness is the 90W ceiling.
Best for dual 4K on Macs that need software assistance: Plugable Technologies UD-6950Z (DisplayLink). Plugable Technologies states dual 4K 60Hz support (3840x2160 at 60Hz) via DisplayLink and, importantly, notes that the dock does not charge the host computer. This is the right kind of compromise when the goal is two external screens from almost any USB port, and you're willing to install drivers and keep laptop charging separate.
