18 ports. 98W charging. Dual 6K display support. The dock that handles everything — and what its 18 ports actually get you.
Listen to the verdict
The CalDigit TS4 is the best Thunderbolt 4 dock money can buy for Mac and Windows professionals in 2026. Its 18-port layout includes every connector you'll ever need — from Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports to a 2.5 GbE ethernet port and USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 — all delivered over a single Thunderbolt 4 cable that also charges your laptop at up to 98W. If you have an M-series MacBook or a Thunderbolt 4 Windows laptop, this dock transforms it into a full workstation. If €249 is more than you need, the Anker 7-in-1 USB-C hub covers the basics for under €40; the TS4 also anchors our best Mac productivity accessories roundup.
Official CalDigit
CalDigit's official TS4 setup walkthrough — 18 ports, 98W charging and the daisy-chain Thunderbolt 4 topology covered in the review.
The TS4 is designed for professionals who want a true single-cable desk setup. If you're a video editor who needs Thunderbolt 4 downstream for fast NVMe drives, a developer who runs dual 4K monitors and a full USB-A peripheral ecosystem, or a designer who needs colour-accurate 6K display support — the TS4 handles all of it simultaneously without bandwidth compromises.
It's particularly compelling for M1/M2/M3/M4 MacBook Pro and MacBook Air users: Apple's laptops have notoriously few ports, and the TS4 effectively turns them into Mac Studio-tier workstations for under €250.
Many shoppers conflate USB-C docks and Thunderbolt 4 docks, assuming they're equivalent. They are not. USB-C docks are limited to 10 Gbps total bandwidth, which means connecting a 4K monitor, an NVMe drive, and a few peripherals simultaneously causes bottlenecks — you'll see display stutter, slow drive speeds, and unreliable USB performance all at once.
Thunderbolt 4 delivers 40 Gbps total bandwidth over a single cable. The TS4 uses Intel's JHL8540 Titan Ridge controller to allocate this bandwidth intelligently across all 18 ports. Real-world result: you can run two 6K Apple Pro Display XDRs, a 40 Gbps Thunderbolt NVMe drive, and a full USB peripheral setup — simultaneously — without any degradation.
CalDigit has been thoughtful about which ports to include. The TS4's port layout covers every professional scenario:
Apple rates the 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Pro for up to 140W charging, so the TS4's 98W will keep it topped up but not at its peak rate. Laptops rated at 98W or below charge at full speed from the dock.
Windows users with Thunderbolt 4 laptops (ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Dell XPS 15) see the same 98W delivery, which covers most thin-and-light professional laptops at full charge rate.
The TS4 supports two 6K displays via its three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (each carries DisplayPort 2.0 alt-mode). On paper that covers two Apple Pro Display XDRs at full 6K resolution — the most demanding display scenario on the market. The far more typical setup, two 4K 60Hz monitors, sits well inside that bandwidth budget.
The DisplayPort 1.4 port adds a third display path for Windows users, enabling a true three-monitor setup from a single cable — something most USB-C docks cannot achieve.
This is where the TS4 leaves competing docks behind. SD 4.0 UHS-II delivers up to 312 MB/s read vs. 104 MB/s for UHS-I — roughly a 3× ceiling difference on card ingest, which matters for wedding and commercial photographers who pull 128GB+ cards daily. Most competing docks ship a UHS-I reader or none at all.
| Dock | Price | Host Charging | TB4 Downstream | Ethernet | Card Reader | Total Ports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CalDigit TS4 | €249 | 98W | 3× TB4 40Gbps | 2.5 GbE | SD 4.0 UHS-II + microSD | 18 |
| OWC Thunderbolt 4 Hub | €149 | 60W | 3× TB4 40Gbps | None | None | 5 |
| Belkin Thunderbolt 4 Dock Pro | €229 | 90W | 2× TB4 40Gbps | 1 GbE | None | 12 |
| Kensington SD5700T TB4 Dock | €299 | 90W | 1× TB4 40Gbps | 2.5 GbE | SD UHS-I | 14 |
| Razer Thunderbolt 4 Dock | €199 | 90W | 1× TB4 40Gbps | 2.5 GbE | None | 11 |
| Anker 778 Thunderbolt Dock | €179 | 85W | 1× TB4 40Gbps | 2.5 GbE | SD UHS-I | 12 |
No competitor matches the TS4's combination of three downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports, SD 4.0 UHS-II speed, and 18-port layout. The OWC hub is cheaper but lacks ethernet and card readers. The Kensington dock costs more but has fewer downstream TB4 ports. The TS4 wins on total capability per euro.
The TS4 uses an anodised aluminium enclosure in space grey — it sits next to an M-series MacBook without looking out of place. The aluminium chassis doubles as a heatsink for the internal Thunderbolt controller.
The 230W power brick is large (similar to a gaming laptop adapter), which is the one ergonomic trade-off for 98W charging + 18-port capability. Users who need maximum desk cleanliness should factor in a cable management solution for the power supply.
The TS4 achieves full capability on macOS 12+ with M1/M2/M3/M4 chips and Intel Mac laptops with Thunderbolt 4. On Windows, Thunderbolt 4 laptops (Tiger Lake, Alder Lake, Raptor Lake, and newer) also achieve full 40 Gbps bandwidth with dual display support.
One caveat: older Intel Mac laptops (2019 or earlier with Thunderbolt 3) are limited to 40 Gbps total — still excellent, but dual 6K display support requires checking your specific MacBook model's display output limits.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Thunderbolt Version | Thunderbolt 4 (Intel JHL8540 Titan Ridge) |
| Host Connection | 1× TB4 USB-C (40 Gbps, 96W charging) |
| TB4 Downstream Ports | 3× TB4 USB-C (40 Gbps, 15W each) |
| USB-A Ports | 5× USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps, 7.5W) |
| USB-C Front | 1× USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps, 20W charging) |
| DisplayPort | 1× DisplayPort 1.4 |
| Ethernet | 2.5 GbE (backward compatible to 1 GbE) |
| SD Card Reader | SD 4.0 UHS-II (up to 312 MB/s) |
| microSD Card Reader | microSD UHS-II |
| Audio | 3.5mm combo (headphones + mic, TRRS) |
| Host Charging | Up to 98W |
| Power Supply | 230W adapter (included) |
| Display Support | Dual 6K or dual 4K 60Hz |
| Compatible OS | macOS 12+, Windows 10/11 (Thunderbolt 4 required) |
| Total Ports | 18 |
| Dimensions | 168 × 55 × 53mm |
| Weight | 380g (dock only) |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| Price | €249 / $249 |
The CalDigit TS4 is the dock you buy when you need everything to work perfectly, every time. Its 18 ports, three Thunderbolt 4 downstream connections, SD 4.0 UHS-II card reader, 2.5 GbE ethernet, and 98W charging make it the most capable single-cable workstation solution available in 2026. At €249 it's a premium purchase — but for professional Mac and Windows Thunderbolt laptop users, it pays for itself in time saved managing cables and adapters.
The only reason not to buy it: if you just need a basic hub for a monitor and keyboard, a €50 USB-C dock does the job. But if you're a creator, developer, or professional who values a clean, fast, fully-featured desk setup — the TS4 is an easy recommendation.
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