Thunderbolt dock/dongle recommendations?

Need some recommendations for a Thunderbolt dongle. My laptop supports Thunderbolt 4, but I'm assuming TB3 dongles will still work fine.

Must have:
2x video outputs (either 2x HDMI or HDMI + DP), with at least one hitting 4K resolution.
A few USB ports
Ethernet

Looking for something budget-friendly but not total junk.
Ideally from US retailers like Best Buy, or maybe Amazon.

Not sure if a standard USB-C dongle can actually handle this setup.

ThinkPad 😁

Why bother when there are much more practical ways to handle this? Most modern laptops come with HDMI and Ethernet ports built right in by default, and if you need extra USB ports, you can just plug in a USB hub.

The laptop doesn't have Ethernet because it's too thin.
I need two video outputs and a general setup where I can just plug in a single cable when I get to the office—basically, "convenience" is the main priority here.
It’s got HDMI, so a dongle with just one video output is an option (needs at least 1440p 60Hz + 1080p 60Hz), but then I lose that one-cable simplicity.

driftingcanyon2 said:Why even bother when there are easier ways? Every modern laptop comes with HDMI and Ethernet ports built-in by default, and if you need more USB ports, you just plug in a USB hub.

Yeah, right. They don't. Apple MacBook laptops have nothing but two Thunderbolt ports and an audio jack. No card reader, no Ethernet, not even HDMI. Honestly, these days they're even stripping Ethernet out of standard PC laptops.

The fix is this:
https://www.banggood.com/Bakeey-8-in...p-1705441.html
You even get 87W Power Delivery—so the laptop charges through the hub, meaning you aren't wasting a port just to power the thing.

wiredotter14 said:2x display output (2x HDMI or HDMI + DP). At least one has to be 4K.

That's a tall order. Finding a DisplayPort on a laptop right now is like looking for a unicorn. Just buy a gaming laptop if that's what you actually need—or go for dual HDMI. For example, a MacBook Pro doesn't even support two external displays natively, and even if it did, who cares? You've got its own screen plus one extra.
I think you're confusing laptops with desktop PCs.

feralmason4 said:It’s not happening. Apple MacBook laptops don't have anything besides two Thunderbolt ports and an audio jack. No card reader, no Ethernet, not even HDMI. Honestly, nowadays they're even stripping Ethernet out of standard PC laptops.

Here's the fix:
https://www.banggood.com/Bakeey-8-in...p-1705441.html
You even get 87W Power Delivery (since laptops that charge via USB-C can draw power through the hub, you don't waste a port on the charger).

That's a bit tougher. A DisplayPort on a laptop is basically ancient history at this point. Just buy a gaming laptop if that's what you actually need. Same goes for having two HDMIs. For instance, a MacBook Pro doesn't even support two displays natively—and why would you care? You have its own screen, then you can just hook up one extra one.
I think you're confusing laptops with desktops.

Thanks for the suggestion, but this is a corporate purchase, so I need a receipt and a warranty.

DP isn't "ancient history" on laptops; they used to come with Mini DisplayPort (which is garbage, like on some Surface devices), now they show up as USB-C.
Whatever, though. I don't care if it's HDMI or DP.
The thing you linked says it supports "4K*2K" at 30Hz. 🤔
Usually, you can find something that does 2x 1080p or 1x 4K at 60Hz.

For example:
https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B08...5A0M7GSK&psc=1

But this one supports 2x 4K60Hz output (or 1x 5K60Hz). So, one display goes through HDMI, and the other through one of the Thunderbolt 3 ports. (The docking station has 1 Thunderbolt 3 input, 2 Thunderbolt 3 outputs, plus HDMI).

https://www.cyberport.de/?DEEP=1D35-...SABEgIHg_D_BwE

I think that’s exactly the whole point of Thunderbolt—being able to run 2 displays + storage + Ethernet all through a single cable. Otherwise, we wouldn't have moved past USB 3.0. 😁

I don't know much about Macs, but I heard something about some models not supporting dual displays, only mirroring? Luckily, we aren't dealing with those issues.

Specifically, we're talking about an Acer Swift 5 laptop; it doesn't charge via USB-C.
Our main office monitors are 1440p, and the secondary ones are 1080p. Connecting two monitors to a laptop shouldn't be rocket science; people have been doing it via docking stations for at least ten years.

I'm wondering if there's something like this available in the US that I can buy. I haven't had luck finding one, and ideally, I want something cheaper than that Best Buy option since we don't need every single feature it offers.

We could go with a combo of 1 display output plus the laptop's HDMI, but my colleague's HDMI port died after a year of plugging and unplugging it 2 or 3 times every single day. Plus, it's less convenient.

So, any suggestions for that? (Basically 1x HDMI 4K60Hz + Ethernet).

feralmason4 said:It’s just not happening. Apple MacBook laptops don't offer much beyond two Thunderbolt ports and an audio jack. You won't find a card reader, Ethernet, or even HDMI. Honestly, these days, manufacturers are stripping Ethernet out of standard PC laptops too.

A stripped-down laptop like that feels like a total rip-off; you pay a premium only to realize how little you actually get—it's classic Apple nonsense. For context, my current setup has all those ports plus an Optical Disc Drive, whereas my old machine had everything, including an ExpressCard slot, a fax/modem, and an Optical Disc Drive. Seeing Apple try to move away from that feels like pure science fiction.

This seems to be the fix:

https://www.banggood.com/Bakeey-8-in...r_warehouse=CN

Honestly, this model is pretty much useless; if you actually bother to read the reviews, you'll see the SD card is unreliable, the Ethernet is capped at 100 Mbps instead of being true Gigabit, and the cable is way too short and stiff for any real use. Plus, you'll need an external power adapter for anything beefy, because from what I've seen, a standard laptop USB-C port can barely handle the draw of a single external SSD, let alone this whole setup, and even the HDMI compatibility is hit or miss. I'd suggest checking out the 3-star reviews for the real story. Basically, you're just paying to buy features that should have been built into your laptop in the first place.

driftingcanyon2 said:This model is total garbage. According to reviews, the SD card slot is broken, the Ethernet is capped at 100 Mbit instead of Gigabit, and the cable is too short and stiff. Plus, if you want to power anything substantial, you’ll need an external adapter. In my experience, the laptop's USB-C port won't even handle one external SSD, let alone all this junk. Basically, you end up buying extra gear just to make up for what should have been built into the laptop in the first place.

That's exactly why I'm asking for advice—if I knew what actually worked, I would've bought it already...
The specs say 1000Mbit Ethernet. Did you find in those reviews that it doesn't work?
If I need an external power supply via the USB-C port for extra devices, that shouldn't be an issue. I'll just plug it into a better wall charger than my phone one; surely that's enough for an external USB SSD?
Anyway, I'm not even looking at that one because it says it supports either one or two 4K30Hz displays, or three 1080p60Hz ones.
That doesn't tell me anything about whether it supports 1440p60Hz (or ideally 75Hz).

wiredotter14 said:That’s exactly why I’m asking for advice; if I knew for sure what worked, I would have pulled the trigger already...
It claims to have 1000Mbps Ethernet—did you see something in the reviews suggesting that isn't actually true?
If I need an external power supply via the Type-C port to run extra peripherals, that shouldn't be an issue; I can just plug it into a decent wall brick instead of a cheap phone charger, which should hopefully be enough juice for an external USB SSD?
But I'm ruling that one out anyway since it says it supports either one or two 4K30Hz displays, or three at 1080p60Hz.
I can't really tell from those specs if it handles 1440p60Hz (or ideally 75Hz).

The three-star reviews mention the manufacturer is lying about the Ethernet speed—claiming 1 Gbps when it's actually ten times slower—and apparently the HDMI isn't fully compatible either, so it's basically a dud. This is for the model RajnaKravar mentioned, because I accidentally copied the wrong link from that guy you were talking about earlier. I don't really have much experience with these extenders since I haven't had any use for them.