What’s The Best Docking Station for MacBook M4 Pro and Max

Why Your M4 MacBook Needs a Docking Station

So you went and picked up a new MacBook with one of the advanced M4 Pro or M4 Max chips. Nice. With Thunderbolt 5 standard and enough get-up-and-go to power your creative endeavors, that Mac has everything you need to get work done. Mostly. 

Look, I get it, that Liquid Retina Display looks nice with its Extreme Dynamic Range and support for up to a billion colors—including peuce which is often overlooked. And with over 1,000 nits it’s gonna look real sharp when you’re working outside.  

But let’s face it, unless you’re my cousin Carl who considered shoes a corporate conspiracy, you probably aren’t working outside all that often. So if you’re the sort who tends to work at a desk, you’ve probably picked up on your new laptop’s port problem. 

With three Thunderbolt 5 ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, an XD card reader, HDMI, and a spot for MagSafe Charging, your basics are covered. Assuming you don’t mind plugging and unplugging a cluster of cords every time you leave your desk. And one external screen? Amateur hour. 

The Plugable TBT4-UDZ is the Best Docking Station for the M4 Pro/Max MacBook

We’ve tested the new M4 Pro and Max with a whole mess of docking stations to find the one that truly takes advantage of the laptop’s Thunderbolt performance. We aimed to answer two questions: “What is the best docking station for the M4 Pro MacBook?” And “What is the best docking station for the M4 Max MacBook?”. The short answer: Plugable’s Thunderbolt 4 dock, the TBT4-UDZ, is the best docking station for both. Don’t take out word for it, Laptop Mag called the TBT4-UDZ the Best Overall Docking Station of 2025, saying it, “Covers all the bases on ports, hits a homerun on power and performance.”

Chances are pretty good that if you bought a Mac with this much horsepower, you’re not just plugging in a keyboard and calling it a day. You’re managing multiple high-resolution displays, and while a single HDMI port is nice, how about DisplayPort for those color-accurate, high-refresh-rate, or reference-grade monitors you invested in? You need reliable dual 4K displays supported at 60Hz delivered at the full native performance of your Mac. To make sure connecting multiple displays is as easy as possible, the TBT4-UDZ gives you the choice between HDMI, DisplayPort, or a mix of both. And drivers? Who has time for that? 

With the TBT4-UDZ there are no installs, no hacks, just plug-and-produce. You’ve got data transfer covered with 10Gbps USB ports to instantly access RAW footage, massive creative assets, complex build environments, and those all-important backups. It’s the ideal dock for video editors, 3D artists, developers, musicians, researchers, basically folks who want access to the full power of their MacBook. 

Port Authority

This docking station is poised for productivity with its plethora of ports, so let’s start with the most prominent. Featuring two HDMI ports, and two DisplayPort ports so you have flexibility with your displays. Connect two HDMI screens, two DisplayPort screens, or a mix of both. No matter how you connect them, both of your screens are positively pristine at up to 4K 60Hz. It is worth noting, the TBT4-UDZ is technically a quad display dock, but only two screens are supported on Mac due to macOS limitations.

But the Plugable TBT4-UDZ is more than just a convenient connection for your dual display setup, the back of this 16-in-1 powerhouse offers 2.5Gbps Ethernet, a downstream 10Gbps USB-C port with Power Delivery, two 10Gbps USB ports for things like external hard drives, and two more 5Gbps USB ports for your other accessories.

Flipping to the front we have an SD and a MicroSD card reader, another 10Gbps USB port (because you really can’t have too many) a USB 2.0 port with charging, a combination audio jack, and of course, everything connects through a single 40Gbps Thunderbolt host port featuring 100W charging. Is 100W enough? You bet it is, champ. Your new Mac only needs 96W for fast charging and everything is automatically adjusted to ensure your Mac is getting all the power it needs, when it needs it. And that’s pretty rad. 

The professional series M4 Mac and the Plugable TBT4-UDZ, talk about a power couple. 

FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About Docking Your M4 MacBook

Q: Can the Plugable TBT4-UDZ dock support dual monitors on Mac?

A: Yes. Unlike many docks, the TBT4-UDZ lets M4 Pro and M4 Max users connect two external displays at 4K 60Hz via HDMI and DisplayPort.

Q: Does the Plugable TBT4-UDZ require any driver installation?

A: No driver installation necessary. 

Q: Will my monitors be laggy connected to the dock?

A: Your monitors will run at full native performance of your system.

Q: Can I watch AppleTV, Netflix, Hulu, etc, on my connected monitors?

A: Yes. The TBT4-UDZ supports HDCP, the industry standard for protected content playpack.

Q: Does this dock charge my MacBook?

A: Absolutely. The 100W Power Delivery is more than enough to fast-charge your M4 MacBook Pro.

Q: Will this work with older MacBooks?

A: Yes. It’s compatible with MacBooks that support Thunderbolt 3 or 4, though features may vary.

Q: How does this compare to other Thunderbolt docks?

A: The TBT4-UDZ offers more ports, faster charging, and dual 4K support—without the need for extra adapters or workarounds.

Q: Are there other Thunderbolt and USB-C docking stations and accessories optimized for the M4 MacBook? 

A: Yes. Check out this list of docking stations and accessories that pair perfectly with your Mac.

Q: Does the TBT4-UDZ support the Mac Mini M4 Pro/Max?

A: Yes. The TBT4-UDZ isn’t just for laptops, it will support the Mac Mini, too.