Plugable has entered the Thunderbolt 5 era with its new 11-in-1 TBT-UDT3 laptop docking station.
According to Plugable, it's a laptop dock that's intended to be used by "creators, power users, and IT professionals." It's Plugable's first Thunderbolt 5 dock on the market, and I'm looking forward to testing out its full capabilities.
Not only does it offer the latest Thunderbolt connectivity standard with outstanding transfer speeds, display support, and charging abilities, but it also adds Thunderbolt Share certification as a rare feature that especially benefits collaborative and multi-PC users.
The new Plugable 11-in-1 Thunderbolt 5 docking station arrived over the weekend, and I'm here to give you an initial look at what's included in the box, the dock's design, port selection, and features.
This hands-on preview was made possible by a review sample provided by Plugable. The company had no input on the content of this article, nor did it see the article before it was published.
Plugable Thunderbolt 5 Dock (TBT-UDT3): What's in the box?
Plugable's new TBT-UDT3 Thunderbolt 5 docking station arrives with everything you need to get it working with your laptop.
The solid slab of dock — wrapped with paper to protect the faceplates — is what greets you first. Below is a sizable 180W AC adapter with a barrel charging plug, as well as a certified Thunderbolt 5 cable measuring one meter (3.2 feet) in length.
👉 Related: Best Thunderbolt docks and hubs we've tested so far
What I wasn't expecting to see was an included stand. It slides onto the end of the dock, allowing it to stand vertically. It's a small but worthwhile space-saving addition.
Plugable adds a quick-start guide with clear instructions on how to get the dock set up. All of the packaging is either paper or card, which I love to see.
Plugable Thunderbolt 5 Dock (TBT-UDT3): First impressions
Before I get into the actual hands-on part, let me share some specifics as to what makes up Plugable's TBT-UDT3 Thunderbolt 5 dock.
As Plugable explains, its new dock uses an Intel JHL9580 Thunderbolt 5 controller. It comes from Intel's "Barlow Ridge" product lineup, which launched in Q3 2024.
The TBT-UDT3 is made for use with PCs with Thunderbolt 5 (TB5), but it is backward compatible with Thunderbolt 4 (TB4) and USB4.
You won't get the same level of performance if you're using TB4 and USB4, but with the relatively slow adoption rate of TB5 in laptops, you can set yourself up for the future with a dock like this.
👉 Related: Can I use Thunderbolt 4 or 5 docks with USB4 laptops?
Now, onto my first impressions.
The Plugable TBT-UDT3 is a chunky piece of hardware. It's primarily made up of an aluminum chassis with ribbed sides, assumedly to better dispel heat created by the speedy transfers.
The back and sides of the dock use a single plastic faceplate that wraps around with curved corners. Compare the rounded edges in the Plugable dock to something like the boxy Kensington SD5000T5 Thunderbolt 5 dock we reviewed, and you can see the difference immediately.
I'm not a big fan of plastic faceplates on a dock, especially one that costs so much. They scratch easily, and they kind of cheapen the overall appearance.
Plugable's compromise, with plastic on the sides and back only, is something I don't mind. You still get the full aluminum panel around the front ports, and the dock isn't nearly as heavy as if it were all metal.
The first thing that jumped out at me was a lack of native video ports. Instead, the TBT-UDT3 has a single downstream Thunderbolt 5 port on the front, as well as another two on the back. They can each deliver up to 15W of power.
I suppose I should get used to this design. Thunderbolt 5 has buffed display support to the point that the likes of HDMI and DisplayPort simply can't keep up, and the latest TB5 docking stations don't see a need to include native video out.
A big part of that upgrade is Thunderbolt 5's Bandwidth Boost feature, which allows for up to 120Gbps of downstream bandwidth. That's ideal for high-res monitors, and Plugable says the TBT-UDT3 will run dual 8K@120Hz external displays from the TB5 ports.
If you're using the dock with a Thunderbolt 4 laptop, it looks like it will support up to dual 4K displays each at 60Hz.
When Bandwidth Boost isn't enabled, you get the usual 80Gbps bi-directional bandwidth. Thunderbolt 4 is capped at 40Gbps, so this is a big upgrade.
The front of the Plugable TBT-UDT3 also includes SD and microSD card readers — I'll be sure to test whether or not they can be used simultaneously — a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-A 3.2 port at 10Gbps, and a power button with LED status light.
The back of the dock adds another two USB-A 3.2 ports, one at 10Gbps and the other at 5Gbps. For wired internet, a 2.5Gb Ethernet port is available.
The dock's host Thunderbolt 5 port is located on the back, and it delivers up to 140W of power to the host laptop.
Kensington lock slots are embedded into the back of the dock, right next to the barrel charging port. I've got to hand it to Plugable; the 180W AC adapter isn't nearly as large as those from previous generations.
This isn't a dock that's made for mobile use, but it's always nice to save some space behind your desk.
Speaking of saving space, the included stand is higher-quality than I was expecting. It's heavy enough to keep the dock in place when standing vertically, and its anti-slip feet don't let it skip around.
Plugable Thunderbolt 5 Dock (TBT-UDT3): Thunderbolt Share
As an added bonus, Plugable's TBT-UDT3 dock supports Thunderbolt Share, an Intel technology that promises "ultra-fast PC-to-PC experiences."
I went hands-on with Thunderbolt Share late last year via Kensington's SD5768T EQ Thunderbolt 4 dock, and I was impressed with its capabilities. The tech has now arrived in a Thunderbolt 5 dock.
Thunderbolt Share is meant to work with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 5 laptops. They must have Windows 11 and the latest Intel graphics driver.
Here's where most laptops fail the compatibility check — each laptop must normally have Thunderbolt Share certification for the feature to work. Considering the Razer Blade 18 is one of the only laptops with this certification, using Thunderbolt Share across PCs isn't exactly easy.
That is, at least, unless you have a docking station like the Plugable TBT-UDT3.
Adding a dock with Thunderbolt Share certification to your workflow removes the individual laptop requirements, allowing you to take advantage of the tools with any laptop featuring TB4 or TB5 ports.
Connecting two laptops with Thunderbolt Share allows you to take complete control over both PCs with one set of peripherals. Once connected, you can drag and drop files, sync folders, and transfer bundles of data with relative ease.
It's great to see this feature coming to more of the top laptop docking stations. In Plugable's case, the TBT-UDT3 is made for power users, and that's where Thunderbolt Share excels.
Plugable Thunderbolt 5 Dock (TBT-UDT3): Where to buy
Plugable's new Thunderbolt 5 laptop dock (TBT-UDT3) is now available to buy from Amazon. Plugable set the MSRP at $299.95, but Amazon has it down to $254.95.
That's a very competitive price considering even CalDigit's Element 5 Hub with fewer ports costs about $280.
In terms of other competition, CalDigit's TS5 costs about $370, and its TS5 Plus bumps the price up to about $500. Unfortunately, both are sold out everywhere, and we're waiting on a restock.
There's also the Kensington SD5000T5-EQ available now for about $350 at Best Buy (after a $40 discount).
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