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Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock Review

Umito November 3, 2024

When it comes to docking stations, Belkin is one of the household names – offering options for everyone’s needs, from those who just want to set up a monitor to those plugging in a mega desktop setup. The Dock Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 is very much aimed at the latter, and it somehow hits the mark? But not quite.

The 12 ports and capabilities are indeed good, including a dual HDMI output that makes it easy to hook up monitors (for Windows), the SD card slot making up for its usual omission on laptops, and Gigabit Ethernet providing a fast connection, lasting connection. Pair that with a bunch of USB-A and you have a great all-in-one for all your peripherals.

Additionally, the aura of this utilitarian monolith is impressive. This aluminum and glossy black aesthetic sits proudly on any desk and exudes power. It looks ready to go, just like your MacBook.

However, this aura comes at a price. A pricey $299 to be precise. This is a bit disappointing considering two things. First, there are similarly priced options like the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 that offer more than that, like two downstream Thunderbolt 4 ports (although it doesn’t have HDMI). And second, you can find a spec very similar to this in the Pluggable TBT4-UD5or half the price.

And finally, if you come to this with one of the best MacBooksprepare for disappointment, because you’ll have to use that one and only Thunderbolt 4 port for its second display – there’s no DisplayLink software workaround here.

It all depends on the choices Belkin made to get here. The Connect Pro strikes a sweet spot between simple display connectivity and professional-level I/O. If this is your bag, you will appreciate it. If you don’t need that HDMI and prefer more Thunderbolt, look elsewhere at this price.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: Cheat Sheet

What is this? This is a Thunderbolt 4 docking station.
Who is it for? This is perfect for prosumers of laptops with mega configurations and high-performance peripherals to connect.
What is the price? You’ll find the Belkin Connect Pro for $299. But it’s regularly reduced – you can sometimes find it for $249.
What ports do you get? On this dock you will find an SD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 4 (upstream) port on the front, as well as 2x HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 4 ( downstream), Gigabit Ethernet, 2 USB-A 3.1 ports and 2 USB-A 2.0 ports on the rear.
Are there any caveats for this docking station? For $299, you get a sleek case with plenty of connectivity, but there are some limitations. You can get similar specs in cheaper options, Mac compatibility is very limited, and the inclusion of a single downstream Thunderbolt 4 socket is going to disappoint those who need maximum speeds on certain devices like multiple SSDs.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: Specs

Drag to scroll horizontally

Price	$299
Dimensions	7.9 x 2.9 x 1.3 inches
Weight	1.7 pounds
Ports (front)	SD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 port and Thunderbolt 4 (upstream)
Ports (return)	2x HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 4 (downstream), Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB-A 3.1 and 2x USB-A 2.0 ports

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 docking station: the best

Provided you have the right system (more on that later), the Belkin Connect Pro brings some good to the table.

Lots of ports

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock

(Image credit: Future)

What is the main thing you need from a professional level docking station? A ton of ports, obviously, and Belkin has you covered. Dual HDMI 2.0 may be a choice that takes up a lot of space on the back, but you still get a good variety of I/O – from support for older devices with USB-A to Gigabit Ethernet and USB-C for charging a separate device. device, it can do everything.

And checking the company’s promise with my power tester, the claimed 90W power delivery is true, so it will support silently charging most laptops in the background while you work.

Quite elegant

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock

(Image credit: Future)

The aluminum shell curves around the exterior to give you a sense of confidence in its durability, and although the glossy black front and back are fingerprint magnets, it exudes a premium nature.

It looks quite nice on your desk and its low, wide profile means you can hide it quite easily in your setup. Also, I’m not entirely sure what witchcraft Belkin is up to here, but while you see a lot of docks that have a ton of vents to keep cool, this one doesn’t and is by far the coolest-touch dock. I felt.

Port placement where it counts

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock

(Image credit: Future)

So when it comes to knowing where to install ports, some companies get it wrong. Sometimes you’ll see some stations get a little heavy on I/O, revealing a mess of cables.

Belkin is smart in placing the most used ports on the front in an effort to keep them tidy and allow cable management of the many wires in the back. It definitely helped keep the visible portion of my desk a lot less cluttered.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: The Cons

Wait before clicking buy! Although I rather like the Belkin Connect Pro, I know that I fall into a special category with my M3 ProMacBook Pro. If you’re an Apple user (or someone with multiple Thunderbolt 4 accessories), there are a few things you should know.

Mac support is weird

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock

(Image credit: Future)

Apple is a little weird when it comes to seeing a dock with two HDMI ports. If you’re on a Windows machine, scroll down as this doesn’t apply to you.

I could explain in detail why Macs don’t support Multi Stream Transport (MST), a technology that allows a single stream of data to transport multiple displays like Windows. But to put it simply, it makes one of the HDMI ports obsolete. You will need to use this Thunderbolt 4 port and an adapter for the second display.

This is more of a kick in the teeth of Apple (not really Belkin), but the bit that East on Belkin is that there is no chance of a DisplayLink based workaround since the dock does not support this software.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that for me (and many of you reading this), two monitors will be enough. But it leaves a sour taste in my mouth knowing I can’t go any further – and on top of that, I lost my only other round Thunderbolt 4 port. Speaking of…

Single downstream Thunderbolt 4 port

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock

(Image credit: Future)

At Belkin’s asking price, you can get a second or even third downstream Thunderbolt 4 port to support more high-speed accessories. The fact that you only get one for $299 is disappointing.

I’m talking about SSDs, streaming decks, music recording devices, and even external GPUs in some cases. With only one of these ports available, you have to be strategic in what you use, whereas with the competition this isn’t a factor.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: Verdict

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock

(Image credit: Future)

I wanted to like the Belkin Connect Pro. This looks so cool! But it’s complicated.

Part of this isn’t Belkin’s concern – there are indeed host limitations thanks to Apple’s multi-monitor support decisions. But the ultimate port choices made by the company here may give you some connectivity, but not enough in the Thunderbolt category.

If I were to talk to Belkin now, I would recommend either taking a more hybrid approach by dropping the second HDMI and giving us a few extra Thunderbolt 4 jacks, or giving us DisplayLink compatibility to give all users benefit from triple monitor support.

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