Since I’ve been using my M2 Max MacBook Pro a lot in the last few weeks, making it my main machine, I decided to get a Thunderbolt 4 dock for it, as I hated having to unplug and re-plug 6 cables into it every time I moved it from and to the desk: USB-C to DisplayPort for Monitor 1, HDMI for Monitor 2 (both 3440x1440 @ 60Hz and 144Hz, respectively), Elgato StreamDeck, USB mouse (as its USB-C receiver is very wide and bluetooth is very shoddy, not to mention the 3 hour battery life this SteelSeries mouse gets if not unplugged), and MagSafe power.

With the CalDigit TS4, everything is plugged neatly into it and there’s only one cable from the TS4 to the MacBook, which is amazing, because it can hold both my monitors (I’ve read about some of the cheaper HP and Dell alternatives that don’t have some particular chip that Apple requires for two external displays), the mouse, the StreamDeck, the mouse, and in addition, I moved my H/K Aura from Bluetooth to audio jack and also was able to connect to the internet over LAN. The TS4 supports 2.5GBit, but my home network is 1Gbit only, and that’s more than enough. All this, while also charging the laptop at a whopping 98W, meaning I can just throw the MagSafe charger in my backpack, to have it all the time with me. Neat!

The Dock itself works pretty well, however I’d advise not to use the SD card for too long, as the dock is made of aluminium and will get a bit warm, as it doubles as a heatsink (it’s understandable, considering the amount of data and power that goes through it), but it’s nothing to be scared of. Besides that, I’m having it for over two weeks and there’s absolutely nothing I can complain about.

Or maybe it’s the price. Standing at a whopping US$450 (even though it’s now discounted at $379), or close to 400 Euros in Europe, it costs as an entry level laptop. However, with its 18 ports it offers a ton of convenience, and if you’re lucky, you might find used ones or discounted ones even at low prices, as I spent about 220 Euro on mine.

In conclusion: do you need this? Definitely not. Is it a good addition to your desk? Definitely yes, if you can afford it or find it on a good price.

Photos were taken from the product page.