Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock sort of feels 'pro' — but it’s a no-go for Mac users

When it comes to docking stations, Belkin is one of the known names to go for — offering options for all needs from those who just want to slap on a monitor to those who are plugging in a mega desk setup. The Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock is very much for the latter, and it sort of hits the mark? But not quite.

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

Plus, the aura of this utilitarian monolith is impressive. That aluminum and glossy black aesthetic sits proudly atop any desk and just exudes power. It looks ready for work — just like your MacBook.

However, that aura comes at a price. A pricey $299 to be precise. This is a little disappointing considering two things. One, there are similarly-priced options like the Ugreen Revodok Max 213 that offer more than this does, such as two Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports (though it doesn’t have any HDMI). And two, you can find a very similar spec to this in the Plugable TBT4-UD5, which is half the price.

And finally, if you’re coming to this with any of the best MacBooks, get ready for disappointment, as you’ll have to use that one and only Thunderbolt 4 port for its second display — there’s no DisplayLink software workaround here.

This is all about the choices Belkin made to get here. The Connect Pro has found a blend between simple display connectivity and pro-level I/O. If that is your bag, then you’ll enjoy it. If you don’t need that HDMI and would prefer more Thunderbolt-ness, then look elsewhere at this price.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a Thunderbolt 4 docking station.
• Who’s it for? This is perfect for laptop prosumers with mega setups and high performance peripherals to connect.
• What’s the price? You’ll find the Belkin Connect Pro at $299. But it’s regularly discounted — you can sometimes find it for $249.
• What ports do you get? On this dock, you’ll find an SD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 4 (upstream) port on the front, along with 2x HDMI 2.0, Thunderbolt 4 (downstream), Gigabit Ethernet, 2x USB-A 3.1 and 2x USB-A 2.0 ports on the back.
• Are there any caveats to this docking station? For $299, you are getting a sleek box with plenty of connectivity, but there are some limitations. You can get similar specs in cheaper options, Mac compatibility is very ropey, and the inclusion of only one Thunderbolt 4 downstream socket is going to disappoint those who need max speeds out of certain peripherals like multiple SSDs.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: Specs

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: The ups

Provided you’ve got the right system for it (more on that later), the Belkin Connect Pro does bring some good to the table.

A whole lotta ports

What’s the main thing you need from a pro-tier docking station? A ton of ports, obviously, and Belkin’s got you covered. The dual HDMI 2.0 may be a choice that takes up a lot of room on the back, but you still do get some good I/O variety — from supporting older peripherals with USB-A to Gigabit Ethernet and USB-C for charging a separate device, this can do it all.

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

Pretty damn sleek

The aluminum shell curves around the outside to give you a feeling of confidence in its durability, and while the glossy black front and rear are fingerprint magnets, it does exude a premium nature.

It looks rather lovely on your desk, and it’s low, wide profile means you can hide it pretty easily into your setup. Plus, I’m not entirely sure what witchcraft Belkin’s up to here, but while you see a lot of docking stations pack a ton of vents to keep cool, this doesn’t have any and is easily the coolest dock to the touch I’ve felt.

Port placement where it matters

So when it comes to where to put the ports, some companies get it wrong. Sometimes, you’ll see certain stations get a little front-heavy with the I/O, which reveals a mess of cables.

Belkin is sensible with putting the most-used ports across the front with the aim of keeping it tidy, and allowing cable management of the many wires around the back. It certainly helped keep the visible part of my desk a lot less cluttered.

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: The downs

Wait before you click buy! While I do rather enjoy the Belkin Connect Pro, I know I fall into a particular category with my M3 Pro MacBook Pro. If you are an Apple user (or someone with multiple Thunderbolt 4 accessories) there are some things you must know.

Mac support is weird

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

I could go in depth on how Macs don’t support Multi Stream Transport (MST) — tech that allows a single data stream to carry along multiple displays like Windows. But to put it simply, this renders one of the HDMI ports obsolete. You will need to use that Thunderbolt 4 port and an adapter for the second display.

This is more of a kick in the teeth from Apple (not really on Belkin), but the bit that is on Belkin is that there isn’t any chance of a DisplayLink-based workaround since the dock doesn’t support that software.

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

Only one Thunderbolt 4 downstream port

At the price Belkin is asking for, you can get a second or even a third Thunderbolt 4 downstream port for supporting more high speed accessories. The fact you only get one at $299 is disappointing.

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

Belkin Connect Pro Thunderbolt 4 Dock: Verdict

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

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

If I’m to speak to Belkin right now, I’d recommend either taking a more hybrid approach by ditching the second HDMI and giving us a couple extra Thunderbolt 4 sockets, or giving us the DisplayLink compatibility to give all users the triple monitor support.