Best Prices Today: Brydge ProDock Trio

Most docking stations sit or stand separately from the host laptop that connects via a single USB-C or Thunderbolt cable. You want to hide them and their snaky cables away from sight.

The Brydge ProDock takes a different approach, being a vertical dock that you slide your closed MacBook into so that it connects with the dock’s built-in connector to make every port, display, and connection instantly live with minimal footprint and clutter. It even features a MagSafe-compatible wireless charging pad for your iPhone.

It’s a sleek dock aesthetic that puts all the tech (including your MacBook) into one compact and convenient desk placement. When you want to take your laptop away from the desk, you simply lift it out — without having to disconnect and then reconnect any cables.

The top-end Brydge ProDock Trio reviewed here is part of a wider ProDock range, starting with the new entry-level ProDock Solo, and a refreshed Thunderbolt 4 ProDock Duo. Packing Thunderbolt 5, the ProDock Trio delivers the highest bandwidth and multi-display performance for power users.

What ports does the Brydge ProDock Trio have?

The Brydge ProDock Trio includes four Thunderbolt 5 ports, one USB-C port, three USB-A ports, 2.5Gb Ethernet, an SD card reader, a 3.5mm audio jack and 140W host charging.

The Thunderbolt 5 ports are fully backwards compatible with lesser Thunderbolt 4 MacBook Pro and Air models. While these won’t be able to take advantage of TB5’s full 80/120Gbps, the dock will remain useful to you when you upgrade to a Thunderbolt 5 MacBook. Thunderbolt 5 will be the mainstay connection for Macs for the foreseeable future so buying in now is a sensible decision.

If you simply don’t need such bandwidth you can save some money by opting for the Thunderbolt 4 ProDock Duo that hosts a similar rack of dock ports.

ProDock Trio

One upstream Thunderbolt 5 connector (80Gbps, 140W) inside sleeve

Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports (80Gbps, 15W) at rear

1x USB-C (10Gbps, 5.5W) on side 1

2x USB-A (10Gbps, 5.5W) at rear

1x USB-A (10Gbps, 5.5W) on side 2

Ethernet (2.5Gb) at rear

SD Card Reader (4.0, UHS-II, 312MBps) on side 1

MagSafe Compatible Phone Charger (10W) on front

3.5mm combo audio jack on side 2

180W power supply

Missing are video ports, with the three downstream Thunderbolt ports taking on the display connection jobs. This is a flexible approach with the caveat that you may have to add adapter cables if your monitor demands either DisplayPort or HDMI.

While a dedicated DisplayPort or HDMI port can save you having to invest in adapter cables, most modern monitors include USB-C or Thunderbolt connections, and leaving the choice up to the user means the dock’s Thunderbolt ports can be used for either video or other devices as required. An HDMI port when your display has a USB-C connection is likely a wasted one, and when there are only eleven each port needs to count.

And because the MacBook connects vertically you still have access to the laptop’s own HDMI port, plus a Thunderbolt and SD card reader slot at the top.

There is one extra USB-C port (10Gbps) alongside the faster Thunderbolts (80Gbps). It would have been a bonus for this port to have a higher power output than its mere 5.5W. Fast-charging an iPhone or iPad requires at least 18W.

There’s a handy MagSafe-compatible wireless charging pad on the dock, but it’s also relatively slow at 10W. A certified MagSafe or Qi2 charging pad would have increased this to 15W or even 25W.

There are three legacy USB-A ports (10Gbps) that should be plenty in today’s USB-C-dominated world. With the USB-C port and the three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports, there are enough connections for most users.

With fast 2.5Gb Ethernet now the norm on top-end docking stations, it’s appreciated here. It will work with the more standard Gigabit Ethernet (1GbE), and future-proofs your investment for when you upgrade network speeds.

Design and build

One of the reasons you’ll be considering any of the ProDock models is the tidy vertical arrangement. It’s a convenient design if you’re not planning on using the MacBook’s own screen. In my home office I have a dual-stacked monitor while my closed MacBook lies flat on the desk taking up too much of what’s left of the desk when it’s hosting the large screens, a keyboard and mouse—plus my glass of water and coffee cup.

The ProDock entirely takes away the MacBook’s desk hogging.

At the point of purchase you choose the Sleeve Adapter (the part the laptop fits into) for your size MacBook from a choice of four: MacBook Air (13in or 15in, M2-M5), MacBook Pro (14in or 16in, M1-M5). Even though it won’t get the full benefit of Thunderbolt 5, a MacBook Air can still use the ProDock Trio, although a Duo probably makes more sense.

You screw this onto the dock, with screws and screwdriver included. There are little padded stickers for the MacBook’s USB-C ports to protect from frequent insertion and removal.

The MacBook fits in only one way so you can’t choose which side of ports sticks out the top and is still available for use.

That means the MagSafe 3 power connector can’t be used, but isn’t required as the dock supplies the power via the Thunderbolt connection. But it also means one of the MacBook’s three TB ports goes unused. HDMI, SD slot and one TB port remain available for use at the top, depending on your MacBook model, of course.

With the MacBook out of the sleeve, the ProDock is 127mm tall. Including the magnetic wireless charging section, it is 203mm long. Its width depends on which sleeve is in use for your MacBook model’s size.

What display setups can the Brydge ProDock Trio handle?

Any dock user wants to hook up to an external monitor, and this becomes essential when your MacBook’s lid has to be closed to fit in the ProDock’s sleeve. You can connect up to three displays from the dock if your Mac supports it.

Macs with an M5 Pro or Max can handle up to three 6K displays at 144Hz (DSC) or two 8K at 60Hz with this dock. M1/M2/M3 Max, plus all M4/M5 variants, support up to two 8K displays at 60Hz. M1/M2/M3 Pro support up to two 6K displays at 60Hz with DSC-enabled monitors; two 4K/60Hz without DSC.

MacBook Air models with M3/M4/M5 chip support up to two 6K/60Hz displays (DSC). MacBook Air models with a base M1/M2 chip support only a single 4K display. The MacBook Neo has a similar limitation but doesn’t fit any of the ProDock models.

MacBook Pro users can still use the exposed HDMI port and keep one of the dock’s Thunderbolt 5 ports free for another device.

How much power can the ports output?

The upstream Thunderbolt 5 port can supply up to 140W of power (PD 3.1) to your connected laptop, which is enough to fast-charge even the top-end 16-inch MacBook Pro.

The dock is less able, however, at outputting power to other devices, which might be because of its now rather average 180W power supply. With a possible 140W going to the MacBook, there might not be a whole lot left for other devices. If the laptop is taking just 100W or less (as is likely), the 180W should be fine.

None of the Thunderbolt ports can deliver more than 15W of power, which is enough to charge a connected iPhone or iPad but not fast-charge them. The USB-C port is rated at just 5.5W, which should be fine for your AirPods case or Apple Watch. USB-A isn’t up to fast-charging so its low charging output is less of an issue.

If Brydge had included a 20W or 30W USB-C port or allowed for one of the Thunderbolt ports at that power output, and then boosted the power supply to 240W, this dock would better suit pro users in a studio situation.

ProDock family

If you don’t need Thunderbolt’s full 80Gbps bandwidth, Brydge has two cheaper vertical models for you to consider.

Brydge ProDock Solo ($229)

With an HDMI 2.0 port, this single-display dock is aimed more at MacBook Air users. The MacBook Neo’s USB-C port configuration doesn’t yet fit a ProDock sleeve.

One upstream USB-C connector (10Gbps, 90W)

2x USB-C (5Gbps, 5.5W)

3x USB-A (5Gbps, 5.5W)

Ethernet (1Gb)

SD Card Reader (3.0, UHS-I, 104MBps) on side 1

MagSafe Compatible Phone Charger (10W) on front

3.5mm combo audio jack

135W power supply

Brydge ProDock Duo ($359)

This Thunderbolt 4 model also lacks some of the Trio’s faster port variations, such as 2.5Gb Ethernet and 10Gbps USB-C in favor of slower versions but costs less. Unless you are planning on connecting to a fast network or connecting a speedier storage drive, these aren’t automatically limitations.

One upstream Thunderbolt 4 connector (40Gbps, 98W)

Three downstream Thunderbolt 5 ports (40Gbps, 15W)

1x USB-C (5Gbps, 5.5W)

3x USB-A (10Gbps, 5.5W)

Ethernet (1Gb)

SD Card Reader (4.0, UHS-II, 312MBps)

MagSafe Compatible Phone Charger (10W)

3.5mm combo audio jack

135W power supply

Is the Brydge ProDock Trio worth its price?

The ProDock Trio Thunderbolt 5 Dock is priced at $459 but is currently discounted to $399. It is planned to be available via Amazon in the coming weeks, but not on international Amazon until 2027 so non-US customers may encounter higher shipping and custom fees.

Thunderbolt 5 docking stations start at $300, so you are paying a premium for the space-saving and pleasing vertical design and required sleeve.

It’s difficult to compare it to other Thunderbolt 5 docking stations as its design is so unique. If you want dedicated display ports and more powerful ports, check out the options in our roundup of the best Thunderbolt docks.

If you’re stuck choosing between the $399 ProDock Trio and $359 ProDock Duo, at the current pricing we recommend the Trio if you can go the extra mile. You get Thunderbolt 5 and 2.5Gb Ethernet (both useful for future-proofing even if you don’t need them now), faster USB-C, and higher power output (180W vs 135W).

Should you buy the Brydge ProDock Trio?

If you desire the vertical format for space-saving or purely aesthetic reasons, the sleek Thunderbolt 5 Brydge ProDock Trio is a neat, unique solution that adds a tidy stack of speedy connections to your MacBook without messing up your desk.