Brydge ProDock: The Ultimate Dock for 14" & 16" MacBook Pro?

Brydge in December introduced a new ProDock Thunderbolt 4 Docking Station that's designed for Apple's latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models. We picked one up and thought we'd check it out to see if it's worth the $400 asking price.
read more - www.macrumors.com/2023/01/10/...
Brydge ProDock - www.brydge.com/products/brydg...

[@kawikageisen2579]

I stopped watching at $400

[@AvocadoAtrocity]

Actually not bad for a USB C hub.

[@BlackWidowYT_FPS]

Same

[@whnzmmr]

Me too

[@JaredSisley]

If you use code 10%OFF when you checkout it saves $40, for what that’s worth

[@danilasevastianov727]

I stopped watching when I was still at the ad, but already saw your comment😅

[@jonevansauthor]

I think what's notable here is that it's actually a dock. It used to be that you'd buy a dock to dock your laptop and it would actually dock, as in couple with the device by just shoving it in. That's all you had to do to use it at your desk. Lots of things that get called docks these days are nothing more than jumped up USB hubs. It's encouraging to see someone is working on real docks as they're a much better design and if it's adjustable like that, maybe it can do two generations. But... I wonder if they'll be able to get a new dock section for a new laptop from Apple? Hopefully yes. It's outrageous e-waste generation to ship all those power cables and 3 different laptop docks with the product though, showing just how much Apple fans have lost the plot on waste and right to repair. Like I don't have a drawer full of power cables anyway. Every single one of these products though is a set of features that suits a particular niche of users. I bet they'd sell more if they also offered a horizontal version simply because with otherwise identical features, a tonne of people would prefer that layout. Heck, some would even want it lying flat on the desk under a monitor, like the original laptop desks. I hope they keep making these products and others join them. It'll be especially interesting if Qi2 with magnets becomes popular. Could they offer a similar or next gen dock designed for Microsoft Surface products? Or iPads or Samsung tablets?

[@wpardew]

But no hdmi port(s)?

[@spenson89]

But why are all the ports at the back? So I have to go around to the back of my desk to plug anything in?

[@MrThebigd1973]

I have one for my 16” BMO and it’s easily the best money spent for having all your MacBook gear tucked and clean. Money very well spent. Top grade materials and workmanship on top of being such an absolute perfect solution for them no series laptops.

[@ColtonBlumhagen]

I was hoping bridge would make the regular version for the 16 inch pro. I already have a hub, I just wanted the stand.

[@GlibShpychka]

I am also very disappointed that such product doesn't exist. The closest thing is the Ascrono dock.

[@staiain]

Really missed opportunity to not include HDMI and DisplayPort connectors, that would have justified the price easily

[@gregorymoore2877]

The lack of DisplayPort or HDMI at ANY price is a fail. CalDigit for the win!

[@jahgaming]

Yep.. no buy for me because of it

[@Rippy211]

You only need a USB-C to HDMI or DP cable, the 3 Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports on the back do all the display out functionality.

[@Ervinnd]

Does this charge the m2 or the 14 inch while docked?

[@garthgoldwater5256]

why no displayport or hdmi? dongles on dongles for most reasonable home office setups

[@afro.systems]

still waiting for mine to ship.. been almost 6 months

[@stevecorcoran9869]

Wow, you got it 4 months ago but no one anywhere has them available for sale now?

[@Professor_Xplorer]

Do we have manual key to stop charging

[@vtsnwbrdr5652]

Has anyone had issues getting this to connect with a monitor? I’ve gone into the Mac OS settings and allowed accessories to connect “always” Am I missing something?

[@ahmetturker810]

No hdmi? How smart is that?

[@Zebrajellyfishphoto]

What about throughput?

[@robertstow3324]

Does anyone know if this will be compatible with the newest Macbook Pro 14" & 16" variants that were released/announced today?

[@ColtonBlumhagen]

yes

[@dowroa]

It's not bad.. but standing a 16" Macbook Pro up on its side... I have both on my (14" and 16") desk and the 16" is HEAVY. I would be worried about it falling / getting knocked over in that orientation.

[@macrumors]

Yeah I mean for me it doesn’t pose an issue. It’s left in that spot and nobody touches it but me but I can see that

[@zwroberts1]

Literally can’t get these anymore. My boss has had all of his employees one on order since like October/November and it just stays out of stock.

[@artofdao]

my mbp16" has 3 Thunderbolt4 ports + HDMI. If this dock uses only 1-2 of them to connect 4 Ports, how will that perform? connecting things through a (single port) hub is not the same working speed as if you connect 4 cables directly to a Mac. so there is no info about speed on the website? nothing that fears me. MBP has 40GB/s speed per port. if I use only 1 of them all I connect has to be manages through this one 40gb/s and managed all efforts. so this will be very scaled down and slow nowhere near the 40Gb/s possibility. maybe it only works on USB-C ports as usbc3.2 speed 10GB/sek. Do you have any speed test you have done ?

[@dustmighte]

You'll have to pry Caldigit off my cold dead hands

[@malm1231]

with something upright like that i would want it far away or on a shelf. with the phone charger on it I would want it close by.. .i dunnoo

[@detmarleertouwer]

Is it true that this dock was on the market but is not anymore? And will be re-released by a different company (Uinta Products)?

[@GlibShpychka]

You can't buy it currently, yes, but Uinta is just the company that made the Brydge website, as far as I can tell.

[@detmarleertouwer]

@@GlibShpychka Thank you, Glib!

[@ystebadvonschlegel3295]

No 10GBE - WHY!!!! No way I’m paying that price for standard 1GB ethernet port

[@ctlspl]

Thinkbooks from 2006 want they design back.

[@ktm_im]

Sucks it's only one TB4 port.. If you wanted to run 3 monitors (1 passthrough), you cant. otherwise awesome dock.

[@quasar.nebula]

@Father Time Obviously I don't have the device to test, but there's only so much data you can transfer through the single TB4 port which the dock connects to the MBP by in the first place-I imagine that 3x monitors requires access to the total data bandwidth of both TB4 ports. But I could be 100% wrong about that, so y'know!

[@ktm_im]

@@quasar.nebula you are 100% correct one thunderbolt port can only carry two display signals

[@ktm_im]

@@fathertime9703 100% current, but there is some passthrough docks like Ascrono docks. Again, this is NOT a issue for 99.99% of all people using docks. It's only an issue for the insane people like myself that decided to run 3x 5k monitors, or 3x 4k monitors.

[@McTexicanInColorado]

At that price point, how do you think it compares to the Caldigit TS4?

[@macrumors]

I think this is giving you far more functionality than that. So I’d go Brydge dock (assuming you plan to be docked in clamshell mode)

[@workshop389]

@@macrumors I think you're thinking of a different dock. The Caldigit TS4 offers more ports than this for the same price and only occupies one port on the laptop. Frankly, this is absurdly overpriced compared to other TB4 docks that might offer a port less here or there. You are paying 200 dollars more for a built-in stand (with the added bonus of it scratching your device) and a Magsafe power adapter.

[@MattChinander]

How can you go from 1 TB4 port to three? 1:50

[@MichaelGGarry]

They don't all run full speed.....

[@jebaker2]

Looks nice! I don't dock my MacBook but if I did, I'd look at something like this.

[@mirnivoznik8536]

Cool video, cool device. Yes, it's pricey, but everything that's not mass produced is. And with all the licences that Apple wants ... But here's a question: you buy an expensive computer (laptop) with a screen and keyboard, and THEN you buy another screen and keyboard and mouse and a bridge/hub for another million dollars to use that instead. WHY? :D I have the 14" MacBook and I just plug another big monitor in to use both screens. Done. :)

[@gregorymoore2877]

$400??? And with no DisplayPort or HDMI ports? Fail.

[@one-xj9jn]

dumbest dock ive ever seen, they are losing money on this trash product forsure

[@DucomaVet]

no hdmi port

[@DJTHINKER]

I'm so annoyed this never came out, if you'd like to sell the one in the video, ill buy it

[@Rippy211]

It's out now :).

[@DansoundSeattle]

The three inserts seems like two too many. I would prefer to buy for the computer I have rather than computers I don't have. Price could be less for that, or they could make it so you pay 1 price for 1 insert, another price for 2, $400 for 3. I would have it so the ports face me rather than in the back. Still, not convinced I need a dock for my MBAM2. And the lack of an HDMI port is a deal killer anyway, even though there's USBC to HDMI adaptors.

[@joostschuur]

I was out the minute he said you 'shouldn't have any scratches' if you're 'very careful'. Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

[@whoisredsean]

sure... if you aren't careful!

[@RegiiPad]

when you think an iPad keyboard is $350, this is one more pricy gadget. Concerned about macbook ventilation. Working with los closed on mine ended by jeopardizing it's display circuits making it have system hangs when connecting more than one external monitor due to faulty display

[@BlackWidowYT_FPS]

I was thinking to buy it, the moment I heard the price tag, I stopped watching. Definitely not worth the buy.

[@alomar.]

NO HDMI

[@keenobservations3050]

Massive over kill

[@true-liberal2002]

too expensive

[@guycortesi]

Definitely too expensive for what it provides.

[@afro.systems]

this company went under.. RIP

[@greenteagod]

This aged well. Good riddance to brydge. They really screwed up at every point what henge did so well.

[@adhofsink1216]

Black… 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@SarasotaPhotoStudio]

Yeah, well you cant buy it.

[@bestwina43512]

A useless gadget😅

[@julianzammit]

For that price and that terrible design...no thanks

[@realrajiv]

overpriced plastic junk imho

[@jondeak]

Who on earth pays to create these horribly designed products? Such a stupid product.