I reviewed the CalDigit Element 5 Hub - and while I love the speeds of Thunderbolt 5, this docking station really isn't for everyone

The CalDigit Element 5 is a beautifully designed docking station with the full power of Thunderbolt 5, which is barely even on the market yet. Still, CalDigit knows those who want the Thunderbolt 5 speeds are looking for a great solution to keep that speed everywhere.

When it comes to the wild speeds of Thunderbolt 5, it's one of the best docking stations around. However, outside of that, this dock is pretty standard, providing what you need without adding a dozen barely used ports.

CalDigit Element 5: Pricing and Availability

The CalDigit Element 5 Thunderbolt Hub is available on its website, at major retailers like Amazon, and at many other retailers, shipping worldwide now. You can pick one up for $280, which is expensive; however, it's worth noting that this is brand-new technology with Thunderbolt 5, and the speeds you can transfer with this hub are truly impressive.

So, if you're interested in some of the best transfer speeds available, which you would notice in your workflow, this dock is a steal. If you don't notice the speeds, this dock is probably not for you.

CalDigit Element 5: Unboxing & first impressions

CalDigit did it right with this Docking Station. It's simple, it's robust, it's minimal, and it's powerful. It has simple packaging, which is fitting as it's a relatively simple device. In the package is the Element 5 Hub itself, a Thunderbolt 5 Cable (of course), some rubber feet, and the power cable.

Something that I appreciate is that this dock is designed to be reversible. I've had several docks in the past that I've flipped around to get the ports to line up the way I want them to, specifically the computer in port. Still, then I'm left with the ports I don't want facing that way, too, and the dock is either upside down, spun around, or all around catawampus.

We can't have that - which is why it's super nice that the Element 5 is designed with this in mind. I can easily flip the side port to the computer to be on the left or the right, and I can still flip things around if I want the Thunderbolt ports to face me. Furthermore, if I wanted to, CalDigit suggests daisy-chaining multiple units together to get even more power (and ports) out of your setup.

CalDigit Element 5: Design & Build Quality

The CalDigit Element 5 is elegant and minimalist, as I have said, but that doesn't mean that it's frail or prone to breaking. This unit feels hefty and robust, like it will last for a long time even when put to heavy use regularly. It helps tidy my desk with its simple design, yet it can also fit in my bag or on the road for a portable setup without any problems.

One thing worth noting is that I really appreciate how CalDigit includes rubber feet to help keep the aluminum from scratching my beautiful wood desk. However, that may not make everyone as excited as I am; in fact, I would hope that most are not as excited as I am about that.

CalDigit Element 5: In use

The CalDigit Element 5 has been wonderful to use for the last few months. I've had this in my arsenal of gear for the last 120 days, and so far, it has taken every beating I have thrown at it. I have transferred huge data loads with it, I have run multiple displays, I have used it with macOS, Windows, ChromeOS, iPadOS, Dex, and more. It's been a fantastic tool for me, even on my simplest of setups, allowing power when needed, and the ability to tuck away when it's not needed.

For my beefier MacBooks and Dell Precisions that I have been testing, I have been able to appreciate the full 90W power output to charge these beasts of laptops, and for less demanding laptops I have been able to appreciate that it won't drown my comptuer with extra power, but rather tapers off and olny gives the compute what it needs.

The Thunderbolt 5 speeds still blow my mind all around. I can boost mode up to 120Gb/s, I can run up to 6200 MB/s SSD Speeds, I can run up to dual 8K 60Hz monitors on the right computer, and I can run this all from a 180W power supply, while supplying 90W of that to a laptop. It's all a bit insane, especially for how compact this dock is.

Of course, if you're on certain Macs, you won't be able to take advantage of all the display possibilities, but that's old news now. Speaking of old news, if I ever needed to dust off an old disk drive, even my Apple SuperDrive, I can, with confidence, know that this dock will run it. Funny to me that this is still a selling point in 2025, but regardless, it's good to know.

CalDigit Element 5: Final verdict

If you are aware of the benefits of Thunderbolt 5 in your workflow, odds are you could benefit from this dock. For those who need max speed, where every second of transferring is valuable, and you want max power and display support, then this is your new best friend.