6 Useful Macbook Accessories That Will Turn Your Laptop Into a Workhorse
6 Useful Macbook Accessories That Will Turn Your Laptop Into a Workhorse
IS THERE any better feeling than firing up a new Macbook for the first time? Whether you're retiring an older Macbook that's starting to show its age or hopping on the Apple bandwagon, the latest Macbooks never fail to impress. Every year the chips get faster, the displays get sharper, and the batteries last longer (just like Apple's iPhone 14, Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch 8).
As good as the latest generation of Apple computers is, most users still feel their Macbooks need a few crucial accessories to suit their day-to-day use. We'll wager you fall into that category yourself, so whether you're shopping keyboards for the home office or protective cases for travel, we've rounded up our favorite Macbook accessories of the year to help point you in the right direction.
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How to Choose the Right Accessories For Your Macbook
Macbook Pro or Macbook Air? M1 Pro or M1 Max? Are you keeping it light with a 13" display or going all in on that shiny 16" Pro with all the bells and whistles?
These are all great options in their own right, but different models excel in different areas. The specific model you choose will likely decide which accessories you'll need, so here are a few things to consider before loading up that shopping cart.
The Model Matters: Consider Your Ports
There’s no denying Apple’s line of Macbook Pro and Air laptops are all impressive performers. With that being said, you’ll want to consider some of the subtle differences between the models when deciding on which accessories to buy.
Take the current line of MacBook Pro laptops, for instance. If you’ve got the current 13” version, your ports are limited to two Thunderbolt/USB C ports and a single 3.5mm headphone jack. The latest 16” model, on the other hand, adds a third Thunderbolt port into the mix, as well as a MagSafe charging port, an SDXC memory card slot, and a standard HDMI outlet.
Both MacBooks will benefit from an added USB hub, but the hub you buy for a bare-bones 13” build needs a lot more variety than the new 14" or 16" models will. The same goes for the latest MacBook Air, which is limited to two Thunderbolt ports and a MagSafe charger. All four of these options have the potential to make capable and reliable workhorses, but depending on your line of work, you'll need to find the right accessory for the job.
What's Your Mac Lacking From the Factory?
As much as we all benefit from Apple products in our daily lives, they all share a glaring flaw: The price of adding premium “factory” options like more memory, storage, or battery life adds up very fast.
We’ll wager that if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re looking for MacBook accessories as a more cost-effective way to fill some of those gaps from the factory. For the casual user who is mainly surfing the web, sending emails, and watching videos while traveling, that might mean something as simple as adding a power bank to keep your battery charged through a full day of travel. On the other end of the spectrum, creative professionals who are constantly uploading massive media files will likely want to add an external hard drive to free up their internal memory from that bottomless pit of data.
In addition to performance accessories like these, you'll likely also want to add some "creature comforts" for the home office. We know most Macbooks spend about half their lives on the road and the other half hooked up to an external monitor, so you’ll also find our favorite picks for “desktop mode” like the right wireless mouse and keyboard for your Mac of choice in the article below as well.
Magic Keyboard
Apple
amazon.com
$199.00
Nine times out of ten, we're open to buying non-Apple accessories for a Macbook, but when it comes to keyboards, Apple's own Magic Keyboard is the only serious choice in our book.The main selling point for us is the Magic Keyboard's Touch ID function, which is super convenient and not available from any other brand. We also love that like any Apple product, the Magic Keyboard integrates effortlessly with your Macbook, thanks to its automatic pairing feature and USB-C Lightning port.
555 USB-C 8-in-1 Hub
Anker
amazon.com
$74.99
While some Macbooks (namely the larger Pro models) have a decent selection of integrated ports, Apple has been slowly chipping away at both the number and variety of ports on their computers since they adopted the USB-C/Thunderbolt standard. For that reason, every new Macbook owner stands to benefit from picking up a USB-C hub, and the Anker 555 is currently our favorite.
We're fans of the Anker 555 because it comes from a brand that knows electronics (Anker's fantastic 757 Powerhouse recently took our top pick as the best overall portable power station), and also includes all the most important features we look for in a USB hub. Chief among those is the 555's 10Gbps data speed, 85 watt power delivery, and a full 8 port options to choose from including an SD Card slot, a 4K/60Hz HDMI port, and even a highspeed Ethernet cable port for when the WiFi is acting up.
MX Anywhere 3
Logitech
amazon.com
$75.19
Look, don't get us wrong here: Apple's latest Magic Mouse has some cool features and it's plenty easy on the eyes, but if you're shopping wireless mice for your Macbook, you can do a lot better for your money.
Our favorite do-it-all option is the MX Anywhere 3 from Logitech, which costs less than the Magic Mouse, has double the Magic Mouse's battery life (a full 70 days, to be exact), and includes a precision electromagnetic scrolling wheel to boot. We also appreciate that the MX Anywhere 3 includes two additional side buttons, whose features can be customized to suit your needs.
Dots Hardshell Case
Incase Designs
amazon.com
$37.57
Travel around with your Macbook for long enough and you're going to drop it. It may happen going through airport security, at work, or in the privacy of your own home, but trust us, it happens to everyone.
For that reason, we enthusiastically recommend protecting your investment from unsightly damage with a good hardshell case. You've got no lack of options out there, which is why we recommend going with one of these from Incase, Apple's preferred brand sold on the Apple website. These cases are light and tough, have a nice texturized finish, and include rubber feet to keep your Macbook from sliding around on slick surfaces.
G-DRIVE ArmorATD Portable Hard Drive
SanDisk
amazon.com
$96.49
All Macbooks come with a fair amount of storage (256 Gb minimum nowadays), but upgrading to the goldilocks 2TB storage option costs between $200 and a whopping $800 depending on which model you're shopping for.
The Sandisk G-Drive Armor external hard drive is our favorite alternative, and packs a full 2TB of extra space for just $100. Don't let its budget-friendliness fool you though: The G-Drive Armor delivers impressive 5Gbps data speeds, Thunderbolt compatibility, and an excellent 3-year warranty to boot.
Powerhouse 90 Portable Charger
Anker
amazon.com
$199.99
We've all been there: You've got two hours to kill until your flight, your inbox is slammed full, and the only thing stopping you from finally getting caught up on work is a dead laptop. The Anker Power 90 portable charger is here to help.
With a whopping 24,000 mAh of capacity and up to 160 watts of output power, this potent little power station has enough juice to completely recharge your Macbook from 0-100% and then some. The Anker Powerhouse 90 also has class-leading outlet options including a full-sized 100W AC outlet, so it delivers the same recharge speeds (or better) as plugging in a wall charger at home.
Including top-of-the-line keyboards, power banks, and cases, we tried and tested the best accessories for your Macbook.