Useful Accessories for Your Mac

Apple has refreshed several of its Macs in 2019, including the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro, and the iMac, so we thought it would be a good time to round up some useful Mac accessories.

In our latest YouTube video, MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera goes over some of his favorite products that he uses with his own Mac.

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Incase Textured Hardshell Case in Woolenex ($69) - Incase, a well-known Apple accessory maker, has a range of different cases for Mac notebooks, protecting them from drops, scratches, and other minor damage. The Textured Hardshell Case in Woolenex is an Apple Store exclusive designed for Apple's USB-C notebooks. It's a hard shell with a polyester-based fabric coating that feels like cotton and repels moisture. It features ventilation options and is fitted to your MacBook so it doesn't add a lot of bulk.

Mophie Powerstation USB-C XXL ($150) - Mophie's power banks are well-designed and reliable, and this model offers up 19,500mAh and comes equipped with a 30W USB-C port so you can use it to charge a Mac notebook or an iPad Pro. It's not going to charge a MacBook Pro at full speed, but it has enough power to add some extra battery life. On the downside, Mophie is super expensive, and there are other alternatives on the market, including many that we've tested.

Anker PowerPort II ($30) - Anker makes a whole range of excellent power adapters that can be used in lieu of your standard Apple chargers, including the PowerPort II. The PowerPort II features a 30W USB-C port and a 19.5W USB-A port for charging both USB-C and USB-A devices. It's not going to charge a MacBook Pro at maximum speed because it's only 30W, but it still works when time isn't an issue and it's a good way to avoid having to carry multiple power adapters when you travel. Anker has higher-powered power adapters too, which are also worth checking out. Apple sells this same PowerPort II for $60 with a USB-C cable, but it's a better deal to buy it standalone.

OWC USB-C Travel Dock ($55) - OWC's USB-C Travel Dock is designed to add additional ports to your Mac notebook. It comes equipped with a built-in USB-C cable so it's ideal for travel, and it has a 4K HDMI port, an SD card reader, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, and a USB-C passthrough port that supports up to 100W of power for charging even the 15-inch MacBook Pro at full speed.

Satechi Monitor Stand ($90) - If you have an iMac, check out Satechi's line of monitor stands, which are designed to add additional front ports and lift your iMac up to eye level. The built-in USB-C hub in the stand features an SD and micro SD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack, 3 USB Type-A ports, and a USB-C ports.

Know of other favorite Mac accessories that we didn't mention here? Feel free to share them in the comments.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Top Rated Comments

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tobefirst

2 weeks ago

I've looked at those plastic covers for my MacBook Pro previously... the only one I ever purchased was cheaply made and too expensive... pass.

And quite interesting that after hawking the Mophie Powerstation charger, they tell you to go to Amazon and look for a cheaper alternative. WTF?

Wonder how Mophie feels after paying for this "journalism" only to have their target audience told to go get something cheaper? #mindBlown

Or, you know, maybe Mophie didn’t pay for this? #mindblownindeed

Rating: 6 Votes

Adam Warlock

2 weeks ago

I like these sorts of mini-reviews/recommendations. Please keep posting 'em!

Rating: 3 Votes

Westside guy

2 weeks ago

* OWC USB-C Travel Dock ('http://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/462641/type/dlg/https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-usb-c-travel-dock') ($55) - OWC's USB-C Travel Dock is designed to add additional ports to your Mac notebook. It comes equipped with a built-in USB-C cable so it's ideal for travel, and it has a 4K HDMI port, an SD card reader, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, and a USB-C passthrough port that supports up to 100W of power for charging even the 15-inch MacBook Pro at full speed.

Count this as the obligatory snarky comment about why the new Mac laptops need a dock for HDMI, SD cards, etc... :p

(I do like these types of posts though, Juli)

Rating: 2 Votes

jclo

2 weeks ago

This isn't sponsored. Mophie didn't pay us. Mophie's power banks are great if you can afford them, but there are cheaper alternatives that maybe have a few less bells and whistles that work well too. There are a lot of good USB-C battery packs out there, so I don't see the harm in recommending more than one.

Rating: 1 Votes

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