Whether you recently picked up a new Mac mini or MacBook Air, you're going to want to accessories to go with it. Whether it's a quick portable drive, a beautiful 4K monitor, or some great headphones, this list has something that every Mac owner needs.
Wireless simplicity
No matter which Apple product you own, you should probably have a pair of AirPods. They're great, the pairing process is simple, and once paired with one device, they're automatically paired with all of your devices that are signed in to your iCloud account. The sound is pretty good, too, and the built-in microphones make placing calls or issuing Siri commands crystal clear.
Portable and speedy
This solid state drive from Samsung is speedy, tiny, and portable. It also connects using USB-C, making it a perfect companion for your new Mac.
Official keyboard
Apple's official Bluetooth keyboard is a great basic option that provides a consistently solid typing experience and pairs easily with your Mac or iPad.
The mechanical option
If you're more into mechanical keyboards, the Das Keyboard 4 should be exactly what you're looking for, with options available for Cherry MX Blue or Brown switches. There's even an option for RGB backlighting, as well as media keys with a built-in volume knob.
Every port you could want
OWC's dock is a little pricey, but it features almost every port you could possibly want. It has four USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 3 port, a USB-C port, audio jack, optical audio jack, and an SD card slot.
Sleek and stylish
These beautiful speakers offer a balanced sound in a stylish package. With no knobs on the front, the volume is controlled through a small pod attached to the right speaker, which also holds the ports for your headphones or other audio devices.
The mouse to get
Just connect the Magic Mouse 2 to your Mac by a USB-to-Lightning cable once, and it'll be paired. This rechargeable mouse has a multitouch surface that lets you customise exactly how it works, from what one- and two-finger swipes do to which side works as "left" and "right" click. Available in Silver or Space Gray to match your Mac.
More versatile
This has long been my desktop navigation device, offering more options for how I work than the mouse. Adding the Magic Trackpad to your Mac setup gives you a lot of options for gestures, while still offering pinpoint cursor navigation. It's available in Silver and Space Gray so you can match it to your Mac.
Custom graphics solution
If you want a less expensive eGPU solution for your Mac, try Sonnet's eGFX breakaway box. You'll need to supply your own AMD graphics card for the box, but the box connects via Thunderbolt 3 for maximum throughput. The combination of this box and a compatible AMD GPU (RX 470, 480, 570, or 5800 will be much cheaper, though less powerful, than Blackmagic's solution.
Our recommendations
These accessories all make great additions to any modern Mac, whether you need great storage options, a more customised typing experience, or the massive power provided by an external GPU. But of all of these accessories, I'd recommend the Apple AirPods first. AirPods might be Apple's single best product in the last three years. They pair like magic and even sound pretty good, something you might not expect if you've ever used the wired EarPods.
With most Macs, including the entire MacBook lineup, moving to solid state storage in recent years, choosing additional internal storage for your Mac can be an expensive proposition. You can always expand your Mac's storage later with an external drive, and Samsung's T5 SSD is an excellent choice. It's compact enough to travel with you wherever you go, fast, and features USB-C for quick data transfers.
