Best Mac Accessories

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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 speedy portable drive, a beautiful 4K monitor, or some great headphones, this list has something that every Mac owner needs.

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Apple AirPods (Second-generation)

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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.

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Samsung T5 SSD

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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. You can choose from three different sizes for your storage needs and four different colors. It's got a read and write speeds of 540 Mb/s. It even includes password protection so your files stay safe. 

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Apple Magic Keyboard

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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. It is a bit smaller than some keyboards, but it still manages to give you plenty of space while typing. This keyboard features a built-in rechargeable battery, and a stable scissor mechanism underneath each key. 

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Das Keyboard 4 Professional

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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. There are also 4 different color options, 5 different models, and it's built to withstand 50 million keystrokes. 

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OWC 14-port Thunderbolt 3 Dock

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Every Port You Could Want 

OWC's dock is a little pricey, but it features almost every port you could possibly want, including four USB-A ports, two Thunderbolt 3 port, a USB-C port, audio jack, optical audio jack, and an SD card slot. There are 14 ports in total, as well as multi-display support, and super fast import speeds. It's also available in two different colors and can charge notebook computers up to 85W. 

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Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones

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Wireless Sound Upgrade

These over-ear headphones provide a big sound alternative to AirPods while being just about as easy to use. Like the AirPods, connect easily to your Apple devices thanks to the built-in W1 chip, which allows the pairing to sync across devices logged into iCloud. You can snag them in one of ten color options, and they are wireless and noise canceling. You can even expect a whopping 22-hours of playtime when you're at a full charge. 

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Bose Companion 20

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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 sleek design also means that these speakers take up less room, while;e still delivering big sound for whatever you're listening to.

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Apple Magic Mouse 2

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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 customize 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.

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Apple Magic Trackpad 2

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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.

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HP Envy 27

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4K Magic

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Empty List

An excellent 4K monitor for those on a budget, the HP Envy 27 offers crystal-clear picture and beautiful colors, making it a great option for your Mac. It also features USB-C, which allows you to use a single cable to transfer both video and data between your Mac and the monitor. In addition to the USB-C port, two HDMI ports, and a DisplayPort connection.

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Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box

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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 customized 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.

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