The new MacBook Pro with the M1 chip at its heart is a beast. Or at least that’s what the folks who have been pushing it to its limit have said lately. The build is great (albeit overdue for an aesthetic makeover), performance is top-notch, battery life is excellent, and macOS is as good as ever. But it’s an expensive machine, and comes with its own set of shortcomings too. To help you get the most of your 13-inch MacBook Pro and overcome some of its limitations (hey, port selection), we’ve rounded up this exhaustive list of accessories that will take the productivity aspect of the Apple computing machine to the next level.
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AUKEY Omnia 61W PD GaN charger
If you’re tired of carrying the huge bundled charger, the Aukey Omnia 61W PD GaN charger is the best compact solution. Plus, it is powerful enough to fully charge your MacBook Pro in a span of 1.8 hours.
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Apple AirPods Pro Earbuds
The AirPods Pro have received widespread acclaim for their excellent noise cancellation, ambient mode, and Spatial Audio tech that mimics a surround sound profile for more immersive experience.
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Brydge Vertical Dock Station
Rocking a solid metal chassis that blends seamlessly with MacBook Pro aesthetics, is the Brydge Vertical Dock. While the docking experience is secure, it also has a pair of Thunderbolt 3 ports for ease of setup.
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AUKEY USB C to Lightning Cable
Yes, AirDrop is all fine and good, but it cannot match the file transfer speeds you get with this MFi-certified USB C to Lightning Cable to Aukey. Even when not transferring files, it comes in handy for charging.
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Twelve South MagicBridge
A personal favorite of mine, this one puts the Magic Trackpad and Keyboard into a single unified chassis, and offers easy access to ports and power switches. Plus, it works for both left and right-handed folks.
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HumanCentric Vertical Stand
Aside from looking extremely clean, the HumanCentric Vertical Stand for MacBook Pro also comes in a choice of three shades, offers silicone grips for a more secure grip and rubberized feet as well.
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SightPro Magnetic Privacy Screen
Prying eyes are always a nuisance, and if you’re familiar with the problem, the SightPro Magnetic Privacy Screen is an accessory you should definitely get. Plus, it also filters blue light and UV rays.
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ASUS ZenScreen portable monitor
Asus ZenScreen has a 15.6-inch Full-HD display that can be paired via a USB-C cable. It weighs just 1.7 pounds and is easy to carry around, has a smart cover, and can be used in both orientations.
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Spigen Thin Fit Case for MacBook Pro
The Spigen Thin Fit case for MacBook Pro 13-inch has a beautiful fabric texture and has tabs that lift and hold the machine in place. It has precise cutouts around ports for easy access and looks amazing.
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Mophie Powerstation 26,000mAh battery
Need to go mobile? This Mophje battery pack can add 19 hours worth of extra juice to your laptop and add hours of playtime to your phone. It has dual charge ports and supports 30W charging too.
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Anker Power Expand USB-C Hub
The Anker PowerExpand 8-in-1 USB C adapter hub has an HDMI port that supports media display at resolutions up to 4K resolution at 60Hz refresh rate and offers file transfer at speeds up to 10 Gbps.
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MOFT Invisible Laptop Stand
Weighing merely three ounces, this one is as slim as a coin and remains attached to the base of your MacBook as a thin film when not in use. Made out of PU and fiberglass, it is quite sturdy and reliable.
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IVANKY Docking Station
The iVANKY 12-in-2 Docking Station offers 12 ports and can drive two 4K displays with resolutions of 3840 x 2160 at 60Hz screen refresh rate. It allows 96W charging for laptops and 18W for phones.
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Linedock 13 USB Storage hub
If you’ve ever wanted a USB hub that also doubles as an external, supports pass-through charging, and looks like a long-lost cousin of your MacBook Pro, the Linedock might be a realization of your dreams.
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Peak Design Everyday Sling bag
Peak Design Everyday Sling bag includes two flexfold dividers for more storage customizability, a padded shoulder strap with reversible 1-handed quick-pull adjustment and a pair of external carry straps.
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ProCase MacBook Pro 13 Case
Offering a shockproof protective shell case, this Procase offering has a shock-absorbent wrap-around bumper for maximum protection, fully vented at the bottom, and has a built-in foldable stand.
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Apple Leather Sleeve for MacBook Pro
Crafted from high quality European leather, the official Apple leather sleeve for the 13-inch MacBook Pro has a soft microfiber lining. It has a premium surface finish and is known to last a long spell.
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Mujjo Sleeve for MacBook Pro
The Mujjo sleeve case for the 13-inch MacBook Pro comes in a choice of black and tan colors. It uses a combination of wool felt and vegetable-tanned leather with a soft-to-touch feel and snap button closure.
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SanDisk 2TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD
SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD is extremely compact and easy to carry, which makes it an ideal solution for folks who carry a lot of data such as media files with them at all times. Thanks to the in-house NVMe technology, it offers transfer speeds of to up to 1050MB/s and 2TB capacity. Plus, it comes with an IP55 certification
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Smartpow Qi Charging Mouse Pad
This Qi-certified wireless charging mouse Pad can deliver 10W charging output to wirelessly charge your phone and other accessories. It also comes with built-in voltage, temperature control, surge protection and short circuit protection system. The surface has an anti-slip finish that has been optimized for fast hand movements.
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SteelSeries Rival 300 optical Gaming Mouse
SteelSeries is a reputed name when it comes to peripherals. If you’re on the lookout for a mouse with good grip and tactile feedback, this is the one to get. It has six programmable buttons and switches that are rated for 30 million key clicks. You also get a two zone illumination experience and a ton of customization options.
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RAVPower Power Bank
The RAVPower 20000mAh portable charger supports USB PD charging with 60W output to juice up your MacBook Pro and is also compatible with QC 3.0 (18W) standard for smartphones. You can simultaneously charge two devices too using the USB A and USB C ports, while the LEDs will tell you about the juice left in the tank.
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Cooler Master SK630
Cooler Master Sk-630 features Cherry MX Low Profile switches with 60% mechanical output and flat contoured keycaps. It is quite slim and RGB backlit too. The compact keyboard has a minimalistic tenkeyless design and offers deep customization options. It promises reduced travel distance and actuation point with a familiar precision
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Steklo Stand
The Aluminum-made Steklo laptop stand is unlike any you’ve seen before. It has a clever adjustable foldable design that also makes it easy to carry around. It is good for laptops up to 17-inch size and has an attractive sandblasted aluminum finish. Aside from letting users easily adjust the angle, it also helps improve the airflow below.
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Syntech USB C Adapter
The Syntech USB C to USB A adapter lets you connect your standard USB accessories and cables to a USB-C or Thunderbolt 3-equipped devices such as MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or even a smartphone. It offers a data transfer speed of up to 3.0 GB per second. You can pick a bundle of two adapters for less than ten bucks right now, which is a great deal.
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Yubico YubiKey 5Ci
There is no substitute for security when it comes to your computing machine. The Yubico YubiKey 5Ci is a FIDO-certified physical key that provides you with that extra layer of security, and offers the versatility of both a USB C and a Lightning port. This multi-protocol authenticator works fine across thousands of apps.
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Sony WH-1000XM4
Arguably the best wireless headphones out there, the Sony WH-1000XM4 comes armed with the QN1 HD noise-canceling processor. Aside from excellent noise cancellation and great ambient mode, they also bring DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) Extreme technology that upscales compressed music files in real-time.
If I were to pick one accessory from the list, I’d go with the MOFT carry sleeve that also doubles as a stand. Made out of scratch-resistant and water-resistant PU as well as fiberglass, it not only looks clean, but also morphs into another useful accessory. When folded to become a stand, it allows position adjustment between 15° and 25°, and supports up to 10kg of weight. You can choose between black and blue, but I’d personally go with the former.
Another device on the list that I’d definitely fork out some cash for, would be the iVANKY MacBook Pro Docking Station. It has 12 ports in total, and allows you to connect two 4K monitors running at 60Hz simultaneously. Additionally, it allows 96W charging to juice up your MacBook Pro and 18W PD charging to take care of your phones. No need to carry a charging brick for either device anymore.