The 10 Best Must-Have MacBook Pro Accessories [March 2020]

We’ve previously recommended Apple’s own Lightning to USB-C cable, but Apple seems to refuse to keep it in stock through Amazon’s website. Thankfully, Anker’s Lightning to USB-C cable is sturdier, faster, and cheaper, coming in at half the price of Apple’s own offering. For just $11, you can score yourself a fantastic cable that will allow you to charge or transfer data to and from your iOS devices. Available in black or white, Anker’s USB-C cable has been tested to last twelve times longer than the competition, with the ability to withstand 12,000 bends before finally giving in. Apple’s cables are known for having cable heads that can frequently break or snap, but with Anker’s reinforced cable heads, this won’t be a problem. We’re still holding out hope this year’s iPhone finally makes the switch to USB-C, but until then, you’ll need to to have a Lightning to USB-C cable, and Anker’s is by far the best in the game.

LaCie is one of our favorite brands to recommend when it comes to external hard drives. They make great, reliable products at good prices, and they typically offer a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and varieties for every use case. LaCie’s Porsche Design drive, meets two great requirements for what we like to see in a drive: first, it’s one of the only USB-C drives you can pick up on the market, making it ideal for use with both Apple’s 2016 MacBook and MacBook Pro lineup. Second, the drive features a silver aluminum finish, which looks great next to any MacBook you have lying around. They’re available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB mobile versions, as well as larger 6 and 8TB desktop versions that we recommend to video creators who can afford to plug-in their drives instead of requiring them to be portable.

For most users, the 1 or 2TB drives will probably satisfy you, offering a good mix of portability, sleek design, and speeds. Each drive is available in both silver, gold, and rose gold, and we think all three colors look great and offer a unique design to the typically-boring world of portable hard drives. There is one not-so-great aspect to this device: multiple users and reviews have reported problems with both the USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB 3.0 cables failing within a few months of use. If you opt to go for LaCie’s Porsche Design hard drive, we recommend picking up a third-party USB-C to USB-C cable for a few extra bucks from Amazon.

We don’t wish to leave out those users of older MacBook Pros. Though Apple might’ve taken the opportunity to update their MacBook Pros in 2016 as a way to cut down on both ports and built-in functionality, plenty of users are still using their 2015—or earlier—MacBook Pros and loving them every day. For those users, we recommend getting something like the Nifty MiniDrive, a neat little accessory that uses the SD card slot on the side of your laptop most consumers don’t use more often than a few times a year, and offers a flush fit into the side of your MacBook Pro. You simply take a microSD card of your choosing—Nifty does recommend some specific microSD cards, but pretty much any fast card will do—up to 256GB, and insert it into the side of your MacBook Pro.

The silver finish matches the silver color of older MacBook Pros perfectly, and you’ll never be able to tell the Nifty MiniDrive is in your system. The flush feel doesn’t just make the product feel great—it stops you from accidentally ejecting the card and causing data problems with your machine. Last year, the MiniDrive was marked down to just $2 each, presenting a 95 percent savings over the asking price. That sale has ended, but if you pay close attention to the third-party seller for the Nifty MiniDrive, you can still manage to score one of these for under $20. Even at $39.99, the MiniDrive is a cool way to add some extra space to your MacBook Pro for photos, videos, documents, and anything else that can be stored externally. But if you can manage to score one for well under its MSRP, we truly can’t recommend it enough.

If you’re a creative professional who uses a MacBook Pro on a daily basis, there’s a good chance you use a series of cables and adapters to plug your laptop into an external monitor, with separate keyboards and mice in order to use a larger display for keeping more information on the screen. It’s a good idea in theory, but one of the biggest problems with using a laptop like this: there’s just no good place to set your laptop while you’re using it in a docked form. That’s why the Twelve South BookArc exists: it’s a beautifully designed, aluminium chassis dock that allows your MacBook or MacBook Pro to be stood up from your desk or workspace, saving space in your work area and keeping your laptop safe from spills, scratches, and more. It allows for every single port to be accessed on your laptop, while also allowing MacBook Pros additional space for fan control without running your laptop at an unsafe heat.

Above all else, it just looks great, with options available in both dark gray and silver finishes that will match your laptop elegantly no matter which model you have. $59 is a bit pricey for what is essentially a piece of metal designed to hold an already-expensive computer, but it’s one of the best-looking docks you can find on the market.

Thule has long been known for their series of transportation and rack accessories for vehicles, as well as their rugged luggage lineup that have made them a popular choice for experienced travelers. Over the past few years, Thule has expanded into electronic accessories as well, offering phone and laptop cases for a number of brand-specific devices. Thule’s Gauntlet case is one of our favorite picks from the company, offering a rugged sleeve for both 13″ and 15″ MacBook Pros, including the newer TouchBar models from 2016. It has a padded interior that keeps your laptop safe while in the sleeve, protected by a tough metal zipper and a rigid, tough exterior that can protect your laptop from drops and scratches while you’re on your commute. It’s a bit heavy, and obviously will add some heft to your bag or backpack on your way to work or school,  but if you ride a bike or spend long hours each week walking or running on your way to work, you’ll want to spend the cash on the Thule Gauntlet. It’s a great way to keep your device safe and secure.

If the Thule Gauntlet is a bit too-much when it comes to what you’re looking for in a case, ProCase’s Laptop Sleeve is a great choice, meeting a good compromise between fashion and protection. The interior of the Sleeve has a soft-touch microfiber-like fabric that keeps your MacBook Pro clean and safe from scratches, while the outer fabric is made of a tough cloth and leather combination that resists water, so getting stuck in a rainstorm on your way home isn’t a problem. Unlike the Thule Gauntlet, the ProCase Sleeve has a handle along the top of the case for carrying to work or home, and the outer pocket is great for storing accessories like wireless mice, charging cables, and anything else you need to handle your daily workflow.

The case comes in a number of color choices, though we’re partial to the dark gray/brown leather combination that strikes a great balance of professionalism and modern design. ProCase sells it in a number of configurations, from 12″ laptops all the way to 15.6″ laptop sizes, and the $19.99 (or less, depending on size) asking price means you won’t be breaking the bank on protecting your investment. Definitely check this one out if you’re looking for fashionable protection at a great price. And yes, ProCase’s sleeve supports the newest 16″ MacBook Pro, so you won’t have to worry about your brand-new $3000 laptop not fitting in the sleeve.

We’ve long been fans of Apple’s AirPods since they first launched in 2016, and judging by how often they’re spotted on the street, you might already have a pair lying around your house. If you don’t, investing in a paid of Apple’s wireless headphones are a great idea if you’re invested in Apple’s ecosystem. While the normal AirPods are a great buy on their own, if you have yet to pick up a set of wireless earbuds at all, we recommend spending a bit more cash and making the leap to AirPods Pro, Apple’s newest set of earbuds that bring a number of improvements over the original.

The AirPods Pro are still powered by Apple’s own H1 chip that makes connecting to your iPhone or MacBook a breeze. Battery life is still fairly solid, offering about five hours of playback out of the case and a full twenty-four hours when placed back in the charging case. The AirPods Pro case supports wireless charging out of the box, which means you no longer have to plug them into a Lightning cable to keep your music going. An all-new design includes interchangeable ear tips that allow you to customize the fit to help improve the shape and comfort of your headphones. If you’re someone who can’t use standard AirPods due to the shape of your ears, these are the AirPods for you.

The real feature, however, is the addition of noise cancellation. The AirPods Pro feature built-in microphones on each earbud to help detect outside sound, isolating noise from the outside world to help keep you focused on your music. That means you can finally turn the volume down on your headphones, which stops you from damaging your ears while blasting Ariana Grande. Of course, as we’ve seen from most other noise isolating headphones, Apple has included a feature they call “transparency mode,” which uses the microphones on your earbuds to let some noise in, allowing you to hear traffic on your walk to work or co-workers trying to get your attention.

Overall, AirPods Pro are a massive step over the original model (still for sale, if you’d rather save $80!), and easily one of the best sets of earbuds you can buy today. $250 is a lot of money to drop on earbuds, but if you’re looking for the perfect accessory for your Mac, they’re the ones to get.

Apple has returned in 2020 with a new monitor, the Pro Display XDR. Starting at $4999, it’s not exactly a pick for most MacBook owners. So instead, we recommend sticking with a different LG display: the 27″ UK850. While it’s not a 5K monitor, it does come in at a full 4K resolution, and includes HDR10 support and the ability to use AMD FreeSync, if you have a FreeSync device in your life. At $449, this monitor is far cheaper than Apple’s pro monitor, and even manages to include the best feature at no additional cost: the inclusion of a one-port-fits-all for your MacBook Pro. The USB-C port on the back of this monitor allows you to charge your MacBook and use an external monitor all at once, making it a no-brainer for your MacBook or MacBook Pro.