Since I’ve been revising my setup in connection with the new Mac Studio over the past few weeks, I’ve taken this as an opportunity to add some new accessories as well. These include a new OWC Thunderbolt Dock, a nifty Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad accessory from Twelve South, and more. Go below for the details.
Best Mac Accessories: OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock
One of the more important additions to my setup is the OWC Thunderbolt Dock, a version we also worked with hands-on earlier this year.
The OWC Thunderbolt Dock I use in my setup offers four Thunderbolt 4 ports with support for transfer speeds up to 40Gb/s, four USB-A ports, an SD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and Gigabit Ethernet. I mounted the dock to the underside of my desk so it’s hidden and out of the way, but its ports are still accessible.
The OWC Thunderbolt 4 Dock is admittedly not quite as useful with the new Mac Studio as it was when I was using my 14-inch MacBook Pro in clamshell mode. Because the Mac Studio offers its own versatile selection of connections.
However, if you’re looking for a way to free up the ports on the Mac Studio itself, this OWC dock is a great option. It’s also nice for tidying up your desk and snaking as few cables as possible from the back of the Mac Studio. If you’re ordering from OWC, I’d also highly recommend the company’s Thunderbolt 4 cable, which is significantly cheaper than Apple’s.
Magic Keyboard with Touch ID
If you’re using an Apple Silicon-powered Mac and haven’t added a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID to your setup, you’re seriously missing out. Finally being able to use Touch ID with a desktop Mac is a game changer. These include Apple Pay authentication, access to password managers, and App Store purchases.
Of course, that means you have to settle for the form factor and design of Apple’s Magic Keyboard, which isn’t the case for everyone. I’m still hoping Apple eventually releases a standalone “Magic Button” with Touch ID, but for now, that’ll have to do.
Best Mac Keyboard Accessories: MagicBridge
Speaking of the Magic Keyboard, if you use the Magic Keyboard in conjunction with a Magic Trackpad, popular accessory maker Twelve South offers a really nifty MagicBridge accessory. The MagicBridge transforms the standalone Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad into a “one-piece control surface that tidies up your workspace”.
You lose some of the flexibility of moving your trackpad around your desk, but in my setup I prefer the one-piece design. I use a Logitech MX Master alongside my Magic Trackpad so I can move the MX Master around as needed and thanks to the Magic Bridge I have a clean setup combining my Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad.
stream deck
I’ll have another story later that goes into more depth, but I also recently added a stream deck to my Mac setup. I’m still learning my way around the Stream Deck world, but for now I’m using it for Mac automation and smart home control purposes.
Here are some of the guides I’ve followed while learning more about Stream Deck:
Satechi leather desk pad
Last but not least, and perhaps the accessory I get asked about the most when featured in product images, is the Satechi Eco-Leather Deskmate. This is a purely visual addition to my setup and comes with a leather desk pad to house my keyboard and trackpad. Made of premium eco-leather, it’s designed to protect your desk while serving as a soft resting place for your wrists and hands.
Joli leather sleeves
I’ve been praising Joli’s handmade leather MacBook cases since 2015, and nothing has changed at all. Whenever I buy a new MacBook, I always make sure to get a Joli leather sleeve with it. The Joli sleeves are handcrafted from smooth, premium Italian leather, using “luxurious full-grain waxed leather that will show marks with use”.
Joli’s leather cases are very expensive, with prices starting at around $130 for the new 14-inch design. However, with their stunning leather material and handcrafted accents, I find them worth the price.
Best Mac Cleaning Product: Whoosh Cleaning Spray
Last but not least, if you want to keep your new MacBook Air or MacBook Pro looking brand new, you need a good way to keep the display nice and shiny. My recommendation here is the WHOOSH! Screen Cleaner Kit that includes everything you need to keep your Mac clean for under $20.
The screen cleaning kit includes both 3.4 ounce and 0.3 ounce bottles of cleaning solution along with three 6″ x 6″ wipes. In fact, that’s WHOOSH! Spray is what many Apple Stores around the world use themselves.
What are your favorite Mac accessories right now? Let us know in the comments!
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