Essential accessories for your MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro (June 2016 edition)

Looking to accessorize your Macbook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro? What follows are a some of the very best accessories currently available, ranging from docks and power packs to cables and storage devices. There are even some accessories that are totally unique to Apple hardware.

These accessories will not only allow you to take your productivity to the next level, but they will also allow you to free yourself from having to depend on a desktop computer.

Updated June 2016.

The OWC ThunderBay 4 mini is a RAID-ready, 4-drive bay, near-silent Thunderbolt 2 capable storage solution that's small enough to hold in the palm of your hand, but powerful enough to satisfy even the most demanding professional.

Price: Starting at 4565 for 2TB HDD.

I think that the MagSafe connector found on the MacBook is amazing - except for when it isn't. Sure, it's saved my MacBook from hitting the deck several times, but it's sometimes just a little too sensitive, and the connector can shift slightly and prevent the system from charging.

Enter the Snuglet.

It might look like a small bit of metal, but in fact it's a precision engineered component designed to give the MagSafe connector a little more friction so it stays in place a little better, but not so much that the MacBook hits the floor when you trip over the cord.

Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful I purchased a Snuglet.

Price: $15.

The OWC 1TB AuraSSD for 2012-Early 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display features a suite of industry leading controller technologies for performance and reliability.

• Global wear leveling algorithm automatically distributes data evenly and manages program/erase count, maximizing SSD lifespan.
• StaticDataRefresh technology manages free space, gradually refreshing data across the SSD over time, enhancing data integrity.
• Hardware BCH ECC corrects errors up to 66-bit/1KB for superior data retention and drive health.
• Best-in-class power consumption
• Advanced security protocols support AES 128/256-bit full-drive encryption

Price: $519

Want a backpack where you don't have to take your devices out to charge? The MOS Pack is for you!

The MOS Pack features a built-in charging station and internal cable management so you can charge everything without taking it all out of your backpack.

Very rugged, very useful!

Price: $149.95

Take multi-tasking and staying connected to a next level. Want a bigger Mac keyboard? Looking for a Bluetooth Mac keyboard that can do triple duty--or more? The Kanex MultiSync Mac Keyboard is wireless, full-sized and can be shared among multiple devices with the push of a button. Reply to a text on your iPhone, take notes on your iPhone, and type away on your Mac--all from the same keyboard.

Price: $45.

Portable document scanning when on the move!

Ultra-compact, lightweight, and portable, the battery-powered IRIScan Anywhere 3 Wifi scanner lets you scan documents, contracts, business cards, receipts, and more no matter where you are.

Price: $129.

The Amped Wireless Titan-Ex is the most powerful Range Extender available. Built with a 1GHz Dual Core Processor, 14 high power amplifiers, and 4 high gain antennas, the TITAN-EX delivers superior Wi-Fi performance and up to 14,000 sq ft of coverage.

Price: $189.99.

The UAG ICE is a Mil-Spec case for the 12-inch MacBook.

• Fits the Apple Macbook 12-Inch
• Armor shell and impact resistant bumpers
• Dual lock secure screen closure
• FrogSkin non-slip grip
• Cooling vents for uncompromised air flow
• Meets military drop-test standards (MIL STD 810G 516.6)

Price: $79.95.

Apple charge an arm and a leg for storage, and even if you decided to give your wallet a good workout and spring for the 1TB option it still doesn't feel like enough, especially if you're into photography or video.

Enter the OWC Envoy Pro EX.

Small, thin, light, beautifully designed, and packed with super-fast storage, this external flash drive is ideal for any professional looking to augment the internal storage. And despite being an external drive, the OWC Envoy Pro EX is fast enough to keep up with the most demanding of tasks.

Price: Starting at $219 for 240GB.

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim offers 2TB of storage in a sleek and protective metal finish is available in classic black, silver, red or blue.

Price: $89.99

The Anker PowerCore 20100 is a beast of a portable power pack. It has enough power to charge an iPhone 6 seven times, a Galaxy S6 five times or an iPad mini twice.

It also features an output of 4.8 amps which provides enough power to simultaneously charge any combination of devices at full speed.

Price: $40.

You want ports? You got them! The OWC Thunderbolt 2 Dock is a single sleek dock is home to a vast array of ports:

• 2 x Thunderbolt 2
• 5 x USB 3.0 (including two high-power ports for fast-charging devices such as smartphones and tablets)
• 1 x FireWire 800
• 1 x Gigabit Ethernet
• 1 x HDMI 1.4b with 4K display support
• 1 x 3.5mm audio input / mic
• 1 x 3.5mm audio output / headphone

Price: $229.

The StarDock Thunderbolt 2 Dual-Monitor Docking Station for laptops is one of the first Thunderbolt 2 docks to support dual DisplayPort video output. With 20 Gbps data throughput, it lets you connect up to 12 devices to your MacBook or laptop, without sacrificing system performance.

Price: $350.

The Satechi Type-C hub allows you to use standard USB cables and accessories like flash drives simultaneously with a single adapter.

• Aluminum complements Mac computers and accessories
• Expand your Type-C port to three USB 3.0 ports, SD and Micro SD card slots
• Compact design is suitable for traveling
• Select your favorite color or one that matches your computer
• Reversible Connector - The USB-C connector is completely reversible, so you'll never have to worry about plugging it in incorrectly.

Price: $35

Sometimes the trackpad on the MacBook just isn't up to the job and you need to resort to a mouse. What better mouse to compliment your MacBook than the Magic Mouse 2.

Price: $79.

The RocketStor 6361A allows you to quickly add any PCIe x4, x8, or x16 card to your Thunderbolt capable computing platform, such as media capture, Ethernet, Fibre Channel or external Storage/RAID controller cards.

Price: $350.

The OWC Envoy Pro mini is an ultra-portable, SuperSpeed bus-powered external SSD storage solution built around OWC's Aura Pro SSD, which is a fast SSD capable of transfer rates of up to 500MB/s.

Price: From $118.

Protect and personalize your MacBook with a lightweight, form-fitting Incase Hardshell case which offers protection without sacrificing access to ports, lights and buttons. This durable cover features sophisticated styling, injection-molded construction and rubberized feet to keep your laptop cool and firmly in place.

Price: From $50

Is your MacBook's storage getting a bit cramped? Don't delete stuff, instead pop a TarDisk into your probably otherwise never-used SDXC port.

Available in a variety of capacities and styles to suit many different MacBooks.

Since the space the TarDisk offers shows up as regular disk space to your Mac's OS, there's no having to mess about saving to external drives.

BatteryBox a portable battery that works for 3000 cycles and can power a MacBook Air for 13 hours straight, or fully charge an iPhone 11 times.

BatteryBox includes a special cable for powering MacBooks, and a USB port for charging phones, tablets, and anything else.

Price: $189.99.

SpiShutter is an easy, discrete way to ensure your privacy by shielding your MacBook's webcam.

• Aesthetic design for MacBook users
• Attaches magnetically (no tape or residue)
• Easily slides to enable Webcam
• Stays on when laptop is closed
• Compatible with MacBook Pros and Airs (11-inch/13-inch/15-inch displays)
• Discrete always on solution
• Made from powder coated high carbon stainless steel
• 100% designed and manufactured in the USA

Price: $19

The Nifty MiniDrive makes use of the MacBook's SD card slot to add to additional storage space.

Price: From $35.

When I initially switched to the MacBook Pro, I had concerns about its robustness. As it turns out, Macs are pretty resilient, but I still don't feel like taking chances with such an expensive bit of kit when I'm out and about.

Enter the iSeries 1813-5 Waterproof Laptop Case.

A strong, rugged, waterproof case that'll hold your MacBook along with your accessories. Comes complete with lockable TSA-approved latches.

My case has been with me on countless adventures, and it's kept its precious - and expensive - contents safe every time.

Price: $99.

There's nothing I hate more than having to connect devices to my MacBook's USB ports for charging. It turns a lightweight and easy to use portable into an awkward, cumbersome mess.

Enter the Twelve South PlugBug.

This simple adapter connects to the MacBook's power bring to create a spare high-speed charging USB port, ideal for iPhones, iPads and others power-thirsty devices.

Price: $35.

One of the downsides of owning a powerful system like the MacBook Pro is that it's hard on battery life. Sure, if all I want to do is browse the web then the battery will last an entire working day, but fire up Photoshop or Lightroom and the battery starts to take a real hit.

Enter the ChargeTech Portable Power Outlet.

This is a portable power pack that can give you a few extra hours with your MacBook before you have to connect to a power outlet.

Price: Starting at $99.

There's a lot of data on my MacBook Pro that I really don't want to lose.

Enter the 3TB AirPort Time Capsule.

The simplest, fastest, least-fuss way to back up a Mac. For a single system this might be overkill - unless you value your data - but if you have multiple Macs, this is a no-brainer solution to the problems associated with backing up.

Price: $399.

This might not seem like a must-have, but if you have to type a lot of numbers using your MacBook's keyboard, it'll quickly start to feel like one.

Enter the NewerTech Wireless Aluminum Keypad.

A keypad that looks and feels like it rolled off the Apple production line. Easy to connect wirelessly via Bluetooth, and feels solid and well made during use. Great for number crunchers!

Price: $47.

If you've got Apple's new MacBook featuring the single USB-C port then you're going to want some cables, and after testing a few I think that Monoprice delivers the goods at a decent price.

Price: From $10.