'Must-have' MacBook and MacBook Pro accessories (Sept 2015)

Here's my list of must-have accessories for this popular mobile notebook. All of these are products that I rely on daily to get my work done, and all have been field tested for durability and reliability.

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 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.

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.

Price: $15.

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.