Gosh, is the 2021 Macbook Pro a thing of beauty or what? But no Macbook would be complete without
some handy accessories. So, these are the best M1 Max Macbook Pro accessories.
Hey friends, I’m Tasia Custode and welcome back to my YouTube Channel where I share tech tips and app
reviews. Today I’m sharing my most used MacBook Pro accessories. These are the things I use
every single day for work. And, this video is brought to you by no one. There is no sponsor,
these are just my most helpful accessories that I hope you will find helpful too. So, here we go!
Alright, I’ve got affiliate links for everything listed below,
but I want to start with a good MacBook Pro stand.
It’s really important to elevate your laptop to your line of sight when sitting at your desk.
I’ve got the Belkin Zero stand, otherwise known as the Loft stand, but unfortunately,
they don’t make this stand anymore. But have no fear, I found a similar one for you.
This is the Bestand Aluminum cooling computer stand. It has the all important soft rubber,
non-slip grippers, as well as a cable hole. Stands are important for a couple reasons.
1. They prop your laptop up closer to your eyeline, which is far better for
your neck and posture. And 2. They help keep your Macbook Pro cool. If any of you have a MacBook,
you know they can run super hot sometimes, so a stand is clutch to help the airflow.
The Bestand is about $38, and I’m telling you, if you don’t have a laptop stand, get a stand!
Alright, let’s move on to another great M1 Max Macbook Pro accessory and that’s
a mouse. That’s right, every Macbook needs a great mouse.
My go-to mouse is the Logitech MX Master 2S. This mouse allows you to control up to three different
computers. So, you could copy something from one computer and paste it to another.
The MX Master 2S will work on any surface,
comes with a micro-USB charging cable for fast recharging,
it’s got a speed-adaptive scroll wheel, as well as a thumb wheel for side to side scrolling. Plus,
you can either connect this mouse via the unifying receiver or via bluetooth. I also find this mouse
is quite nice ergonomically - it feels really nice in your hand, and has helped my wrist issues.
The MX Master 2S is discounted to under $60. That’s down from about $100 - so run, don’t walk!
So every computer mouse needs a true companion. And by that,
I mean, a great keyboard. And, wouldn’t you know, my go-to keyboard is also Logitech.
This baby is the true companion partner to the MX Master 2S
mouse. This is the Logitech MX Keys Wireless Illuminated Keyboard.
I finally upgraded to this keyboard and I’ve been thrilled with it. Aesthetically, it matches nicely
in color to the graphite MX Master 2S, so if that’s important for you, you can’t go wrong here.
Plus, it has smart illumination hand proximity detection and automatic backlighting, which is
super handy. Just like it’s little sister mouse, it comes with a recharging cable and
can work across multiple computers at once. This is hands down the best keyboard I’ve ever owned.
My next go-to Macbook Pro accessory is a really good webcam. Now, I will say,
the 2021 Macbook Pro has a much better built-in 1080P HD camera than previous models. However,
you may still want to take it up a notch. And guess what? This is a logitech product too.
I know what you’re thinking: she must be sponsored by Logitech.
Well I’m not. I just really use and like their products.
Let me introduce you to the Logitech StreamCam. Am I a steamer? No! Does it matter? No!
This is one slick webcam and, dare I say, it might just be the best webcam for Mac. The
Logitech StreamCam features 1080pHD video at 60fps, it’s got smart auto-focus and exposure,
thanks to its facial tracking. It even comes with a little mini tripod, should
you want to set up a couple of these bad boys for a live-stream concert or gaming experience. Plus,
the StreamCam can also rotate and shoot full HD vertical video. It’s pretty versatile when
it comes to mounting options and most important for Macbook Pro users, it connects via USB-C.
So you’re probably wondering why I’d need a streamcam that’s 1080p when my built-in Macbook
Pro camera is also 1080p. Well, I will show you. Let’s do a little side-by-side comparison
here of my standard built-in Macbook Pro 2021 camera and the StreamCam.
So here we are on my built-in camera on my 2021 M1 Max MacBook Pro. Like I said, the quality is
really so much better than previous Macbook Pro models. Lets actually take a look at my old 2018
model here. Its definitely much improved. But, let’s switch over here to the Logitech Streamcam,
and wow there is still a difference in quality, in my opinion.
And here is a split screen of the difference. I still think the Logitech Streamcam offers a
bit more clarity, though now I’m no longer afraid to travel without it like I was before.
The Logitech StreamCam is about $165,
depending on where you buy it. I’ve got a link below to the graphite color for ya.
Alright, it wouldn’t be a Macbook Pro accessories video without mentioning
headphones. Specifically, my Apple AirPods Pro are one of my go-to accessories.
The noise cancelling option is great, plus the fact that they come with three different tip sizes
is key. I’ve also been really happy with the battery life - they last me a few days on just
one charge. And, this is very important, the sound level is perfect for a wireless headphone option.
So here’s what I mean. I recently upgraded my Bose wired headphones to the Bose QuietComfort 35
II, but the sound level wasn’t good. I’m not talking sound quality - that
was great. But the actual volume level. So, as an example, with these wired headphones and
with the Airpods Pro, I can leave my Macbook Pro at about 50% volume and I know across the board,
the levels are right for my editing and how the audio output of a video will sound.
However, the QuietComfort 35 II have a very low sound level. Like, as in, I had to crank
my Macbook Pro up to at least 75% to get the same level as I would normally get at 50%.
Is this making sense? So, it’s a major problem for me with editing and getting ideal audio levels.
Ao, here’s the thing. If you’re not an editor and you just want great wireless headphone options,
I’ll link to some of those Bose options below. But, if you use your headphones
for any type of editing, I’d be prepared for extremely low levels of audio. Phew.
With all of that said, let’s move on to a second screen. Now, warning, this is one
of the most expensive Macbook Pro accessories I own, but oh boy, I’m just thrilled with it.
If you need extra screen real estate if you maybe edit like I do or have a lot of
different windows open, you’ll want a second or even third screen. In my humble opinion
one of the best screens for Macbook Pros is the LG UltraFine Display. I have the 4K
model, but they also make this beauty in 5K. Mine is a 24” with 3840-by-2160 resolution.
It is literally built for Mac, so you’ve got a thunderbolt 3 cable and thunderbolt 3 ports.
I will just link directly to the Apple store below for you to explore, not affiliate link,
because the prices are actually better through Apple than buying renewed on Amazon.
Alright, second last on my list of best M1 Max Macbook Pro accessories - whew say that
5 times fast - is external Hard drives. I’m a big believer in using external HDs
for both extra storage and backups. Particularly, I have two brands I use every single day.
So, let’s start with Western Digital. This one here is the Western Digital 2TB
My Passport portable external hard drive. It works great with Mac and is a synch to setup.
It’s pretty compact for travel and I’ve linked to this 2TB one and a 4TB one below as well.
But if you’re looking for some beast mode storage, Western Digital is still where it’s at.
This here is the Western Digital 8TB My Book Desktop external Hard Drive.
I’ve linked to this one and the 12 TB one below so if you need a ton of storage - if
you’re video editing or something - these are great external drives.
Something to keep in mind with these desktop external drives is that they do require power as
well. A lot of people seem to overlook that, expecting it to be like the portable ones.
The second brand that is my most-used is Seagate. They are very similar in size to
the Western Digital portable drive as well. Here’s a comparison for you. The WD is 2 TB,
the blue Seagate is 4 TB and the black Seagate is 5TB. There really isn’t much
size difference between them, considering the storage jump. That being said,
these guys are great for travel too and I’ve linked to a 2TB, 4TB and 5TB options below.
Now, if you’re going to have all these external HDs and great Macbook Pro accessories,
you’re going to need a USB hub and docking station. This is a must. And
do I have the docking station to end all docking stations.
This is the Anker docking station, and power expander, 13-in-1 thunderbolt 3 dock. That’s
right, there are 13 ports on this bad boy. This can charge your Mabook Pro,
or other Apple devices like your iPhone, it’s got a 4K hdmi port, a 1GPS ethernet port,
an audio port, usb a ports, multiple usb c ports, an sd card slot and a micro sd
card slot. This docking station is a beast. It’s completely changed the game for me and probably,
if I had to choose, my number one accessory for Macbook Pro.
I will say, the Anker docking station runs a bit warm, but I’ve never had an
issue with it over heating and I’ve been using it for over a year now.
So don’t be concerned. Remember all the links are in the description below for ya. Enjoy!
So those are my picks for the best M1 Max Macbook Pro accessories. What are your go-to
accessories? Let everyone know in the comments below. As always, thanks so much for watching,
if you liked this video, I want to know so give it a like, a share or
leave that comment below. You can click right about here to subscribe to my channel
and right here and here for even more Mac content. Thanks for watching, and see ya next time!