Best Must

So, you got yourself Apple's new 15-inch MacBook Air. What accessories should you buy? Don't panic, we have a small list to help you out.

Normally, whenever we end up buying a laptop, we don't give much thought to accessories. After all, it's just a computer. You're going to toss it inside a bag and use it till the battery runs out. That's how life works around a laptop. Plain and simple.

But, you can actually improve on the overall experience of your laptop, or more specifically, the 15-inch MacBook Air, with certain accessories. This includes a screen protector, because why not! And, you might need a dongle or two, or maybe none, depending on what sort of life you're living - completely wireless or one packed with USB sticks and HDMI.

Anyway, let's jump into the first thing you should get, and that's the screen protector.

Screen Protector

Don't just get any screen protector, make sure it's glass, and this one from amFilm is of the tempered glass variety. But what makes this screen protector special is how thin it is - just 0.33mm. This is important because if you are dealing with a thick protector, the display won't close down perfectly, and there's a chance of damaging the MacBook Air itself.

The application of this screen protector is absolutely simple. First of all, you have to clean the display using the accessories provided with the package. Once done, just align the protector from edge to edge and gently give it a gentle press. Since all the adhesive is on the edges of the protector, therefore you do not have to worry about bubbles appearing in the middle. If you ever want to take this protector off, there won't be any glue residue either.

amFilm says that this protector offers 99.9% transparency which means you won't lose brightness or clarity. It feels like you're looking at the original display itself. You can't say the same thing about protectors that have a matte finish.

Priced at just $29.99, it's not a bad investment at all and one that will last you years easily.

Do Not Buy One of These

The one thing you should not buy for your MacBook Air is the USB-C to USB-A adapter. In my experience, it's the most useless thing you'll ever buy. They're small, you can lose them easily, and it's one of those accessories you'll end up buying 'just in case I need it one day.' Trust me, you won't.

Instead, you're better off getting a full-on dongle or hub for your MacBook Air instead. Not only you'll gain that USB-A port, but you will also get backports that actually make sense in 2023.

Welcome to Dongle Town

Okay, there are a ton of dongles and hubs to choose from these days. So many, in fact, you'll bang your head somewhere just going through some of them. Don't worry though, I will make things as simple as possible.

In order to find the right dongle, you have to make sure it takes advantage of the USB-C / Thunderbolt port that the 15-inch MacBook Air has. Even if it's not full advantage, it should be very close to it. That's where this USB-C hub from UGREEN comes in.

This is a 7-in-1 hub which means it will let you use the hub in 7 different ways, and that is a lot. The ports this hub will add to your MacBook Air are as follows: a 4K 60Hz HDMI port, a 100W USB-C passthrough port for charging the connected device, SD/TF card reader, and 2 USB 3 ports. But the thing that will give you goosebumps is this - a Gigabit Ethernet port.

Sure, you can simply buy a hub that has slightly lesser ports, but take my advice - buy a hub/dongle once and make it count. If you have to buy it the second time, it means you didn't buy the right one.

At $49.99, this 7-in-1 hub is priced just right. The amount of ports you gain with it is simply outstanding.

You Don't Need a Keyboard Cover (Or Maybe You Do)

If you want the keyboard to look brand new all the time, it's best to invest in one of those keyboard covers.

When applied, you can use the keyboard as you normally would, and you even have the option to pick one of these in several color options, including a red one. Just imagine the heads you will turn whenever you open the MacBook Air up, and out comes a red keyboard.

Apart from protecting the keys, this sort of cover will protect your notebook against liquid spills. If you find yourself sipping coffee or in a cafeteria setting all the time, this accessory could actually save you a ton of money.

Priced at $14.99 and going on discount from time to time, it's not a bad investment at all, especially if you don't mind something in between your keyboard and fingers.

Give Your Trackpad Some Protection too

If you're protecting your MacBook Air's keyboard, then take things up a notch by adding some protection to the trackpad as well. After all, this trackpad is made of glass, and adding a layer of protection on top is only a smart thing to do.

This option from CaseBuy is pretty cheap at just $8.99, and you apply it like a screen protector.

Put a Case on it

Although I'm against cases, but if you're going to buy one anyway, then make sure it's this one from MOSISO.

The case comes in two pieces - one for the display and one for the base of the MacBook Air. Once applied, you can rest assured that this will keep your notebook safe from dents and scratches on the outside. On the inside, that screen protector, keyboard, and trackpad cover will do its job if you did buy those.

The top reason I'm recommending this case for your 15-inch MacBook Air is this - it will allow you to show off your notebook's true color as it is.

For $16.99, the case is actually quite cheap and does the job well.

Get a Fast Charging Power Bank

You can charge up your 15-inch MacBook Air using a power bank. We're not making this up, it's absolutely true. This also means you can just leave your wall adapter at home and bring a power bank with you in order to top things up whenever you feel like it.

Since you're dealing with a laptop-sized device here and not a phone or a tablet, therefore the power bank you should get must have massive internal capacity. In our hunt for the perfect power bank, we came across an option from Baseus, and it has a lot of interesting things going on.

First and foremost, it has a massive 30,000mAh capacity. That is enough to get you through a day or two easily and even charge up your MacBook Air to full from zero when needed.

You also get 65W of peak fast charging speeds which is exactly what the MacBook Air needs to fast charge. But it keeps on getting better as this power bank features a ton of ports, including 2 USB-C ports, a total of 4 USB-A ports, and a micro USB input for charging the power bank back up.

With the built-in display, you can see the remaining charge level of the power bank and also view the amount of power that is being drawn by the MacBook Air.

This power bank even supports 60W of fast charging speeds to charge itself up. So that's 65W of output and 60W of input. Not bad, I'd say.

Grab a Spare USB-C Cable for Charging

You do get a MagSafe cable with the 15-inch MacBook Air, but you don't get a USB-C to USB-C cable. You will need this cable for charging or copying data from devices while on the go. This is a cable that will sit in your bag for times when you need it. This cable is from Apple.

Coming in at a length of 2 meters, this cable is plenty long and maybe a bit extra for a lot of people. A longer cable is handy to have for times when the wall adapter is a little too far away from you. That extra length is going to save you from a lot of trouble.

There are a ton of third-party cables, but we've noticed buyers tend to get a little uncomfortable with third-party cables. Therefore, a cable straight from Apple offers way better peace of mind.

This cable costs just $19, which is cheap for an Apple product, no?

Where's My Spare Wall Charger?

You get a measly 35W dual USB-C port charger with the 15-inch MacBook Air. That's more than enough for a lot of people. But did you know your MacBook Air actually supports fast charging speeds? So why not invest in a charger that supports those speeds and serves the purpose as a backup, too?

That's where this UGREEN 65W Nexode 3-port charger comes in.

You not only get 2 USB-C fast charging ports but there's a USB-A port in there as well. You can charge up to three devices in total with this, and that's simply awesome. Those devices include iPhones, iPads, Android devices, and even PC laptops with support for USB PD.

Charge the MacBook Air in the Car

If you're looking to charge the 15-inch MacBook Air in the car, literally any USB-C charger would do. Even if that charger supports 18W of output, the notebook will charge slowly, and you will gain something at the end of your trip. Better than nothing at all, right?

However, since we're all about the fast charging life, therefore it makes sense to get something that can juice up the MacBook Air as quickly as possible. And we have a charger that you are going to love.

This option from Spigen supports up to 75W of output speeds, and it is the perfect companion to charge anything on the go. With 2 USB-C ports built right in, you will be able to fast charge multiple devices at once, including iPhones, iPads, AirPods, and so much more.

Priced at $32.99, it's fairly decent, too. Even if you don't have a MacBook Air to charge in your car, you can always pick one of these to give your low-battery devices a quick top-up while riding around.