Laptop Accessories Buying Guide

Now laptops are more popular because they are portable compared to a desktop which is heavy and can only be stationary. Because technology is advancing so fast, a laptop can now cope with a lot of tasks, just like a desktop can.

As with desktop computers, there’s a lot of accessories available for laptops which provide unique benefits to you. Having so many to choose from, which ones are some that you must have? And what do we recommend?

I wish this would be an easy answer. The truth is that people are different and have unique sets of needs from the laptop that they’re using. With that being said, we can still recommend a few accessories to anyone that wants more convenience and better overall operation from a laptop.

You can also check out our best laptop buying guide to see an in-depth explanation of what decisions you should make before buying or our student laptop buying guide. If not, skip straight to our list of independent laptop reviews on the home page.

Three needs for any laptop owner

Although people may disagree on what is or isn’t essential, we believe there are three needs that every laptop owner has.

Bags/Cases

Let’s be honest, if you have a laptop you’ll most likely bring it with you everywhere you need it, and probably you won’t carry it like a book, under your arm. That’s why you may need a case or a bag to put it in.

Cases are just a way to protect your laptop when you store it in a bigger bag, or if you really want to carry it around under your arm, and is the bare minimum. At least they offer some protection against dropping or scratches.

Laptop bags will hold your laptop securely and comfortably. With a bag you also get extra space for other items such as drives, headphones, and anything you may use on a day to day basis.

Laptop bags can store more items inside among your laptop. Because of that, it makes them perfect for travelling on an aeroplane or commuting. You may even be able to fit a book or two and some documents if the bag is big enough.

Bags for a laptop may include a shoulder strap, purse-like with handles or backpack versions. Always check the size of a bag or case when you’re buying one and make sure at least matches your laptop size.

Backpacks tend to be the most comfortable with shoulder strap being next. We recommend backpacks with a battery included for charging your phone or even laptop, or a simple design shoulder strap.

If you’re opting for a case, you might want to choose something with a bit of extra cushion to make sure you have as much protection as you can.

Cooling Accessories

You might not think at first about cooling accessories. If you don’t know, laptops work way better when they are cooler. Using demanding programs or games can make your laptop very hot, especially at the bottom, and also slow.

This happens mostly with cheaper laptops that are pushed to their max, or even sometimes with more expensive ones. Sometimes the laptop fans are not enough for the laptop to cool down. It also may entirely shut down.

But fear not, because there’s a lot of cooling accessories that can help you cool your laptop. Some may be just a small lift-off to give the laptop some more space for air to come in. Some may have additional fans to help with cooling. We suggest having a one with a big cooling fan that spins slowly. This ensures it won’t bother you too much with the noise while doing its cooling.

External hardware

External hardware can include pretty much everything from subwoofers to mouse to external drives, and anything that connects to a laptop. Some of this hardware is just for convenience, and others may assist with specific tasks. We want to recommend some that will help you.

Having an external mouse is an excellent idea, especially for photo editors and video game players. It offers more accuracy when compared to a trackpad. You also have greater flexibility with positioning. A mouse, you can place it anywhere and relax while a trackpad is stuck on the laptop.

With an external keyboard, as with a mouse, the same is true. You can position it how you want without the need for you to sit over your laptop which can be more comfortable to use.

If you have a big need for space you might want to get an external HDD. You can store your projects, your work from uni or/and movies, and also a lot of other stuff if your laptop doesn’t have the necessary space. We recommend the WD My Passport Ultra external HDD. It’s reliable, compatible with USB-C and USB 3 as well so it works on older machines too.