ACCESSORIES: 13-inch MacBook Air

Computing Services often receives questions about what accessories we recommend to go with teacher laptops. The truth is that there are thousands of items that will work great with this laptop, but what follows are some recommendations in a number of categories.

NOTE: If you are purchasing as an LPS entity please use the LPS Buying Guide links. Otherwise, for personal purchases use the links of the online stores.

Carrying Cases

There is no end to the models, styles, material and color combinations available for bags that can be found to carry this laptop in safely. Any department or sporting goods store, and many clothing stores now offer a selection, though the best prices may be found online. You can find a functional bag for $15, or a fashion statement for $300. Most of the bags with features we love live in the $35-$100 range.

Experience has taught us to look for a few features when choosing a laptop bag:

Make sure your bag of choice has a strap or handle. Many laptop “sleeves” do not, and are therefore easy to drop.
Many bags come with a padded pouch for your tablet device (iPad?) as well as an easily accessible top pouch for a cell phone.
Some bags feature upright, zippered pockets for your water bottle. This is a nice hands-free way to carry liquids with less risk of spilling/seepage on your laptop.
Your laptop is 13-inches. Larger bags are not necessarily better, because the laptop can move too freely within the bag, and the additional cargo you squeeze into the larger bag may actually end up doing damage to the laptop.
If you travel by air, it is nice to have a bag that zips open to expose the laptop without having to remove it from the bag. NOTE: your laptop should never be checked, always carry it with you.
Shop around! The price for the same bag can vary wildly from store-store, site-site.

A few brands we like:

External Storage

seagatedrive The MacBook Air has two USB 3.0 ports. Any USB hard drive should work, but ones that specifically state that they are USB 3.0 will be much faster than ones that are USB 2.0.

Portable External Hard Drive Storage
USB 3.0 drives are available in multiple storage sizes and colors, each changing the price. We recommend at least 1TB.

The Best Portable Hard Drives (Wirecutter)
or LPS Buying Guide

USB 3.0 Flash Drives (16GB+)
If your storage needs are not as great, a USB 3.0 thumb drive is smaller, cheaper, and fits in your pocket.

The Best USB 3.0 Flash Drives (Wirecutter)
or LPS Buying Guide

External Optical Drive (CD/DVD)

LPS has provided a number of these external USB optical (CD/DVD) drives to school media centers for teachers to check-out as needed. If you have a more persistent need and wish to have one available permanently, this is a fairly inexpensive option. (~$25)

LG Super-Multi Portable DVD Rewriter: CDW.com
or LPS Buying Guide

Shell/Case

A shell does not offer complete physical protection for your laptop, but it can protect from everyday wear and tear, keep simple bumps from leaving permanent dents and bruises, and can offer a splash of color. Look for shells that fit a 13″ MacBook Air.

Speck SmartShell: Speck Website
iPearl mCover Hard Shell for 13.3-inch Apple MacBook Air: Amazon.com

Skin

A skin won’t protect your laptop from physical harm, but it will help your laptop resist scratches and stand out in the sea of identical MacBook Airs, allowing you to express some personality. Look for skins that match 13″ MacBook Air.

GelaSkins
SkinIt
Etsy

Stickers

Note the difference between a vinyl skin and a sticker. Stickers have adhesive backs, vinyl skins do not and are therefore easy to remove without leaving residue on the laptop. No stickers are allowed on LPS devices.

Power & Cords (Adapters)

Apple 45W MagSafe Power Adapter for MacBook Air: Apple.com or LPS Buying Guide

Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter: Apple.com
This will let your MacBook Air connect to certain newer projectors and most HDTVs.

Mice

Apple Magic Mouse
This is the standard mouse that ships with Apple desktop computers.
Apple.com or LPS Buying Guide

Logitech Mice
Logitech makes great computer mice at every price point ($6 – $100) and feature set you might desire.
Logitech.com or LPS Buying Guide

Updated July 18, 2017