The Apple Gear We Actually Recommend

Apple

MacBook Neo 13-inch

Apple's most affordable Mac, built on the A18 Pro chip. Right for students and anyone who lives in a browser and a few apps. The tradeoff is 8GB of memory.

List $699 at Best Buy

Apple

MacBook Air 13-inch (M5)

The Mac most people should buy. This configuration pairs M5 with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage, the sweet spot for keeping it five years.

List $1,299 at Best Buy

Apple

Mac mini (M6)

The least expensive way into an Apple silicon desktop. Plug it into the monitor, keyboard, and mouse you already own.

List $899 at Best Buy

Apple

iPad Air 11-inch (M4)

Most of the iPad Pro's speed for much less money. Buy the Pro only if you want its OLED display.

List $749 at Best Buy

Apple

Apple Pencil Pro

The pen to pair with the iPad Air above. Squeeze it for a tool palette, roll the barrel to angle a brush, and find it in Find My if it goes missing. It only works with recent iPad Air, iPad Pro, and iPad mini models, so check yours first.

Works with iPad Air (M4)

Apple

AirPods Pro 3

Apple's best earbuds, now with heart rate sensing for workouts. Best Buy discounts them often, so the price below list is common.

List $249.99 at Best Buy

Apple

Apple Watch Series 12

The default Apple Watch for most people, and the best way into the redesigned Health app. The 42mm GPS model is the place to start.

List $399 at Best Buy

Nomad

Modern Leather Case

Horween leather that builds a patina within weeks, aluminum buttons, and 8 feet of drop protection. The case to buy if you plan to keep this iPhone for years.

From $79

OtterBox

Symmetry Series for MagSafe

The safe default. Thin enough to forget about, with raised edges around the camera and screen and 3x military drop testing.

From $49.99

ESR

Atelier Leather Case with Flex Stand

A built-in stand props your iPhone up in portrait or landscape, wrapped in soft vegan leather. Hard to beat at this price.

From $42.99

TORRAS

Q3 Rugged with 360 Stand

For anyone who drops their phone. TORRAS rates it for 12 foot drops, adds a textured grip on the sides, and builds in a stand that rotates for portrait or landscape. The magnets are strong enough for car mounts and MagSafe chargers. The catch: it is bulkier than the cases above.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

Moment

Camera Case II for iPhone 18

A 10 foot drop rating plus a mount for Moment's T-Series lenses and QuickLock filters. The starting point if the iPhone 18 Pro is your main camera.

From $55

SanDisk

Creator Phone SSD

Snaps onto the back of your iPhone with MagSafe and records ProRes straight to the drive, so filming in 4K never fills your phone.

From $149

KeySmart

SmartCard (Gen 3)

A credit card shaped tracker that lives in your wallet and shows up in Find My. It's 1.8mm thin and recharges on any Qi pad.

From $39.99

Apple

AirTag (2nd generation)

The tracker to buy if you carry an iPhone. Find My locates it through nearby Apple devices almost anywhere, and setup is one tap next to your phone. The 4-pack covers keys, a wallet, a bag, and a suitcase.

4-pack or single

Spigen

GlasTR EZ Fit

Tempered glass with an alignment tray, so it goes on straight the first time. Two come in the box, and it fits under most cases, including the ones on this page.

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max sizes

Belkin

UltraCharge 3-in-1 Foldable with Qi2 25W

Charges iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at once, with 25W Qi2 speeds on recent iPhones. It folds flat, so it travels as well as it sits.

List $99.99 at Best Buy

Apple

MagSafe Charger

The simplest way to fast charge an iPhone 18 Pro without a stand. Pair it with a 30W or larger USB-C adapter, like the UGREEN pick in this section, or it charges at a slower rate.

1 m and 2 m lengths

UGREEN

Nexode Air 65W Charger

Enough power for a MacBook Air in a body small enough for a jacket pocket. The folding plug makes it an easy one to leave in your bag.

From $39.99

Reader code: MFEXTRA10 takes 10% off select UGREEN MagFlow magnetic chargers and power banks, including the MagFlow Pro 25W power bank, at us.ugreen.com through December 31, 2026.

Anker

MagGo Power Bank (10K)

A 10,000mAh battery that snaps onto the back of your iPhone and charges it at 15W over Qi2. Enough for roughly a full extra charge on a long travel day, and it refills over USB-C.

Qi2 certified, 15W

Beats

Powerbeats Pro 2

Ear hooks that stay put through any workout, with active noise cancelling and heart rate sensing. One tap pairs them with your iPhone.

List $249.99 at Best Buy

Beats

Beats Studio Pro

Noise cancelling over-ear headphones with one tap iPhone pairing and lossless audio over USB-C. Frequently on sale well below list.

List $299.99 at Best Buy

Sony

WH-1000XM6

The noise cancelling benchmark and our pick for long flights. You give up the automatic device switching AirPods and Beats get.

List $458 at Best Buy

Bose

QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen)

The most comfortable pair here for a full workday, with excellent noise cancelling and Bose's immersive audio mode.

List $449 at Best Buy

soundcore

Liberty Buds 2

Light, secure enough for workouts, and strong on calls, with noise cancelling closer to flagship earbuds than the price suggests.

From $129

Sonos

Arc Ultra Soundbar

A Dolby Atmos soundbar with AirPlay 2 built in, so it works with Apple TV and plays straight from your iPhone.

List $1,099 at Best Buy

Parallels

Parallels Desktop 27

Run Windows apps next to your Mac apps without rebooting. Version 27 is built only for Apple silicon and supports macOS 27 Golden Gate.

Standard Edition $99.99/yr

MacPaw

CleanMyMac

Clears junk, removes apps completely, and scans for malware in one pass. If you're still on CleanMyMac X, it stops at macOS Tahoe 26, so Golden Gate needs the new app.

From $3.33/mo

Flexibits

Fantastical

A sharper front end for the iCloud, Google and Exchange calendars you already use. Type events in plain English, switch between work and family views with Calendar Sets, and share open times with Openings. Premium also unlocks Cardhop, the contacts app.

Free to download, 14-day Premium trial

Setapp

Setapp

One subscription for a curated catalog of Mac and iPhone apps, CleanMyMac included. The better deal if you'd pay for two or three of them anyway.

Monthly or annual plans

Logitech

MX Keys S Combo for Mac

A Mac-layout backlit keyboard, the MX Master 3S mouse, and a palm rest in Apple-matching finishes. It switches between three devices with a key.

Keyboard, mouse, and palm rest

Samsung

T9 Portable SSD

Fast, pocketable storage for Time Machine backups, video projects, or moving files off a base storage Mac. Macs do not support its fastest USB mode, so expect about half its rated speed, which is still plenty.

1TB to 4TB

UGREEN

NAS DH2300 (2-bay)

A simple first NAS for photos and files you would rather not pay a cloud subscription to keep. It backs up your iPhone photos to drives you own and uses AI search to find people, places and objects. The catch: drives are sold separately, and its 1GbE port makes it a backup box, not a fast editing drive.

Drives sold separately

Anker

7-in-2 USB-C Hub for MacBook

Plugs into the two USB-C ports on the side of a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro and adds HDMI at 4K 60Hz, USB-A ports, and a pass-through port for charging. The catch is that it takes over both of your ports.

4K 60Hz HDMI

Twelve South

Curve

Lifts a MacBook to eye level so you can use it with an external keyboard and mouse, like the Logitech combo above. One piece of aluminum with open space underneath to keep the Mac cool.

Matte black aluminum

NordVPN

NordVPN

Encrypts your traffic on networks you don't control, like hotel and airport Wi-Fi, with apps for iPhone, iPad, and Mac under one account.

Plans vary by term

Apple

HomePod mini 2

Still the cheapest home hub for Apple Home, which you need for automations and for controlling the lock, bulb, and plug on this page when you are away. The second generation gets a newer chip and Wi‑Fi 6E. Siri AI comes in a later software update, not on day one.

Five colors, in stores October 30

Apple

HomeView

A 7 inch screen for Apple Home that recognizes up to six faces, so everyone gets their own Home Screen. It runs Siri AI from day one. A good fit for a kitchen counter or a wall.

Counter or wall mount, in stores November 13

Apple

Apple TV 4K (4th generation)

The most capable Apple Home hub, with the A19 chip, Wi‑Fi 7 and microphones for hands free Siri. At $299 it is a big jump, so check whether your current box already gets Siri AI before you upgrade.

In stores November 13

Nanoleaf

Essentials Matter Bulb

Pairs straight to Apple Home with no hub and supports Adaptive Lighting, so it shifts color temperature with the time of day.

Single bulbs and multipacks

Eve

Eve Energy (Matter)

A Matter over Thread smart plug that shows up in the Home app and tracks how much power a lamp or appliance uses. It works with Apple Home directly, with no Eve bridge required.

Single or 2-pack

Linkind

Matter Smart Plug

The cheapest way to put lamps, fans and holiday lights in the Home app. Each plug joins Apple Home directly through Matter with no extra app. The catch: it runs on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi rather than Thread like Eve, and you need a home hub such as a HomePod mini to add it.

4-pack

Linkind

Matter Plug with Night Light

A smart plug with a soft night light built in that turns on at dusk and off at dawn by itself. Good for a hallway or a kids room where you want a light and a switchable outlet in one spot. Same catch as the plug above: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and a home hub for Apple Home.

4-pack

Linkind

Matter Outdoor Smart Plug

Built for holiday lights, string lights and landscape lighting. It has two outlets, IP65 weather resistance and a rating from -22°F to 122°F, so it can stay outside all winter. Set it to turn on at sunset in the Home app. Same catch: 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and Apple Home needs a home hub.

2 outlets, weatherproof

SwitchBot

Curtain 3 (Rod)

Clips onto the curtain rod you already have, no drilling, and opens your curtains at sunrise or on a schedule. It moves curtains up to 33 pounds and has a silent mode under 25dB. The catch: it reaches Apple Home only through a SwitchBot Hub 2 or Hub 3, sold separately.

For rod curtains

ecobee

Smart Thermostat Premium

We have run an ecobee in our own home for years, and the Premium is the one to buy today. It shows up natively in the Home app, Siri works through a HomePod or HomePod mini, and the included SmartSensor evens out the rooms that run hot or cold. The catch: if Home app control is all you want, the cheaper Enhanced does that too.

Works with Apple Home

August

Wi-Fi Smart Lock

Fits over your existing deadbolt and keeps your keys working, with Wi-Fi built in. One catch for Apple users: it doesn't support Home Key.

Lock alone or with keypad

ecobee

Smart Doorbell Camera (wired)

The doorbell at our own front door. Setup takes minutes on existing doorbell wiring, it pairs neatly with an ecobee thermostat and sensors, and it shows up in the Home app for live view and doorbell alerts. The catch: no HomeKit Secure Video, so recordings live in the ecobee app and its Smart Security plan, not iCloud.

Wired, works with Apple Home

eufy

Indoor Cam E30

Pan and tilt with person and pet tracking and no subscription. It supports HomeKit Secure Video, though Home app recordings top out at 1080p.

4K, records locally