5 Cheap Gadgets That Belong In Every Apple User’s Home – BGR

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Apple is known as much for the design aesthetics of its devices as it is for the quality of the devices that it creates. The company has and continues to be on the forefront of form and function, despite losing several top designers over that past several years. Apple’s design aesthetics have gone on to influence the industry and help create an entire third-party market looking to emulate its style. 

There now exist tons of gadgets and accessories designed to fit seamlessly into the Apple design ethos. And unlike Apple, these devices tend to cost a fraction of the price of many of the accessories and gadgets that Apple makes. From docks and dongles, to stands and sleeves, there is a plethora of gadgets that will give you that clean and minimalist (affordable) Apple style you may be looking to keep in your home and/or office.

We’ve scoured the internet to look for some of the best gadgets based on user reviews, online recommendations, and expert opinions. The items included here also won’t cost you an arm and a leg, and buying everything on this list will still cost you much less than the time Apple tried selling you a $200 sock for your iPhone. 

Apple experimented with leather in its accessories in the past, but with its environmental goals of becoming carbon neutral by 2032, the company has left leather behind. But many dislike Apple’s fabric alternatives and miss the look of leather as it feels more classic and clean. And for those that want the leather look without the environmental impact, the Nordik Leather Valet Tray has you covered.

This modern and stylish storage tray comes in a number of colors that will complement any iPhone model. Designed in Australia and with enough space to keep your iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch and more secure, this stylish tray is meant to fit into your space and complement the Apple aesthetic. It’s a simple and clean style that won’t overwhelm your space, cleanly blending into it instead.

Amazon reviews seem to agree, with an impressive 4.8 out of 5 rating with hundreds of reviews. Users note that the tray is of high quality, aesthetically pleasing, spacious enough to hold all the essentials, and coming in at a fair price. If you need a simple desk tray that compliments the Apple style, Nordik By Design has you covered.

MOFT has designed a fun and stylish magnetic wallet stand that compliments any modern iPhone so well that you’ll think it came from Apple itself. Featuring a slim 3-in-1 design that works as an iPhone stand, card wallet, and a handheld grip, allows the MOFT Magnetic Wallet Stand to replace multiple gadgets in one sleek package. This helps keep the more minimal styling that blends well with the Apple design ethos.

With strong built-in magnets, this wallet stand snaps into place in an origami style and provides three separate viewing modes. MOFT designed this sleek stand to feel unseen and unfelt, fading naturally into the overall look and feel of your Apple device. MOFT features several dozen different color options, one of which will surely compliment your Apple household and decor.

Featuring nearly 2,000 reviews, Amazon users love its style, the strength of the magnets, its card-carry capabilities, and how convenient it is. The only downside is that some reviews note that while great, they have had some issues with long term durability as the fabric can crack, split, and degrade at the folding points.

A little bit of fun goes a long way. That’s probably what the designers at Lonelyfox were thinking when they released the Lonelyfox Mac mini Pro Stand. Built to connect to the bottom of the Mac mini, this little stand serves as a cooling duct that’s based on the design of the one on the Mac mini itself. It also features a replaceable dust filter to keep the internals of the Mac mini free of dust, pet hair, and more.

Not only does this little stand allow for better airflow and provide protection from dust, it also makes the Mac mini a little more practical. The power button on the Mac mini is on the rear underside of the computer. This makes turning on/off the unit a very strange affair. Users have argued over it online, and Apple has even had to explain why it was placed in such a strange location.

The Lonelyfox Mac mini Pro Stand features a design that places the power button onto the front of the machine through a physical button. You no longer have to reach behind the Mac mini to power it on and off. You can now simply push the swappable included button, fixing a problem many had with the Mac mini.

The HomePod is starting to show its age, not getting a refresh since early in 2021. And while many are awaiting the announcement of the third generation of the device, it still works fantastic. Apple’s smart speaker is clean, stylish, and produces some great room-filling sound. It also looks great in any clean or minimalist home in keeping with the overall Apple aesthetic.

While the HomePod looks great, it could be a little bit better. Enter the Real Wood Stand for Homepod from Counlisha. This gorgeous stand made from walnut and a center metal ring can hold your HomePod while lifting it up (literally) and giving it a very nice mid-century look. The HomePod is already a nice looking smart speaker, but when on a wood stand it really makes it feel much more classy.

The stand also has some practical features, minimizing the vibrations that you can get from keeping it directly on a desk, table, or shelf. It can also help with sound, as raising up the speaker allows for better overall acoustics. Users on Amazon have a lot of praise for this little HomePod stand, with many saying it’s a requirement if you use a HomePod at home.

The MacBook line of laptops from Apple are second to none in terms of design and style. I have a MacBook Pro from 2012 that still looks as modern as any laptop released in the last several years. Apple laptops have an almost timeless design that screams to be shown off. And with their power, many people use a MacBook as their primary computer, simply plugging it into a monitor when working from home.

If you are going to be keeping your MacBook on your desk, you are going to want a nice stand that compliments it. The UGREEN Vertical Laptop Stand allows you to show off your MacBook while saving precious desk real estate, helping you to maximize your workspace. This vertical laptop stand matches the clean metal design of the MacBook while also being adjustable via a small knob, allowing it to work with several different models of laptop.

The vertical design also helps to promote better airflow, keeping your MacBook running at peak performance. With thousands of positive reviews on Amazon, the UGREEN Vertical Laptop Stand is well-loved with users praising its design, the adjustment knob, and how it helps to reduce clutter in a workspace.

In order to select items featured in this list we searched highly-rated products on Amazon and highlighted gadgets that met certain standards. Each item featured held a rating of over 4 stars on the platform while also boasting multiple positive reviews by Amazon customers. They each also met an affordability metric, coming in at under $40 in price. We also dove deeper and compared reviews and recommendations from tech experts online and on platforms such as YouTube, as well as from the greater tech community on popular websites such as Reddit.