Best Accessories for M4 Mac Mini

The Mac Mini now has more ports than ever! There are Thunderbolt ports on the back, and USB C on the front. However, Apple did ditch the legacy USB A ports. If you have some older generation tech you still want to connect to your Mac Mini (or simply have a slew of accessories and there's just not enough built-in ports) Razer has an excellent Thunderbolt 4 dock. Aside from plenty of USB C and A ports it also has a front-facing SD card reader. Plus it comes in "mercury" which is a silver finish that matches the Mac Mini beautifully.

If the idea of dropping a few hundred bucks on a multi-port dock for your Mac Mini isn't appealing - I totally get it. If all you want is a convenient way to get things from an SD card (regular or micro) to your Mac Mini then this is a very low cost option. The Sabrent SD Card reader plugs into your Mac Mini's front or back port and adds an SD card slot. Transfer speeds are 5 GBs (which is not the max your Mac Mini is capable of, but it is fine). It has Type A and C USB connections so would work with any older devices you might already own.

While the Beats Studio Pro headphones are the "best" version the company makes, the Beats Solo 4 are probably the best value balance between features and price. They're ON ear (not over ear) headphones. Because they have Apple W1 Chip all the easy pairing and switching features you'd expect from AirPods are available in these headphones. They also have a built-in microphone if you want to use them for video calls. These could be great to keep near your Mac Mini if you want to go head down and dig into some serious work while playing some tunes, or if you're kicking back to enjoy whatever is new on Apple TV+ without disturbing those around you. 4 colour options are available.

Keeping your iPhone charged up and on display while you're working at your desk is very handy. Plus with Mac Sonoma's iPhone Miroring feature, working between your phone and Mac Mini has never been easier. The SwanScout charger is a 3-in-1 device for topping up your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch batteries. All with elegant style. As a bonus, there's a small digital clock in the base, so even when your iPhone isn't in the stand you still have an always-on clock to time out when your next coffee break will be.

Chances are you probably have a gaming controller or two around the house (and most Bluetooth controllers will pair no problem with your Mac Mini). But if you want a dedicated gaming controller of a really high quality build GameSir's Tarantula Pro is worth a look. With several several onboard profiles, app compatibility to customize the RGB lights and a rugged build, this will be great for long gaming sessions on your Mac Mini. And when you're not gaming, it looks sweet on your desk in the included translucent stand.

If you're a mouse/keyboard gamer you're not going to be able to get a proper gaming experience with Apple's Magic Mouse (you need dedicated right and left click buttons). I've used half a dozen different gaming mice (that sounds weird) from Razer of the past 2 years and the Viper V3 is my fav. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Basilisk models, but instead pairs down to the essential functions, a dedicated button to flip between profiles, and comes in black and white, so you can decide which looks best with your Mac Mini.

If you also need a new monitor for your Mac Mini, but don't want to break the budget Dell's S2721QS 4K display is a great balance of features for price. You get some tilt adjustment (but not height) decent screen refresh rate (60 hz), and a nice size (27 inches). The world of monitors is deep and far, so if you have specific needs, do further research. If you just want something that's gonna work pretty good for whatever you're gonna throw at it and not cost a whole lot, this one is a great choice!

If you want to get high quality audio out of your Mac Mini, but want the felxibility to take your music with you when your'e not at your work station, this is a great pick! The Beats Pill was redesigned in June 2024 to make this portable speaker even better! In our testing, the acoustic quality of this small but mighty beat blaster rivals speakers much larger. It has 24 hour battery life, excellent water and dust resitance, and several colour finishes. Plus the it pairs and switches easily between between your Apple, or even Android devices!

If you want a really minimalist desktop/work space, you might consider tucking away your Mac Mini underneat your monitor. Twelve South makes quality, stylish, accessories and one that I absolutely love is their HiRise Pro monitor stand. By moving the adjustible shelf to the top height, you can slide your Mac Mini, a docking station, keyboard/mouse charging cables, and an adapter or two all underneath your monitor. It is a very robust stand which comes in two finishes, and a magnetic cover with reversible patterns (wood grain and metal) to cover the front panel to hide or access your stuff.

As the only person in my friends and family circle to still own a printer, I can tell you, there are often times where you need to print documents (mostly for friends and family who don't have one). The biggest issue with printers is when you don't use them for a month or two and then go to print you discover the ink cartridge is dry. This doesn't happen with the EcoTank printers from Epson. They literally use separate tanks that you fill with ink, and it doesn't dry up. I've had a Pro model (bigger ink tanks, more paper trays) for 3 years and haven't needed to add more ink beyond what came included with the printer. I the Pro model is overkill for regular household use. So you can pay about the same price as your average all-in-one printer but never worry about dry ink cartrdiges, print with ease from your computer, phone, or tablet, and generally have a rage-free printing experience.