The Best (Non-Apple) iPad Accessories for the Everyday User
An Apple Pencil. And maybe a Magic Keyboard.
Every time I see a list of top iPad accessories, these two are almost always listed (If I were making a list, I would include them too).
For me, it gets repetitive — here are four non-Apple iPad accessories for everyday users (that means no $250 USB-C dock).
An Extension Cable
This has come in handy so many times.
At home, I have a standing desk. Given the amount of wires I have, the cable the came with the iPad isn’t enough.
I chose to buy this 3.3 foot USB-C extension cable from Amazon. It works flawlessly (any extension cable will work though).
In addition to using it at home, it’s helpful when using my iPad at school. Often times, I’m far from an outlet — the standard Apple cable can’t reach far enough. The extension cable, however, can.
As some readers know, I’m currently out of the country. This extension cable has been super helpful.
Without a proper desk to work at, I often have to place my iPad on a bed, nightstand, or chair. With Apple’s cable, this meant I would have to put my iPad at awkward angles to keep it safe from falling. With the extension cable, I can make sure my iPad is as safe as humanly possible.
What I love about having an extension cable rather than a long USB-C to USB-C cable is that I can also use it for my phone. By using the extension cable to connect a USB-C power brick and a USB-C to Lightning cable, I can turn my iPad extension cable into an iPhone extension cable.
The Perfect USB-C Hub
This is another key accessory I think everyone needs.
Considering that I mainly use my iPad whenever I head out of the house, having a USB-C hub makes me feel “safe” (I’m not sure how to describe the feeling) — no matter what task I have, my USB-C hub will handle 99% of them.
This hub from MOKiN is the one I use — It has three USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a VGA port, a USB-C power pass-through port, and an SD card reader.
For my needs, I wanted at least two USB-A ports, a VGA port, and a pass-through power port, and that’s exactly what this hub had (unfortunately, this USB-C hub is currently unavailable as of time of writing).
No matter what you need, you can probably find a hub on Amazon that works for you.
The only issue I have with my current hub is that it can get pretty hot if I use it for a while.
The Dual Drive
This accessory is tied to my specific use case as a debater.
When I received my iPad, I planned on using it for in-person debate tournaments. An important part of debate is evidence — certain debate formats require the sharing of evidence files between different competitors.
With an iPad, I was a little worried. Having a hub with USB-A ports helped solve this issue, but I also wanted a flash drive I could use to store my evidence.
That’s where this dual drive came in.
Through this drive, I store all of my files for Congressional debate. That means dozens of topics with hundreds of evidence cards.
I haven’t used this dual drive yet (mostly because the majority of my tournaments have been online), but I have it available if I ever need it at future debate tournaments.
A Massive Power Bank
My power bank is an absolute beast — 25000mAh with 65W charging speed.
In English, this means that the power bank can charge my iPhone 8 more than 13 times and charges my iPad at maximum speed.
Throughout my 5-week trip away from home, I haven’t charged the power bank at all. Despite this, it has more than 50% battery remaining.
This is the power bank I use. Unfortunately (like the USB-C hub), it’s currently unavailable.
To be honest, you’ll probably be fine with a smaller power bank. Mine is so big that my backpack was flagged by airport security (in the foreign country I’m currently visiting).
Conclusion
These are the four non-Apple iPad accessories I think every iPad user needs.
If you have any questions or other suggestions, feel free to post a comment.
Thanks!
Adi
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