The best PC accessories

A PC, whether it’s a laptop or desktop, has a number of exciting advantages over tablets, smartphones, and game consoles. But one of the best is the customization that goes along with it. You can pick the internal components, yes, but you also have an enormous breadth of accessories and peripherals to pick from, too — from fantastic keyboards to headsets, cameras, microphones, and speakers. These are the best PC accessories you can buy.

Need a PC before you can even think about accessories? Here are our lists for the best desktops and best laptops out there.

Logitech G Pro mechanical keyboard

A good mechanical keyboard is a must if you’re a PC gamer or frequent typer. They make your in-game reactions that little bit faster, your typing that little more accurate, and the overall experience of using your keyboard that much nicer. There are a few different mechanical keyboards we really enjoy, but our favorite is the Logitech G Pro. It’s a responsive, comfortable, and relatively quiet keyboard to use, with a detachable USB cable and dedicated media keys.

You don’t have to splash out for a mechanical board with RGB lighting and other advanced features. If you opt for a more simple feature list, a good mechanical board with Cherry MX, Razer, or Logitech switches will go a long way to improving your PC experience.

Steelseries Arctis Pro headset

If you prefer to use headphones at your PC, a great headset is a better bet than high-end speakers. Of all the options out there, we adore the Steelseries Arctis Pro, both wired and wireless versions. They’re not cheap, but offer fantastic sound quality with hi-res audio support, a comfortable ski-mask-style headband, and even swappable ear cup covers and headband for some style choice.

The wireless version uses a dual battery system so you’re never without power, and built-in Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy to stay connected to the outside world while listening to your favorite tunes.

Don’t need a microphone or chat functions of the Steelseries Arctis Pro? Check out the best headphones you can buy instead.

SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB stick

A good USB flash drive is something no PC user should be without. It’s a quick and easy backup solution whether you’re sat at home or on the go, and they’re light, portable, and relatively affordable at even quite large capacities. The SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe is a favorite of ours, as it comes in a variety of capacities (32GB-1TB) and is built to a sturdy standard, with a solid protective shell and keyring clip for ease of use.

But it also packs a USB-A and USB-C connector on the same device, making connectivity a breeze.

If you need something with even more capacity than the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive, check out our guide to the biggest flash drives.

Logitech C920 HD Pro webcam

If you’re working from home or video calling with friends and family, a good webcam can make a big difference. The Logitech CP920 is a fantastic camera for its price, with 1080-pixel resolution support at up to 30 frames per second, an excellent-calquality lens with strong autofocus abilities, and good low-light correction. There’s also a great software suite to back it up, offering facial tracking, shutter control, and zoom functions. The dual microphones are also a great pick to make sure your audio is clear during remote work or online school.

The cam also supports YouTube-ready capture, although streaming isn’t exactly its focus. Here are some other great webcams you could consider apart from the Logitech C920, including excellent picks for streamers, business conferencing, and more.

Steelseries Rival 710 gaming mouse

Gaming mice might seem like overkill if you’re just working on your PC, but they do have some of the best ergonomics and functionality of any mice out there. The Steelseries Rival 710 is our favorite gaming mouse, featuring a high-end sensor, comfortable shell, and great side grips for easy use during intense gaming sessions. It’s a fantastic right-hand rodent no matter what you’re doing with it.

The Steelseries Rival 710 is a great mouse overall, but if you prefer wireless mice or ergonomic, we have solid recommendations for you too.

Aperion Allaire speakers

A good set of speakers is a must to enjoy music, movies, and games at your PC. They add depth and presence to experiences that would otherwise feel tinny and underwhelming on the kind of speakers that ship with pre-built PCs, or even worse, monitor speakers. Our favorite PC speakers are the Aperion Allaire speakers, which offers superb sound quality with rich bass and great midrange details, all while sporting Bluetooth and optical connectivity.

Looking for more other than the Aperion Allaire speakers? Check out some of our other speaker recommendations here.

Kootek Chill Mat 5

If you’re a laptop user, then you’ll know that no matter how good the cooling in the laptop itself, it can get toasty. That can lead to increased fan noise and reduced performance, and even make it uncomfortable to the touch. A decent cooling pad can go a long way to alleviate those issues, and our favorite is the Kootek Chill Mat 5, with its collection of five quiet fans, USB connectivity, and attractive LED lights for those who want it.

Edimax EW-7833UAC wireless adapter

Although most modern laptops come with Wi-Fi support right out of the box, that’s not always the case with desktops. Some high-end motherboards support it, but far from all. A good wireless adapter can help get you online when a wired connection won’t work, and it’s a good way to add faster Wi-Fi support to older portable devices.

The Edimax EW-7833UAC might not have a catchy name, but it’s a fast Wi-Fi adapter that works well on both 2.4GHz and 5Ghz frequencies. It’s relatively compact and affordable too, though isn’t the best at long range.

Samsung T5 external SSD

If you don’t mind sacrificing a little portability, external hard drives and SSDs offer masses of capacity at a very affordable price. Our favorite is the Samsung T5, as it’s still svelte, looks good, performs even better, and is impressively affordable, even all the way up to 2TB. It’s a lot faster than your average external hard drive, and with no moving parts, it’s even somewhat shock resistant.

Here are some of our other favorite external drives in addition to the Samsung T5 — from ones with huge capacity to rugged protective shells.

Blue Yeti USB microphone

A good microphone can take your video calls to a new level of intimacy and clarity, or improve your home video recording for streaming, voice-over, or any other audio projects you have. A very popular solution for semi-professional and amateur recording artists is the Blue Yeti. It’s a powerful, capable microphone with great features for one-to-one and multi-person recording, and it has a solid stand right out of the box if you don’t want to attach it to a boom arm.

The Blue Yeti offers high-quality audio and comes in close to $100, making it one of the most affordable USB microphones on the market.

CalDigit TS3 Plus Dock

If you find yourself juggling a lot of cords on your workstation, a dock can help you streamline the charging process. The CalDigit TS3 Plus dock is sleek enough that you can use it in conjunction with a desktop, laptop, and more to efficiently transfer data and connect monitors. This particular model is versatile enough for all sorts of purposes, sporting seven USB 3.1 ports, Thunderbolt 3 (with downstream charging), and a couple of USB-C 2.0. There are also connections for DisplayPort 1.2 and  SD cards, plus LAN and an optical out port, truly making the CalDigit TS3 Plus Dock a jack of all trades. The durable design also supports either vertical or horizontal placement.

Joto Cable Management Sleeve

This four-pack of cable sleeves takes cable management to another level, allowing you to simply zip up bunches of cables inside neoprene material to keep them collected and safe. You can fit different cables into the same sleeve, or zip two sleeves together to keep even more cords bundled. However, this bundle also includes 1o cable ties that you can use for smaller management projects or keeping detachable cables secure, so there are even more possibilities. The Joto Cable Management Sleeve is an effective and affordable solution for more complicated setups — and people who just prefer a tidy desk in front and behind.