Tablets often don’t come with stands or enough ports, so it’s a good idea to bring a few accessories with you to enhance your experience. These are some of our favorite tablet accessories, many of which you can also find in our Best iPad Accessories guide.
Satechi Aluminum Desktop Stand for $45: This is my favorite tablet stand, so much so that I recently took it with me on a trip. It packs relatively well and it’s very stable – there’s no wobble here. You can also adjust the angle quite a bit. It works perfectly with my 12.9-inch iPad Pro, so it can handle large formats as well.
Twelve South Compass Pro Stand for $50: This is made for iPads, but I’ve had no qualms about using it for plenty of other tablets. It’s more travel-friendly than the Satechi above and fairly stable, but when I lift the tablet, the back leg tends to change position. You can place it quite low for sketching or hold it upright to watch movies. Unlike the Satechi, keeping the tablet upright on a mattress isn’t a great option.
Lamicall Gooseneck Tablet Holder for $21: I’ve used this on my bed frame to hold up the Galaxy Tab S7 FE for months. The gooseneck requires some fiddling to get into position, and if you constantly tap the tablet, it will wiggle around. But it’s a great hands-free way to watch movies. You can attach the clamp to any surface, such as a desk or counter.
Twelve South HoverBar Duo Mount/Stand for $60: It has been attached to my desk for several months to support the Nokia T20. You can use it as a stand or as an armrest, and I prefer the latter. It’s sturdy and adjustable, and best of all, it doesn’t wobble as much as the Lamicall above when you tap the screen.
Vissles LP85 Mechanical Bluetooth Keyboard for $149: If you want to use a third-party Bluetooth keyboard with your tablet, a cheap one (like this Logitech) will do the job perfectly. But if you’re a mechanical keyboard snob like me, this Vissles is an upgrade that’s pretty easy to lug around. You can connect it to multiple devices and switch between them quickly, the keys light up in different, configurable colors, and best of all, it provides the click sound experience you want with a mechanical keyboard. It should be charged every three to four days.
Twelve South StayGo Mini USB-C Hub for $60: This works great with iPads and other tablets. You can plug it in and hold it flush with the edge of a slate or use the included cord to stretch it. You get a USB-C port that you can use for pass-through charging, a USB-A, an HDMI and a headphone jack.
Anker Nano Pro Charging Adapter for $20: Most tablets charge at around 18 watts, so this small 20 watt charger from Anker will do the job just fine. The plugs don’t fold, but it’s seriously compact. If your tablet supports faster charging (for example, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE supports 45-watt charging), I recommend Satechi’s 108-watt three-port USB-C charger ($75). This allows you to charge your phone, tablet and laptop all via the same plug.