Top 20 items to boost your setup for less than $50 [Setups]

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In my case, the great sub-$50 adds were a wrist rest (wood or memory foam), a laptop stand and a monitor light bar.
In my case, the great sub-$50 adds were a wrist rest (wood or memory foam), a laptop stand and a monitor light bar.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

Computer setups aren’t all about the main machine and displays that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. Plenty of smaller, less-expensive items turn out to be crucial — like gadget stands, USB-C hubs, the perfect mouse, smart light strips, desk mats and much more.

Today’s featured setup is a tribute to all the little things that make a difference — even double-sided tape.

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Top 20 under-$50 items to add to a computer setup

Redditor DIYerUk asked the relevant question in a post entitled, “What is the best thing you’ve added to your Mac setup for under $50?”

My choices regarding my setup, a version of which is pictured above, would be a BoYota laptop stand, an Oowolf computer monitor light and Gimars memory foam keyboard and mouse wrist rests. Each costs well under $50 and plays a daily role in the setup.

You can see the crucial items from DIYer’s post below, shown here in a numbered list in the order they were suggested, for the most part (not ranked). Many come complete with notes from the commenters about their choices.

No. 1 below might’ve been pure snark, hard to say. But the others seem sincere and practical.

  1. Apple’s polishing cloth for sure.
  2. K Knodel desk mat. Surprisingly good quality for the price. The primary reason is a much better surface to move the mouse across. Less noise and drag. I don’t like small mouse mats as they are restrictive. Other reasons are more trivial. If you ever write at your desk then it’s better than pressing into your table. It feels nicer than the wood to rest my arms on while typing etc. Protects the desk from wear and damage. Adds a bit of colour.
  3. Multimedia controller knob. We leave lo-fi playlists on for our dog when we are not in and having to wake the monitor and login just to pause when we get home isn’t hard, but it’s a hassle especially if we don’t plan to immediately sit at the iMac. This little guy lets us double-tap the play button and be done with it! My wife uses the volume and such when listening to music too but I typically use the keyboard shortcuts myself.
  4. Powered multiport USB hub
  5. A USB extension cord to move the Logitech receiver as close to my MX Master combo as possible, while still hidden. Now I have zero interference issues.
  6. Desktop water dispenser
  7. 3M Monitor Mount Document Clip
  8. 3M Desktop Document Holder with Adjustable Clip
  9. Hatalkin 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station, a really good magnetic iPhone charging stand that also doubles as a AirPod and Apple Watch charger.
  10. Kensington wrist rest
  11. Thread-enabled LED light strip. They add so much to the mood of your setup.
  12. Twelve South [MacBook Pro] stand next to my display
  13. The acrylic black-key Apple Pro M7308 Keyboard. I’ve used them for 18+ years and have no intention of changing. Yes. The keys work without issue, I have a full keyboard to work with, and the volume buttons work just fine for every Mac I’ve owned.
  14. Logitech Triathlon M720 Mouse I bought and tried a couple dozen mice before settling on this.
  15. Black quartz stone wrist rest from Etsy. It has a few color options, and is very customizable with dimensions (metric). I have a full-size mechanical keyboard so a wrist rest is kinda needed. Put the specific width I wanted to match the long keyboard. Chose black with a splash of white. With the options I selected, it was $50 with shipping.
  16. WorkEZ XL Professional Adjustable Laptop Stand
  17. KVM [switch] to share peripherals with my Windows machine. However, the cheap ones are messy with wires and there is a delay in switching. Due to this, I will probably buy a better KVM in the near future.
  18. Monitor arms (even cheap ones) make a big difference when it comes to reclaiming desk space and ergonomics.
  19. Double-sided mounting tape. I’ve been able to secure usb extension cables under my desktop speaker so I can swap around peripherals between my Mac and Surface Pro (WFH). I’ve heard of cheap KVMs damaging components or breaking after a few months or needed external power so this works well for me, gives new life to my non-wireless Magic keyboard and looks quite neat and tidy. In the holidays I might see if there are other ways I can deploy the mounting tape for cable management and securing other peripherals.
  20. Downie and Permute software bundle. I use both of them all the time. Highly recommended.

Shop these items now:

Computer and stand:

Display and monitor light:

Input devices:

Wrist rests:

Audio:

If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches or challenges.

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