36 entries in 8 groups · Last updated
Kit for working from the keyboard
To earn a place here, hardware has to work on Mac and Windows or say plainly that it doesn’t, and an app has to be fast from the keyboard and let you try it free before you pay.
Keyboards
Mac and Windows put Cmd and Ctrl in different places, so check that a keyboard comes with keycaps, a switch or a version for the system you use.
Keychron V1 Max
A 75% mechanical keyboard with a volume knob and hot-swap switches, by cable, Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz. The assembled one ships with Mac and Windows keycaps.
$114.99; barebone $94.99
Keychron K3 Max
A slim 75% keyboard with low-profile mechanical switches, for people moving from a laptop keyboard. Pairs with three devices, or runs by receiver or cable.
From $89.99
Logitech MX Keys S
A full-size, low-profile keyboard with dished keys that light up as your hands approach. Switches between three paired devices at a keypress.
$129.99
Kinesis Freestyle2
A split keyboard whose halves spread to shoulder width on a 9-inch or 20-inch cable. Sold in separate Mac and PC versions; tenting kits cost extra.
$99 PC, $109 Mac; Bluetooth $119
ZSA Voyager
A low-profile split keyboard with 52 keys and hot-swap switches. Layers are set in Oryx, a free browser editor, and live on the keyboard: no drivers.
$365, shipping included
Mice and trackpads
Keep the mouse for what it does best (drawing, dragging, picking a color) and give its spare buttons the shortcuts you use most.
Logitech MX Master 4
A full-size mouse with a thumb wheel, a fast-scrolling main wheel and haptic feedback. Its buttons take shortcuts in Logi Options+; pairs with three computers.
$119.99
Logitech MX Ergo S
A thumb-operated trackball on a hinge that tilts from flat to 20 degrees, so the hand stays put on the desk. Right-handed only; a charge lasts up to 120 days.
$119.99
Logitech Lift
A vertical mouse set at 57 degrees for small to medium hands, with a left-handed model. Runs on one AA battery and switches between three devices.
$79.99
Apple Magic Trackpad
Multi-Touch gestures and Force Touch on the desk, for swiping between desktops and full-screen apps. Apple supports it on Mac and iPad only.
$129; black $149
Monitors and docks
One USB-C or Thunderbolt cable to a monitor or dock can carry the picture, the charge, the keyboard and the network.
Dell UltraSharp 27 4K (U2725QE)
A 27-inch 4K screen at 120 Hz with a Thunderbolt hub inside: one cable charges a laptop at up to 140 W and carries USB, Ethernet and a KVM switch.
$799.99
LG UltraFine 27US550-W
A 27-inch 4K IPS screen at 60 Hz on a stand that adjusts height, tilt, swivel and pivot. No USB-C: a laptop connects by HDMI or DisplayPort.
$299.99
CalDigit TS4
A Thunderbolt 4 dock with 18 ports, 2.5 Gb Ethernet and up to 98 W of laptop charging. Works with Thunderbolt, USB4 and USB-C Macs and PCs.
$379.99
Anker 565 USB-C Hub (11-in-1)
A hub for one USB-C port: HDMI and DisplayPort at 4K, Ethernet, card readers and 85 W pass-through charging. On a Mac, both screens show the same picture.
$69.99
Desks and chairs
UPLIFT V3 Standing Desk
An electric desk on a C-frame with no crossbar underneath, 22.6 to 48.7 inches high. The 15-year warranty covers top, frame, motors and electronics.
From $599
IKEA MITTZON sit/stand desk
An electric desk with two memory presets, 24⅜ to 49⅝ inches high, in several sizes and finishes. Holds 176 lb, with a 10-year limited warranty.
From $499.99
Branch Ergonomic Chair
A task chair that adjusts seat height, seat depth, arms, tilt, tilt tension and lumbar support. Rated for 275 lb under the BIFMA commercial standard.
$369; white frame $389
IKEA MARKUS
A high-back office chair with seat height, tilt tension and a three-position tilt lock, tested for 276 lb, with a 10-year limited warranty.
$299.99
Herman Miller Aeron
A mesh chair made in three sizes, with options for lumbar support, arms and tilt, and a 12-year warranty.
From $1,775
Launchers and window managers
A launcher opens apps, files and commands from one shortcut; a window manager puts each window in place without the mouse.
Raycast
A launcher with clipboard history, snippets, window management and thousands of extensions. Free for personal use; Pro adds AI, sync and unlimited history.
Free; Pro $8/month, billed yearly
Alfred
A Mac launcher that finds apps, files and web searches from one hotkey. The core app is free for good; the Powerpack adds workflows and themes.
Free; Powerpack £34
PowerToys
Microsoft’s free, open-source utilities for Windows: Command Palette to launch anything, FancyZones for window layouts and Keyboard Manager to remap keys.
Flow Launcher
A free, open-source launcher for Windows: Alt+Space finds apps, files and bookmarks, and plugins written in Python or JavaScript add more.
Rectangle
Moves and resizes Mac windows with keyboard shortcuts or by dragging them to snap areas. Free and open source; a paid Pro version adds workspace layouts.
Free
Text expanders and automation
Type the same reply twice a week? Make it a snippet. Click the same path every morning? Make it a macro.
TextExpander
Type a short abbreviation and get the full text: replies, signatures, addresses. Snippets sync across Mac, Windows, Chrome and iPhone.
Free; Pro $60/year
Espanso
A free, open-source text expander for every desktop system. Snippets live in plain text files, forms fill in blanks, and packages add ready-made sets.
AutoHotkey
A free, open-source scripting language for Windows: remap a key, make a hotkey or expand an abbreviation in a line or two of script.
Keyboard Maestro
Mac macros that run on a hotkey, a typed string or a schedule, to drive apps, websites and text. Bought once, with no subscription.
Karabiner-Elements
Remaps any key on a Mac, from a simple swap in its settings to rules such as Caps Lock acting as Escape when tapped and Control when held.
Zapier
Connects web apps so a new form entry, email or file starts the next step on its own. The free plan runs 100 tasks a month in two-step Zaps.
Free; Pro $19.99/month, billed yearly
Notes and task apps
Learn each app’s quick-add or command shortcut first; it is the one you will press most.
Obsidian
Notes kept as Markdown files on your own device, with a command palette and a hotkey for any command. Free for personal and work use; Sync costs extra.
Free; Sync $4/month, billed yearly
Notion
Docs, wikis and databases in one shared workspace, written with slash commands and Markdown shortcuts. Your pages live on Notion’s servers, not your device.
Free; Plus from $10/member/month
Todoist
A task list whose Quick Add reads dates as you type them (“every Monday 9am”). The free plan holds five personal projects.
Free; Pro $60/year
Things 3
A task manager for Apple devices with a full set of keyboard shortcuts, bought once per device rather than rented. Try it free on the Mac first.
Mac $49.99, iPhone $9.99, once
Typing practice
Aim for accuracy before speed, in short sessions; all three run free in a browser.
keybr.com
Starts with a few common letters and adds more as you reach your target speed, building each lesson around your weakest keys. Free with ads.
Monkeytype
A clean typing test with timed, word-count and quote modes, punctuation and numbers, and many languages. Free and open source; an account keeps your history.
TypingClub
A step-by-step touch-typing course of lessons and games, free for individuals and schools, with a track for young learners and Spanish, French and German.