Four accessories turn a thin laptop into a setup you can work from for a full day: a GaN charger, a USB-C hub, a padded sleeve and a small mouse. Most of the other things you'll be tempted to buy can stay at the shop.
A GaN charger
Get a 65 to 100 W GaN charger with two or three USB-C ports. It's smaller than the laptop brick and it charges your laptop and phone at the same time, so you carry one plug. Buy one with interchangeable plug heads, or add a small universal adapter. It's the best value purchase on this list.
A compact USB-C hub
Most thin laptops have dropped USB-A and HDMI. Choose a small hub with HDMI, USB-A and pass-through charging, and treat it as part of the laptop's price. It'll pay for itself the first time you plug into a coworking monitor or read a card from a client.
A padded sleeve
Put the laptop in a sleeve, in the main compartment against your back. Avoid side pockets and avoid packing it next to anything hard. Many cracked screens come from a bag being dropped into a bus hold or a chair, and a cheap sleeve is much cheaper than a screen.
A small mouse
A trackpad is fine for an hour and tiring for a day. A small Bluetooth mouse saves your wrist, and a model that pairs with more than one device helps if you also use a tablet.
Worth considering
- A folding laptop stand, if you have neck pain. Pair it with a small keyboard, or it won't help.
- A portable monitor, if you stay for weeks at a time.
- A small SSD for backups, kept in a different bag from your laptop.
- Noise-cancelling headphones, which I'd put on the core list if you work in cafes.
What to skip
Skip giant multi-port docks, thick branded cases, screen cleaning kits and anything sold as a "travel essential" at an airport. Before you buy, ask whether you'd have used it in the last two weeks. If you can't name the day, leave it out. The whole bag is in the one bag packing list.