10 Must-See Accessories for Your New Tablet

Looking to get ahold of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 or the Google Nexus 7? How about the iPad “mini” rumored to be arriving in October? Even the most top-of-the-line tablets lack the most basic hardware that you need for a great user experience. The 10 accessories listed here will do a variety of things to help you enjoy your device, whether it’s improve battery life, protect your screen from prying eyes, offer much-needed additional storage or let you type with a keyboard or stylus.

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Running out power on your new tablet already? The HyperJuice Plug is an external battery with two USB ports for charging your USB-based smartphones or tablets. A retractable wall plug allows for easy recharging, while its two USB ports means the HyperJuice Plug can juice up to two devices simultaneously.

There are two distinct versions of the HyperJuice Plug; the 10,400mAh model ($129.95) and the 15,600mAh model ($159.95) offer nine and 13 extra hours of usage, respectively, for the power-hungry new iPad. Both models come in six colors.

The Logitech Tablet Keyboard is a compact Bluetooth keyboard designed just for Android tablets. It comes with a cleverly designed protective carrying case that unfolds to double as an adjustable stand to hold your tablet in place. The chiclet keys are great for typing, while its slim profile allows it to be easily stowed away. A Logitech Tablet Keyboard for iPad is also available. Both the Android and iPad keyboards are $69.99.

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The Bamboo Stylus Duo is a capacitance stylus from Wacom, the maker of professional pen tablets and displays used by graphic designers around the world. The Bamboo Stylus Duo uses a narrow 6mm tip for an excellent pen-on-screen feeling on your tablet when writing or sketching. There’s a regular ballpoint pen on the other end, too, and it uses standard ink cartridge refills. The Bamboo Stylus Duo comes in a platinum silver/black color scheme and costs $39.95.

The Logitech Harmony Link connects to your Wi-Fi network, where it turns signals from the Harmony Link app into infrared commands to your TV, various set-top boxes and home entertainment system. In essence, it transforms your iOS or Android device into a wireless remote control. While this accessory will work perfectly well with your smartphone, the larger area of the iPad or Android tablet will certainly come in handy when trying to manage the more than 225,000 supported device models. The Logitech Harmony Link costs $99.99.

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Protect the screen of your new tablet investment with the Wrapsol Screen Protector. This high-strength polyurethane is installed using a simple, dry application process. The screen protector actively releases air bubbles, resulting in a seamless finish after a couple of days.

Wrapsol offers screen protector for most devices, including tablets from Apple, Samsung, Motorola, Acer, Asus and Google, as well as e-readers such as the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet and the Amazon Kindle. Prices vary depending on the model.

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In addition to the screen, it makes sense to properly protect the body of your tablet against dinks and dents. The Tablet Ultimate SleeveCase from WaterField Designs is a lightweight sleeve case made of high-grade neoprene with a ballistic nylon shell that’s good enough to protect your tablet against minor drops.

The basic Tablet SleeveCase cost $59 with a default trim style; an optional shoulder strap can be added. For the maximum protection, specify the correct custom dimension and WaterField Designs will create a case that’s an exact fit.

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The Griffin Tablet Stand is a lightweight but sturdy A-frame design that swings open to hold your tablet in either portrait or landscape mode. The folding stand will work with various tablets ranging from 7-inch to 10-inch models, which rest on the stand’s built-in, cushioned cradle. When used with an iPad in portrait mode, the design of the Tablet Stand leaves room for the dock connector to be attached. The Tablet Stand is priced at $14.99.

The Ergotron Neo-Flex Desk Mount Tablet Arm is a flexible tablet arm designed to work with a wide variety of tablets and ebook readers. Sliding brackets let it support tablets of various sizes and allow the tablet to be aligned within your workflow at your desk; tablets can be positioned in portrait or landscape mode simply by rotating the cradle. The arm’s sturdy design provides a high level of stability, allowing the touch-screen display to be used regardless of the exact position of the arm. The Ergotron Neo-Flex Desk Mount Tablet Arm costs $119.

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The Kensington AbsolutePower Dual USB Wall Charger, as its name suggests, charges two USB-based devices simultaneously. With 2.1 Amps per port, the dual USB charger is capable of juicing two iPads or other tablets at the maximum rate from a single wall outlet. The detachable AC plug is easily removed for storage when traveling. The AbsolutePower Dual USB Wall Charger costs $34.99.

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The Seagate Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage is essentially a hard disk drive with built-in Wi-Fi wireless and seven hours of battery life. Designed to complete the limited storage capacity of smartphones and tablets, the peripheral can use a free iOS and Android optimized app to stream HD movies to three different Wi-Fi enabled devices at the same time. It can also be used to sync media and documents to a PC or Mac computer. The Seagate Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage is available in a 500GB capacity for $199.99. Seagate also offers protective silicone sleeves in black, orange and navy blue for $9.99