So you have chosen your Raspberry Pi. Now which accessories should buy to enhance your project? You will definitely need a power source and an SD card, but what’s beyond that?
Here are the 10 best Raspberry Pi accessories you should consider buying to power up your project with additional functionalities. After reviewing several accessories during the last couple of months I’ve come up with the 10 best attachments that you will find useful for your future projects.
Best Raspberry Pi Accessories
PREMIUM PICK
#1. Raspberry Pi Touchscreen Monitor
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This 7-inch compact touchscreen monitor is an excellent alternative instead of connecting your Pi to a TV. Its IPS display features an aspect ratio of 16:9 with a maximum resolution of 1080p. It is suitable for standard computing as well as media streaming and retro gaming purposes.
The remarkable feature is its compatibility. It can work with all Raspberry Pi models including Zero and have the necessary mounting provisions for integrating with your Pi.
KEY FEATURES
7 inch 16:9, 1080p IPS display
178-degree viewing angle
5 point touchscreen
HDMI and Micro USB Ports
60 Hz refresh rate
Pros
Cons
EDITOR’S CHOICE
#2. GPIO Breakout Module
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Having a GPIO array is one of the most interesting and useful features of the Raspberry Pi board. It includes pins dedicated for power supply, data transfer, instructions, etc.
Generally connecting components and wires to the GPIO is a bit tedious task as it requires jumper wires. But this can be eliminated by the usage of the breakout module. With this, you can connect components with ease. Just plug the leads or stripped wire ends and tighten the screw. That’s all – the traditional way of connection!
No need to worry about the mismatch in pins. Every pin is accurately labeled to avoid faulty connections. Note that this module is only for Pi boards with 40 pins.
KEY FEATURES
Compatible with all Raspberry Pis
40 Pin adapter
Terminal block
Pros
Cons
BEST VALUE
#3. PiJuice HAT
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Having an external power solution with portable power is always helpful for many kinds of projects regardless of its complexity. The PiJuice HAT is an ideal choice for this as it adds an intelligent power switch and portable power backup for 6 hours. This is expandable for up to 24 hours.
It can act as a UPS for your Pi and it ensures a proper shut down in case of power failure. Since it’s a HAT (Hardware Attached on Top), it sits on the GPIO and uses the same mounting points as the Pi.
Though it is perfectly compatible with almost all models, it fails in the case of the Raspberry Pi 4 due to its heavy power draw.
KEY FEATURES
1820 mAh battery
6 hours battery life
Portable UPS feature
Support big batteries
Works with Zero, A+, B+, 2B, and 3B models of Raspberry Pi
Pros
Cons
#4. Raspberry Pi Camera Module V2
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A camera module is one of the best and most sought-after accessories for a Raspberry Pi. It’s a very lightweight module that comes with a ribbon connector that can be easily mounted onto the CSI connector onboard.
Once you connect a camera module there are a large number of things that you can do with your Pi. You can configure it for video streaming, standard or slow-motion videography, time-lapse photography, etc. You can even set up a home surveillance camera or a webcam for your computer.
This version 2 camera module comes with a high-quality 8MP Sony IMX2019 sensor that is capable of outputting 1080p videos with 30 FPS. The still image resolution for the camera is 3280 x 2464 pixels.
This is a must-buy accessory for every Raspberry enthusiast. It also comes with a No-IR variant with an IR filter removed for facilitating night photography. Some other variants are camera module auto-focus replacement, with the case, with low distortion replacement, and wide-angle replacement.
KEY FEATURES
8 MP Camera
Sony IMX2019 sensor
1080p video resolution with 30FPS
Pros
#5. Raspberry Pi 4 Power Supply
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Why buy a separate power supply for my Pi? I can just use my mobile charger. Right? Wrong. A Raspberry Pi requires a minimum level of power with its rated amps that no mobile chargers can deliver. So a dedicated power supply is required for you Pi. It’s wise to use the official one designed by the Raspberry Pi foundation .
For the latest Raspberry Pi 4 models, this charger comes with a USB C-Type connector that comes in 2 color variants – black and white. The output of the charger is a 5.1Volt, 3 Ampere supply with which the Pi 4 can handle everything.
KEY FEATURES
Type-C connector (Easy)
Output: 5.1V, 3.0A
Pros
Cons
#6. SanDisk 64GB MicroSD Card
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Getting a standard SD card for your Raspberry Pi is always future-proof. SD Card is where you store the Raspberry Pi OS and other boot files. So it should be of a decent one. If you use sub-standard card storage for this purpose, note that it can fail at any time. Although cheaper alternatives might get the job done, there is a high chance of losing your data as these cards usually have a shorter life.
If you are using your Pi for retro gaming or programming purposes then you should definitely consider getting a SanDisk SD card. I’m saying this because if you lose your data, all your hard work will be in vain.
SanDisk 64GB MicroSD Card comes with an excellent error correction feature that makes it reliable than other cheaper ones. If you get one you can make it the boot media for faster computing.
KEY FEATURES
120 MBPS read and write speed
10-year manufacturer warranty
Pros
#7. GeeekPi Raspberry Pi Fan
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Mounting a high-performance cooling fan can extract extra juice of performance from your Pi especially while you work with retro gaming or media and the webserver. This can always help you prevent the overheating of your Pi and maintain its performance.
If you overclock your Pi , it will definitely generate additional heat and you will surely require a cooling fan. This accessory from GeeekPi comes with thermal tape, copper risers, mounting brackets, and screws. While it is actually built for Raspberry Pi 4 models, it can smoothly run on 3B and 3B+ models.
KEY FEATURES
Color LED Fan with automatic color changing feature
Rated power 0.4W @5V, 0.08A
5mm copper risers for better heat dissipation
GPIO connectivity
Pros
Cons
#8. Argon ONE M.2 Case for Raspberry Pi 4
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If you want to use your Pi as a replacement for your PC or as a set-top box for streaming videos it’s recommended to get a complete casing solution. While there are a plethora of cases available for Raspberry Pi 4, the Argon One M2 cases stand out from the crowd. It provides a complete and excellent casing for your Pi while keeping all the ports easy to access and undisturbed in their places. It also comes with extra USB blanks that can be inserted into the unused ports to avoid dust, insects, and other problems.
Another interesting thing is its aesthetics. OMG! It has got a killer design and once you get your Pi enclosed in it, it looks perfect and seems like some robotic things.
KEY FEATURES
M.2 SATA SSD compatible
2 Standard HDMI Ports
Efficient cooling
Aluminum material
Pros
#9. Raspberry Pi Official Keyboard and Mouse
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Understandably, the keyboard and mouse are a combo of must-have attachments for a Raspberry Pi. Though there are useful remote operation alternatives and an option to connect via SSH , it’s recommended to have one keyboard and a mouse. I won’t tell you to spend so much money on a keyboard-mouse combo at first. But if you can afford a better one it will be worth it.
This official Raspberry Pi keyboard and mouse is designed to work with all raspberry pi models. By offering a 78-key keyboard and a 3 button optical mouse with a scroll wheel, it provides you everything you needed to control your Raspberry Pi OS with ease.
While there are wireless options available in the market, they are not necessary to get your job done. Don’t consider those if you are a beginner – nothing but, because of its price.
KEY FEATURES
78-key keyboard
3 button optical mouse (with scrolling wheel)
USB hub with 3 USB-A ports
Pros
#10. Raspberry Pi PoE HAT
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This PoE (Power over Ethernet) HAT is indeed a nice piece of attachment that can be used with your Pi. It actually is an alternate solution for powering your Pi by drawing power from the ethernet cable. It is an official product that is only suitable for the 3B+ model .
As its name suggests, it draws power from the ethernet cable simultaneously with the data! It is a fully isolated SMPS that is capable of delivering an output of 2.5A from a 36-57V input. Another advantage is that it can properly sit under most Raspberry Pi cases.
Note that this HAT is not compatible with models older than 3B+ as they won’t support PoE, and also with Model 4 because of its different power requirements.
KEY FEATURES
Fully isolated SMPS
Capable of delivering a 2.5A output
Pros
Cons
Final Words The above-mentioned are my top 10 picks of Raspberry Pi accessories that can take your project to the next level. Hope you’ve gone through it and got an idea about which accessories might be needed for your next project.
If you have any queries, then don’t hesitate to ask. Just drop a comment below.
