Working from home might seem like a great idea on paper. You can just roll out of bed and get down to work and you dont even have to worry about commuting, traffic or even putting on pants. However, working from home also comes with a big drawback of having to build out your workstation all by yourself.
Without any office-provided desk, mouse, keyboard, or Internet, thats a lot of gear to buy for just the basics. The good news is we know a thing or two about working from home and the best tech to get you through the day. Read on for the best home office equipment you’ll need for working from home.
TL;DR These are the Best Home Office Equipment
Logitech MX Master 3
A computer mouse will always be infinitely more comfortable to use than a touchpad. The Logitech MX Master 3 wireless mouse features an extremely ergonomic design that makes it easy and painless to use all day.
It also features an electromagnetically driven wheel that automatically switches between gradual, click-scrolling to free-spinning when you flick hard enough so you can just fly through long webpages and documents. You also get a handy side scroll wheel for navigating horizontally and a programmable side button you can set to switch apps or return to your desktop.
Keychron K4
Easily the next biggest ergonomic upgrade you can give yourself is a desktop keyboard. The Keychron K4 is easily the most full-featured and yet affordable option around. This keyboard supports both wired and wireless connections over Bluetooth.
Youre also able to choose from a variety of Gateron mechanical key switches or optical switches if you want a keyboard that lasts a little longer. One other thing we love about the Keychron K4 is its compact design and key layout, which pushes the number keys right next to the main group of keys for a smaller frame.
Dell UltraSharp U2415
If youve already gone through with getting yourself a keyboard and mouse setup, you might as well go all the way and get a monitor to turn your laptop into more of a desktop setup. The Dell UltraSharp U2415 is an affordable desktop display that gives you a ton of extra screen real estate and itll save you from the eyestrain of having to squint at your laptop screen all the time. Best of all the Dell UltraSharp U2415 is a great looking screen with minimal bezels, good brightness, and factory-calibrated colors.
WonderWorker Newton
When you’re working from home, it might be tempting to take your laptop to the couch or into bed, but you’ll quickly find having your laptop actually sitting on your lap doesn’t do wonders for your posture. Even setting your laptop on a desk or a table will have you bending your neck slightly to see the display. The WonderWorker Newton offers some excellent flexibility for positioning your laptop higher up for a more erognomoic setup. You can use it to get a better position on a couch, in bed, or even to raise your laptop up on a desk where you’ll use an external keyboard and mouse. With its sturdy aluminum alloy build and folding design, you can confidently take it with you when you want to work away from home as well.Gunnar Optiks Enigma
No matter what staring at screens all day is just not good for you, but getting a pair of Gunnar Optiks is one thing you can do to save your eyes. These computer glasses are designed to reduce the amount of constant bright blue light and glare that can harm your vision. Whats more, these glasses also help reduce any screen flicker you might have noticed otherwise while adding a slight bit of magnification to your vision.
Mount-It! Turcom AirLight
A good desk lamp like the Mount-It! Turcom AirLight is one other great way of helping reduce eye strain while working. Its always good to have a strong, steady light while you’re working. Its particularly handy on dreary days and when workdays stretch long into the night. One other added benefit you get from the Mount-It! Turcom AirLight is it also has a bladeless fan built-in, so keep cool while you work.
Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam
Working from means taking a lot of video calls, so you should upgrade from your basic potato-quality laptop web camera to a dedicated one like the Logitech C920S. This webcam records at a much higher quality 1080p resolution and 30 fps with better autofocus and low-light image quality than a dinky laptop web camera.
Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
Office noise can be annoying but sounds you might hear at home like your radiator going off all the time or your upstairs neighbor walking around in what sounds like high heels at all hours of the day can be downright infuriating. The best way to drown out the world, of course, is a pair of noise-canceling headphones like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. Theyre wireless and offer a customizable level of noise cancellation.
WD My Passport Wireless Pro 1TB
Hard drives are great for moving your files from device to device, but what if you never had to plug it in and could have it connected to multiple devices at once? Thats exactly what the WD 1TB My Passport Wireless Pro is designed to do. With it, you can seamlessly send files between your laptop, desktop PC, smartphone and tablet.
Sure Google Cloud and Dropbox essentially do the same thing with cloud storage, but the Passport Wireless Pro also has the advantage of being able to produce its own ad hoc network, which comes in handy when theres a network outage and or youre in the middle of traveling. Of course, you can also use it as a plain old hard drive for the fastest data transfer speeds and it even doubles as a portable battery pack.
Logitech Zone Wireless
If you take a lot of calls or video chats each workday, it’s important that you can hear and be heard. The Logitech Zone Wireless headset is built to handle all your work calls. It connects to your devices over Bluetooth, making it compatible with a wide number of laptops, tablets, and phones. The USB receiver also lets you connect on computers that lack Bluetooth.The headset is designed with comfort in mind, avoiding too much clamping force and offering plenty of cushion in the earpads. Logitech tops it all off with active noise cancellation, so you can tune out outside distractions and focus on your work. The battery can last for 14 hours with noise cancelling enabled, and it’s easy to recharge with support for Qi wireless charging.
Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion
If you’re spending a lot of time sitting in your seat at work, do yourself a favor and make it as comfortable as you can. You could pick up the best office chair, but that might feel wasteful if you’ve already got a seat available. In that case, you can augment the comfort of your existing seat by throwing on the Everlasting Comfort Seat Cushion.This cushion adds a thick helping of memory foam to support you and mold to your body’s shape. It also features a machine washable cover, making it easier to keep clean than your seat’s original surface likely is.
Mind Reader Comfy Rest
Sitting still all day can be made even worse if your legs aren’t in a good position. In particular, if your seat is too high, you can cause your body some undue stress. But, a footrest can help you get a more ergonomic position without the need to go out and buy a new chair.The Mind Reader Comfy Rest is up to the task with three different height levels, so you can dial in just the right position for your feet. It also has bumps all along its surface, letting you give yourself a foot massage while you sit. Even if you’re tall enough for your seat, this footrest can let you shift your position from time to time to stay comfortable and keep your blood flowing.
Kevin Lee is IGN’s Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam
