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18 home office essentials you need when working from home
Whether youve been working from home for years or are just starting a new remote job, we have a list of 18 essentials you need for your home office.
Of course, things like a laptop to work on, comfy clothes to wear, a quiet space to work in and a notepad and pen are all a given when working from home, so were recommending things you may not have thought about, whether theyre something we already have ourselves or they’re products very much in our online shopping wishlist.
1. Ergonomic chair
Besides a laptop and an internet connection, a good quality ergonomic chair is arguably the most essential item you can invest in if youre working from home as youre going to be spending so much of your time sitting down and lets face it, that old rickety chair from the kitchen wont quite cut it.
2. Higher-speed broadband/Wi-Fi signal booster
Not having an internet connection fast enough to deal with 317 browser tabs, a video call and messaging app is the bane of many a remote workers life so investing in higher-speed broadband may be necessary.
Alternatively, if you work in a room quite far from your router, a Wi-Fi signal booster can help reduce those frustrating dropouts in connection.
3. Laptop stand
Hunching over your desk to work on a laptop can do nightmares for your back over an extended period of time. A laptop stand is a great way to combat this as it can raise your screen so that youre looking straight ahead rather than down.
4. Keyboard
Something you may need in conjunction with a laptop stand, which may raise your keyboard out of easy-typing distance, is a separate keyboard.
5. Laptop cooling fan pad
If you find that your laptop gets incredibly warm throughout the workday, a laptop cooling pad, which can also double as a stand, is a great way to keep it from overheating.
6. Wrist pads for keyboard and mouse
Over time, bending your wrists to type and use a mouse puts increased pressure on your wrists which can potentially lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. An ergonomic mouse mat with an inbuilt pad to rest your wrist on can be ideal to combat this.
7. Desk pad
Imagine a mouse mat but one that covers your entire desk. These can be great for keeping your work surface clean but also add a bit of extra cushioning for your arms and elbows throughout a long day of typing.
8. Moveable footrest
Placing your feet flat on the floor can get uncomfortable after a few hours, so getting a moveable footrest can help you find the most comfortable position for your feet and give your legs something to do should you get restless during the day.
9. Desk lamp
This may seem like an obvious one but its an item this writer cant live without. As my home office is at the back of the house, it gets very little sun during the day.
Therefore, so getting as much light into the room as possible is vital, not only for combating seasonal affective disorder (SAD) but also helping to lessen the impact of the blue light emitted by my laptop screen.
10. Daylight lamp
Something this writer is considering investing in is a daylight lamp. In the dark winter months, not getting enough sunlight is one of the biggest causes of SAD and these incredibly bright lamps help to combat this by simulating exposure to sunlight.
11. Headphones
Headphones have a number of benefits when working from home. They allow you to block out external noise if youre working in a noisy environment and they also let you blast whatever music youre listening to without disrupting anyone who may be nearby.
If you get a set of headphones with a built-in microphone, they can double as a handy tool for video calls and (hopefully) eliminate technical gremlins or poor sound issues you may encounter with your laptop’s microphone.
12. Music subscription
Coupled with a pair of headphones, a subscription to Spotify or Apple Music is essential as it opens up almost the entire world of music and even podcasts for you to listen to, perfect for adding some background noise if youre at home by yourself all day.
This is something that this writer absolutely couldnt live without as the 109,499 minutes (76 days) of music (mostly film, TV and video game soundtracks) I listened to in 2023 according to my Spotify Wrapped goes to show.
13. Decoration
Adding some posters, framed pictures of nature scenes or even motivational messages like the Believe sign from Ted Lasso can be a great way of creating a nice space to work in.
14. Extension cable/power strip with USB & surge protector
Not having enough plug sockets for your laptop and phone chargers, desk lamp and other devices you may use is a genuine struggle. This makes investing in a large extension lead/power strip with USB connections a must.
15. Cord clips/cable management box
Once you have bought yourself an extension cable, you may find yourself overwhelmed with cables, so purchasing a few cord clips to hold your phone charger cable in place or a cable management box to tidy the unruly mess of cable under your desk can be a game changer.
16. Desk organizer/shelves
If you find your desk starts to get overwhelmed with random pieces of paper and clutter, a desk organizer or a set of shelves can work wonders. After all, a tidy house (or home office) equals a tidy mind.
17. Mug warmer
This writer has lost count of the number of times Ive gone to take a sip from my mug of tea or coffee only to find its gone stone cold. Bleh.
A mug warmer is essentially a heated coaster that helps to keep your brew from going cold. Alternatively, there is always the microwave.
18. Blankets
And finally, an essential item for working from home in the cold winter months is a blanket or two – particularly if you dont want to bankrupt yourself by having the heating on all day.
If you dont mind embracing your inner old person, you could always invest in an electric heated blanket.
- BACK IN MY DAY: 11 signs youre an old person trapped in a young persons body
