Hello, readers! I expect a lot of you are still working from home! Hopefully by now you’ve made a nice little office for yourself and aren’t still using an ironing board as a desk. My guess is that we will be working from home a lot more in the future and guess what? The holidays are fast approaching! I’m going to help you get everything on your holiday gift list to optimize your home office.
Office Chair: Let’s start from the bottom (pun intended). I don’t know about you, but I’ve been using an uncomfortable chair and didn’t know any better until I sat in a nice office chair at home. It’s truly magical. A downside is that they can get expensive, however, there are a couple knockoffs out there that are less costly and do the trick just as well. Here are a couple of options that are very comfortable: Haworth, WorkPro
Monitors: Get yourself a new monitor or better yet, two new monitors. When buying a monitor, make sure they are at least 24” and 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. After that, find the price point and the look you like. There are plenty to choose from. This is a link to an Amazon search with those minimum specs.
Docking Station: If you have a laptop, might I suggest a docking station? You’ll thank me later. These vary based on your laptop but there are a few universal ones that should fit most computers. Having a docking station will allow you to have multiple monitors and extra USB ports. This one from Dell should work with most computers.
Keyboard and Mouse: Get yourself an external keyboard and mouse combo. You might not think this is important, but banging on your laptop keyboard can cause long-term problems. Yeah, I know that sounds crazy, but it does. Carpal Tunnel is real and it sucks. Find a keyboard and mouse combo that is comfortable. This one from Logitech is great.
Webcam and Headset: I have a feeling video calls won’t be slowing down, so get yourself a nice camera and headset for these calls. Most laptops already have a camera so it might not be needed but if not, one of these Microsoft USB ones work great. Headsets can vary based on your choosing. Most, if not all Bluetooth headphones that you use for your cell phone should work with your computer. I prioritize the noise cancelling feature and comfortability. I don’t want to give out any options because they are very much a personal preference.
Well, there you have it! I think we covered everything to turn your at-home office into a professional workspace. I know most of these items may not be “common gifts,” but let me tell you, they are practical and very important in this world of remote working.