Alot Careers > Workplace Advice
One day we were all in our offices at work talking to each other about the mysterious, novel coronavirus and the next we were all asked to turn our homes into our offices for the unforeseeable future. So, we took our laptops and office supplies home with us and tried to make the best out of an unprecedented situation.
Two months later, many of us are still working from home with no end in sight. However, there are many of us who are feeling that there are things that we could be doing better to increase our productivity or gadgets we could be acquiring in order to make our jobs from home easier.
We dug in, did the research, and found the top 15 gadgets and gizmos that you could acquire to help make your job at home easier this year. Read on to find out more!
Spend lots of hours in front of your laptop frustrated over your laptop mousepad’s ineptitude? Then we suggest a good wireless mouse to help increase your productivity.
They come in basic, ergonomic, and all different colors. They can also be purchased online, virtually anywhere.
Lately many of us have been thrust into the remote work universe, thanks to a worldwide pandemic. The best kind of printer you could have for your home office is one that prints, copies, and faxes via Bluetooth and wi-fi.
There are even compact-sized printers that can fit into a file cabinet!
Bluetooth keyboards are a must if you’re working with multiple screens or devices. These cool gadgets cut down on the cords, and some of them are even portable and can be rolled up after use to save space.
They come in all new designs to be ergonomically and aesthetically pleasing and most are super affordable.
Those of you who’ve had working remotely thrust upon them for the first time may not realize that they don’t have to be stuck with a tiny laptop screen to work on all day.
A large monitor at home can help with productivity, workspace, comfort, and overall sanity. These gems can also be found online through many retailers and can also be found with 4K and HD options.
While working from home, you may have heard the words “video conference” a time or two. Even if you haven’t, webcams have become important to our society once again with many working from home and wanting to stay connected to friends and family who live near and far.
Although many laptops or all-in-ones come equipped with webcams, those who use desktops at home could definitely benefit with the purchase of one.
While many offices usually supply ergonomic mousepads for their employees, chances are you may not have had one at home waiting for the day you had to begin remote work. They are available from many online retailers in many different colors and designs.
There are mousepads designed for heavy users—mainly gamers—and there are mousepads designed for moderate users. Be sure to pick one that suits your needs, specifically.
Nothing is more frustrating than watching your cell phone battery die because you don’t have enough ports on your laptop or desktop computer to accommodate all the gadgets and gizmos you may need while working from home.
A USB hub is the perfect solution to this problem as they come in all types of setups. They have some that accommodate HDMI, USB, USB-C, and iPhone accessories. These are also available online. Be sure to choose one that meets your everyday needs.
Is the spouse also working from home and has many phone/video conferences throughout the day that distract you from your own job at hand? We have the answer for you! Noise canceling headphones are a must in your case!
Or, if you happen to be single and want to take your work outside of the home for a bit, you can take along these headphones to help keep down the distractions all around you.
If you’re like us, you didn’t plan to have a home office any time soon and you probably didn’t have a space dedicated for one. Luckily, there are desks out there that can accommodate both space and height to give you your own workspace and help you remain productive.
Standing desks are slim while allowing you to adjust the height from sitting to standing to allow movement throughout the day.
Using multiple monitors can help with everything from comfort to productivity. However, if you’d prefer to just have one monitor while allowing you to have the same productivity and control as using a multiple-monitor setup, ultra-wide monitors may be the answer for you.
These relatively new monitors were made with a 21:9 ratio rather than the standard 16:9 ratio, meaning you can fit more apps, programs, videos, etc. to the screen all at once.
If you live alone and need some background noise while you’re hammering out your to-do list, we suggest a great pair of desktop speakers for your listening pleasure.
Also, it may just help to hear those lengthy video conferences while you’re in the kitchen foraging for snacks!
Because we are working from home so much these days and we are taking on more and more video and phone conferences, you may be looking for a better-quality sound system for your calls.
That is where the conference speakerphone comes into play. They come in a variety of colors, looks, capabilities, and most are wi-fi and Bluetooth capable.
Unfortunately, the area we are able to turn into our make-shift work-from-home stations may not be the best lit areas in our homes. Therefore, we suggest a desk lamp that works for your specific purposes.
You can, of course, get a regular run of the mill table lamp if you’d like. However, there are lamps made specifically to take up as little space as possible in your work area.
If you’re anything like us, you like to move around your home while working throughout the day. However, it can be hard trying to balance that laptop and notebook on your lap without a lap desk.
With a lap desk, you can work from the couch, your bed, or sitting out on the front porch steps, making the day easier to get through from home.
That’s right. We said it. There is no better or more important gadget or gizmo than an old-fashioned notebook and pen. We recommend one of each sit on your desk each and every day.
You never know when you’ll be in the middle of something important and get a phone call from your boss requesting something special. That notebook and pen may be your saving grace later on when you can’t remember what was asked of you!