For the foreseeable future, those of us who have the luxury of working from home are probably going to be doing so. That means less time commuting, but likely way more distractions. To give yourself the best chance of being productive, you need to create an organized home workstation. Wondering what you might need? From laptop stands to docking stations, cord management solutions to wireless keyboards, we’ve rounded up the essential gear that will help keep you going.
Additional contribution from Will Price.
Laptop Docking Station
Plugable UD-3900: This is one of the best and most reasonable priced Thunderbolt 3 docking stations. It can power up to two 4K monitors, or one 5K monitor, while simultaneously charging your laptop. (Note: If you want one that works seamlessly with a USB-C laptop, opt for the Plugable USB-C Dock.)
BUY NOW: $75 (eBay) BUY NOW: $94 (Amazon)
Wireless Keyboard
Logitech MX Keys: This is an excellent keyboard with a number pad, function keys and alphanumeric keys. It’s $30 cheaper than Apple’s full-sized wireless keyboard, plus the MX Keys has backlit keys.
BUY NOW: $100 (B&H) BUY NOW: $100 (Amazon)
Wireless Mouse
Logitech MX Master 3: This is one of the most well-reviewed mice you can buy, plus it’s the perfect partner to Logitech’s MX Keys keyboard. It’s comfortable to hold and precise to work, plus it has a bunch of multi-functional capabilities to help you be more productive.
BUY NOW: $100 (Staples) BUY NOW: $100 (Adorama)
Laptop Stand
Twelve South Curve: If you don’t want to invest in an external monitor, a laptop stand might be the next best thing (along with a wireless keyboard and mouse). It elevates your laptop, which will help relieve stress on your back and neck. Plus, it allows for more airflow and will help prevent your laptop from overheating.
BUY NOW: $59 (B&H) BUY NOW: $59 (Apple)
External Monitor
LG UltraFine 4K Display: Yes, it’s expensive, but this is a great external monitor for anybody with a MacBook or a USB-C laptop. It’s bright and beautiful, and has been trusted by Apple since 2016. (Although this 2019 model shares the same name as the 2016 LG UltraFine 4K, it’s actually slightly larger, previous model, 23.7-inches versus 21.5-inches.)
VPN
NordVPN: Not everyone’s work involves state secrets, but confidential information like employee agreements, credit card accounts and money transfers are commonplace. VPNs protect the data entering and leaving your computer from criminal access (or corporate data flubs), and NordVPN, with 900 servers in almost 200 countries, is about as secure as they come.
Headphones
Bose Headphones 700: Not only are Bose’s newest flagships probably the best noise-canceling you can buy, but they are by far-and-away the best headphones for taking calls. Bose engineered the heck out of them so that the call clarity is as good for you (the person wearing the headphones) as the person on the other end of the line.
BUY NOW: $400 (Bose) BUY NOW: $400 (B&H)
Standing Desk
Jarvis Bamboo Standing Desk: This has been regarding as one of the best standing desks for years. It’s well designed, highly adjustable and highly customizable. And you can lower it so that it’s the same height as any other sitting desk, too.
Mouse Pad
Rein Saddle Leather Desk Blotter: The surface of your desk is likely not conducive to a mouse. A bespoke, genuine leather mouse pad can fix that.
Portable Power
Mophie Powerstation AC: This portable power bank has a huge 19,000mAh capacity. It also has a USB-C PD input and output, meaning that it’s powerful enough to charge any new USB-C laptop, such as a MacBook Pro, and it also able to quickly charge after it’s depleted.
BUY NOW: $200 (Zagg) BUY NOW: $196 (B&H)
Charging Station
Nomad Base Station Apple Watch Edition: Wireless charging is the future — and it’s here right now. This wireless charging pad is unique because it can simultaneously charge all three of your Apple devices: iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods.
BUY NOW: $150 (Nomad) BUY NOW: $150 (Moment)
Headphone Stand
Master & Dynamic Headphone Stand: A headphone stand just declutters your headphones from your workspace. That might seem like a little thing, but it can actually help improve organization and increase productivity.
BUY NOW: $59 (M&D) BUY NOW: $60 (Amazon)
Cord Management
Cable Zipper from The Container Store: In any longterm “work from home” office, cable management is key. You don’t want to constantly be reaching under your desk looking for a charging cable. That’s where this Cable Zipper comes in. (The Container Store has a variety of other cable management solutions as well.)
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