27 Work From Home Essentials To Boost Your Productivity

When it comes to a wireless keyboard, Logitech’s MX series provides the best features to optimize your workflow and productivity. With Logitech’s Easy Switch, you can quickly alternate which computers or monitors your Logitech Keyboard and Mouse are connected to. And, with Logitech’s Smart Actions feature, you can map certain routines or keystroke sequences to a single key in your what you need to work from home keyboard. This monitor’s 34-inch screen accommodates all my tabs perfectly, and its 3440 x 1440 HD resolution display maximizes even the smallest details from my computer. Its curved form immerses me in my work and its blue light filter keeps my eyes from tiring out in the middle of the work day. Apple’s 2023 Macbook Pro with the M2 chip is the best choice for writers, creatives, engineers, and even business leaders who seek a powerful top-performing laptop.

Coffee shops and hotel rooms can be relaxing places to work, but rarely will they be completely workstation-ready with ergonomic accessories. It is versatile for most models – my MacBook Pro fits a treat. There are separate compartments where you can stash your chargers, phone, leads and other vital accessories.

Everything you need to work remotely: The best laptops, desks, monitors, and more

For the main list, I have either tested each product personally or used it for years. I can say with total confidence that these are some of the best tech products I have ever used, and I fully endorse them. I haven’t used them myself, but they come highly recommended from my fellow colleagues here at ZDNET. A proper home office setup is vital to achieving maximum work efficiency. I managed to build a great setup, complete with a desktop PC and a couple of monitors — but my accessories make a world of difference.

How to work from home: everything you need for remote working

Below is a list of PC accessories and other devices that have greatly helped me these past five years. I’d recommend these products to anyone working from home or wants to improve their PC setup at home. The Asus ExpertBook P5 (P5405) is on our list of the best business laptops, and for good reason. Our review praises its bright, 144Hz display and impressive battery life. It’s also super light, so if you work hybrid or travel for work, you’ll love its all-metal 2.84-pound chassis.

The velvety cover also comes off and can be tossed in the washing machine for easy cleaning. Read more about how elevating your screen to eye level can help at Cleveland Clinic. PLUS, by lifting your screen, you make more room on your desk for storage underneath the stand. Alex is the co-founder and lead content creator at Career Gappers. He is an award-winning communications leader with 20 years of leadership experience, a career that has taken him across the world working with international organisations. Alex has travelled to over 50 countries and is a passionate advocate for blending work and travel by taking career breaks, sabbaticals, workations and business trips.

  • In some cases, an hidden snack it’s a good strategy to keep doing your tasks – as long as it doesn’t get an habit.
  • Even if you and your team are all working from home, it’s important to stay as connected and on-the-ball just as if you were in the office.
  • It’s vital that you keep looking for innovative ways to communicate with your team in an effective way but also that’s effective for your particular circumstance.
  • Generally speaking, you should always eat out of your working area.
  • Maintaining a consistent schedule is essential for remote online jobs where you’re likely to be more self-managed than if you were reporting to an in-person office every day.
  • This monitor’s 34-inch screen accommodates all my tabs perfectly, and its 3440 x 1440 HD resolution display maximizes even the smallest details from my computer.

Nulaxy Dual Folding Cell Phone Stand

If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form. The highest-paying remote jobs with no experience include software engineering, graphic design, copywriting, content writing, and sales. Go out of your way to schedule check-ins with your team members to talk through current projects—using tools like Slack and Zoom. And keep in mind, it doesn’t always have to be work—don’t be afraid to just reach out socially to co-workers online as you would in the office. Most office instant messaging software feature emojis and GIF keyboards to help make your conversations a little more light-hearted.

Even if you have a laptop with a touchpad, you may find getting a mouse will make things more comfortable. In this guide, we’ll walk you through all the essential kit you need to work from home successfully, as well as giving you tips and tricks on working remotely. It took seconds for me to put this together, and it easily added extra space to my setup, as I could place my printer on top and more items on the bottom. It’s made of manufactured wood, and there are anti-slip pads on the metal frame to keep your furniture scratch-free and prevent the stand from moving around.

For example, you might want to reduce your interest rate so you’re not paying so much in interest over the life of the loan. Or maybe you want to reduce your monthly payments to free up money in your budget for other things—like retirement savings or paying off debt. Talking to your Northwestern Mutual financial advisor can be a great way of getting clear about your goals and the best way to accomplish them.

We’ve tested loads of laptops for WFH and this is a great all-rounder that won’t break the bank. HP offers plenty of choice when it comes to all-in-one printers at this budget end of the market and this glossy white model is one of the cheapest. Nonetheless, it can print, scan and copy and offers both Wi-Fi and USB connectivity. There’s no auto duplex mode and printing is rather slow, but the design is quite compact and practical. That’s why we think the BenQ GW2270H is the best monitor for working from home. It offers the most affordable full HD monitor with an HDMI connector, and it’s small and stylish that means it’ll fit nicely into your home.

Best Work From Home Jobs in 2025 (No Work Experience Needed)

what you need to work from home

That being said, they tend to prefer candidates who have relevant education or training in counseling, social work, or psychology. Usually, companies that hire virtual assistants don’t require any work experience from their candidates and teach you all the necessary skills on the job. When you have technical issues, one of the easiest fixes is to turn off the program or your computer and restart it. Also, review any instructions your managers might have provided for solving technical issues. If nothing is working, reach out to your IT support team, manager, or contact person at the company you work with. He still makes a stable income today while offering freelance graphic design services to creative studios and companies producing marketing materials.

Think carefully about what you need to be productive when working from home. What are the essentials things you need to have close to you, such as a water bottle or your cup of coffee, and what needs to be close by but can be stored away. Last year, our beauty writer Rio Viera-Newton invested in this tinier version of the massage tool beloved by athletes as a way to soothe muscles (and stress) from WFH. Skeptical of its size — “it’s only a touch bigger than my hand and a lot lighter than my MacBook Air” — she was blown away by its power.

  • Aside from the tech essentials above, we’ve included some accessories you might not have thought about for your work-from-home setup.
  • It can fit screen sizes between 13 and 30 inches (up to 22 pounds).
  • Mind you, I type this as there is an unwanted stack of papers to my left.
  • It’s much better for your posture for your line of sight to be level with the upper part of your laptop, rather than hunching over it to type.
  • That doesn’t mean you should get an active chair (or a standing desk).
  • While the job of a graphic designer often doesn’t require any experience, it does require you to have a rock-solid portfolio of your past work.

Her mother bought one for each member of her family when they were all working at less-than-ideal ergonomic setups at home. Susan Dominus, a staff writer for the New York Times Magazine, likes her Ikea desk so much that she owns two (which she has raved about on Twitter). With two drawers, this desk also has more storage than her one-drawer desk. This laptop is incredible to use as well, with its roomy trackpad as well as its backlit keyboard that offers a comfortable typing experience with decent travel. If you’re going to be writing a lot as part of your day-to-day life working from home, this is a great choice. When working from home, you’ll probably find you’re holding just as many meetings – if not more – via video conferencing services like Skype and Google Hangouts.

I tested the smaller version of this desk, and I like that it’s super simple to add upgrades, like a desk drawer or cable organizer. It’s made of manufactured wood with a powder-coated steel frame, and it was easy to put together. You push a paddle up or down to raise or lower the desk, and it only has two height presets. (You’ll want to follow the manual to set them, as it’s not super intuitive.) The desk doesn’t wobble much when it moves. I have also tested and like the standard Branch Standing Desk, which doesn’t have many attachments but has built-in cable management and is larger than the Duo. You can set the timer for 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 30-minute blocks by rotating it to the time you want.

You can print wirelessly via Wi-Fi, even from a smartphone, but it prints only in black and white. The print jobs have looked perfectly adequate and I don’t have to replace the toner as often as on an inkjet. I tried the extra-large version of this desk pad, which essentially covers the surface of your desk in this beautifully supple linoleum. It’s very easy to clean, doesn’t slide around thanks to the cork bottom, and looks gorgeous.

The WFH Equipment Checklist: Essentials for a Successful Remote Work Setup

When you do go offline, your files will be there ready for you to work on, and they’ll also be synced with the online versions once you’re connected again. You won’t have to worry about being without connection, even if it means there’s one less excuse to finish up early. The best way to stay motivated is to schedule your tasks and set goals for what you want to accomplish every day. You can even give yourself little rewards for completing your work, like treating yourself to a nice meal.

Mind you, I type this as there is an unwanted stack of papers to my left. Sometimes life piles up that way, and it’s just about how you reset. I’m not going to preach about the perfect office chair; I’ve honestly yet to find it (I even tried sitting on an exercise ball).

Examples of Remote Jobs and Success Stories

He worked as little as 10 hours some weeks when there wasn’t work and then 60 hours other weeks when he had too much. Over the next three months, he gained six new clients through cold email and had to start turning projects down since he was getting too much work to manage within his limited schedule. However, that changed after a friend gave him access to a computer with Photoshop installed. After messing around with it for a bit, he quickly found it was a lot of fun, and this program had a ton of capabilities if you could learn to harness its power.

Cloud storage and external hard drive

If your work doesn’t provide you with a virtual private network to keep your internet traffic away from prying eyes, it’s worth investing in one. It doesn’t log any of your data, and there are apps for nearly every platform. You’ll be able to automatically choose your iPhone as a camera source, and this Belkin mount will let you affix it to the top of your MacBook (provided you have a MagSafe iPhone). The picture quality will be leagues ahead of what’s in your MacBook. I’ve been using this webcam for almost a year and it’s great. My video quality always looks sharp, and even if most video-conferencing apps don’t support 4K streams, I can crop into my frame and adjust how I look without sacrificing image quality.

  • Speakers will let you blast tunes as you’re cranking out work.
  • They’re angled to fire sound up at you, get surprisingly loud, and offer decent audio quality.
  • Now, she’s in a happier place, with her legal knowledge in high demand from firms seeking freelance writers and the ability to take a more creative approach to her daily work.
  • Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews.
  • If that’s the case, check the latest generation of LED lamps that are gentle on your eyes.

The WFH Equipment Checklist

“I position the lamps such that I can bounce light off of the walls and ceiling,” he explains. These are important as when working from home, your internet connection is essential. If you struggle to get a dependable network connection where you work, then you’ll soon get very frustrated. A Wi-Fi extender, or using any of the best powerline adapters, is an easy way to fix this. If your home office is a bit too far away from your home router, you might benefit from a Wi-Fi extender, which can boost the signal across the rest of your house. You can spend hours using your mouse when working from home, so you need to make sure you have one that’s comfortable to hold, as well as being fast and responsive.

StrongTek Ergonomic Under Desk Footrest

If your remote work travel often involves going overseas, then a digital what you need to work from home banking app like Monzo or Revolut is fantastic for managing your money and keeping withdrawal costs down. We use both of them – we tend to use Monzo at home in the UK, but Revolut when travelling, as it has a slightly better fee structure and savings features. Has a company ever become a household name at such incredible speed as Zoom did in 2020? It took some time to embed, but virtual meeting software is now a permanent fixture in manyhof our lives. When travelling for remote work, your passport might not be the only important document you need to carry. Remote work visas are becoming increasingly common, and you may also have coworking memberships, space reservations, or – in these strange times – vaccine documentation.

what you need to work from home

what you need to work from home

Bluetooth earphones are great to have handy so you can listen to music or your favourite podcasts while out on a walk, or when doing some chores in your downtime.

These new changes helped facilitate the creation of two new software programs that generated over $2.1 million in sales. Even after they were allowed to return to the workplace, they continued maintaining a hybrid work schedule since they found that most project-related tasks could be completed from home. In March 2020, a project manager and her team transitioned to working remotely due to the effects of the pandemic. Associating a general timeline with the work and having a contract signed with the company’s commitment to it helped him organize his schedule and know when he needed to do more outreach. Since then, he’s fallen into a nice routine with consistent work and building relationships with a well-rounded network of professional connections.

It took me a few years into my work-from-home journey to invest in a standing desk, but it’s proven worthy. No matter your desk, one thing is for sure — don’t tough it out with your laptop at the kitchen table. For example, designers, writers, and video editors tend to prefer MacBooks. While Microsoft or Linux are a better option for developers and engineers. For positions like recruitment, sales, or marketing, the choice is more personal. If you need to check different pages and screens, getting a second monitor can greatly improve your workflow and productivity.

Writing on it feels very much like paper and pen, and this new model includes color, so you can highlight and make your notes pop even more. If you need a physical place to jot down your ideas (and you miss your office’s whiteboard), stick this sheet to your wall. It took me less than five minutes to install, and it’s easy to wipe off dry-erase or permanent markers with some water and a cloth. Use a straight edge to cut it, or you’ll end up with a crooked whiteboard. These pyramid-like structures stay put on your desk, and they come with clips you wrap around your cables to have them magnetically stick to the base when they’re not in use. Its hinges don’t move as smoothly as I’d like; they have some resistance, so it can take a little effort to move the light where you need it, but it gets bright and it’s effective.

Especially after this pandemic, no one can get away with perpetuating this stereotype anymore. What you can do is start your search on certified websites, like Remote.com, Workingremotely.com, or freelancing platforms like Upwork or TopTal. Dedicated platforms like GitHub or Distantjob are another excellent alternative in the tech field. When you feel overwhelmed and start procrastinating on your tasks, it is time to take a deep breath and stop.

  • First, the left and right mouse buttons are arguably the quietest mouse buttons I have ever used in my life.
  • This tiny computer has enough power most people will need and plenty of ports.
  • Other than that, the only significant difference is where you send your payment.

Duex Plus monitor

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is part of the recent Chromebook Plus series, which promises a certain level of polish. It’s plenty fast for web-browsing tasks and can handle AI features now available in Chromebooks with ease. The 14-inch touchscreen is nice, plus you get two USB-C ports, an HDMI, and a USB-A. You can use this with any Mac, PC, and Chrome laptop that’s between13 and 17 inches. It attaches with magnetic device-safe metal plates, so you can move it around from room to room.

Several tools can help facilitate collaboration in remote workplaces. You can use video conferencing platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams for meetings. Slack is a great app for team members to message back and forth. Plus, you can set up schedules and manage project-related tasks on platforms like Trello and Monday.com.

These headphones provide powerful active noise cancellation capable of turning a busy city street into a whisper. In my review, I point out how the Space One Pro excels in outputting “songs with a lot of bass and singing.” With the latter, you can “enjoy the minute details in singers’ performances.” However, working from home is not as easy as it sounds and may take some time to adjust, especially if you are in the habit of going to the office. Learning to work from home can become easier with proper setup and tools. Mechanical keyboards are either an acquired taste or love at first sight.

This is our top computer speaker recommendation after testing more than 20 pairs. They’re fairly reasonable in size, look elegant, and pack a serious punch. Sure, there’s no subwoofer, but it’s still excellent for listening to music, and it even does well with games (you can add a subwoofer but it’s pricier than these speakers). You get a lot of connectivity options, from USB and dual analog inputs to Bluetooth. Maybe you need to keep tabs on the kids in the next room or you’re waiting for a knock at the door. If that’s you, these comfortable corded headphones are the ones to buy.

This is technically the small version—if you have medium- to large-size hands (there’s a handy size chart here), go for the slightly older MX Vertical ($76). This Cable Matters cord has been our top pick in our USB-C cables guide for a while. It supports Thunderbolt 4 and can carry 100 watts, which is enough to charge a powerful laptop. It can transfer data at up to 40 Gbps and can power an 8K display or two 4K screens.