In the past decade, some degree of working from home, WFH, has become more feasible and acceptable. The nearly universal availability of home computers and high-speed internet connections are the basis for this shift. In part, WFH has been an outgrowth of companies’ tendency to utilize freelance and other contract workers to reduce personnel costs. And, of course, many employees also enjoy the relative flexibility that WFH affords and reduced commuting challenges.
The most powerful catalyst by far in institutionalizing the WFH movement has been the COVID pandemic which made it so many employees simply couldn’t work safely in an office environment. In many cases, employers had little choice but to allow employees to work remotely.
Whether hybrid workers who typically work a day or two in the office weekly and work the remainder of the time from home or purely remote workers, some common obstacles must be addressed. The products in this article can help to reduce the distractions that are inherent in working from home and to keep workers enthusiastic and motivated.
Standing Desks
It goes without saying that a laptop or desktop computer are essential to any WFH scenario. But sitting for hours upon end is not only uncomfortable but also unhealthy. Johns Hopkins cardiologist Dr. Erin Michos has written that “sitting for long periods was associated with worse health outcomes including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer.” One solution is to get up and walk around every thirty minutes or so. That helps but it’s a distraction from work. Using a standing desk, one that allows you to easily adjust from sitting to a comfortable standing position at the desk is also valuable.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has evaluated a wide variety of standing desks and rated the Uplift V2 as the best overall. They noted its build quality and stability as exceptional features. It has dual motors for height adjustment and comes in widths from 42- to 80-inches.
For many people, Desktop Converters are a viable alternative to a standing desk. They allow you to quickly adjust desk height but are simply placed on a table or conventional desk. I’ll admit to a minor prejudice in that I’ve used a VariDesk desktop converter for years and find it immeasurably beneficial. That’s not to mention that prices are typically far lower than the desks.
Webcams
Chances are your desktop or laptop computer has a built-in webcam and it’s adequate for many circumstances. But in the post-pandemic world where your streaming image may be the only way colleagues know you, it’s likely worth getting a better-quality webcam. Better webcams generally provide higher resolution and can adapt better to variable lighting environments. Tom’s Hardware has named the venerable Logitech C920s Pro as best for most users. It features 1080p resolution at 30fps, a 78-degree field-of-view and dual microphones which are likely better than the ones integrated with your computer but still not optimal.
Microphones
Speaking of mics, the same principles apply as with webcams. While integrated microphones are fine for many purposes, your business image is, in part, measured by how you sound in web meetings. A good condenser mic can help in this regard and has the added advantage of being better at filtering out ambient noise. Among the best for the money is the Blue Snowball. It’s great for most users unless but likely isn’t quite good enough if you’re recording music or other more demanding sounds.
Laptop Docking Stations
One thing that’s implied for those who work from home, especially for hybrid employees, is that moving your laptop from one location to another will be necessary. Sometimes you’ll use it at home, other times in the office or while traveling. Further, while you can use just your laptop, being hunched over it day after day gets old fast.
Laptop docking stations make both of those conditions more efficient and palatable. Notably, using a docking station allows you to quickly disengage your laptop when you leave home with it while not having to disconnect chords because connecting to the docking station is all you need to do. And when you’re back at home a single connection can connect you to one or more monitors plus accessories like keyboard, mouse, speakers, and more.
The Plugable USB-C Triple 4K Display Docking Station is the best docking station overall. With its thirteen ports it allows you to connect to three monitors and all your peripherals in an instant.
