Fourteen gadgets and hacks to make work at home easier

Fourteen gadgets and hacks to make work at home easier

by

It has been almost a year since many of us started working from home due to the pandemic, and if you have not yet adjusted your workspace to accommodate your needs, then it is probably time to start. Whether you have settled in the guest room, the sofa in the living room, or in a closet, it may take a little longer to be able to type comfortably, find yourself online or just concentrate. Sometimes it means buying a new table, lamp or monitor; sometimes it just means finding a household item that will make life a little easier.

We ask the staff of The Verge what they have used to make their work at home situations more practical, more pleasant or simply more possible. Here are some of the answers we got.

Technological products

Chris Welch / The Verge photo

I basically live in my AirPods Pro during the day. They allow me to listen to music, listen to Slack pings and take calls, all with the added benefit of some noise cancellation to help drown out the outside noise. Their range is also great for my apartment – I can be anywhere in the house without losing connection to my computer, which is great if I need to move away from my desk to, say, microwave my second afternoon cookie. –Jay Peters

Apple AirPods Pro

Phone as webcam

Nexus 6p

Turning my phone into a fully functional webcam was surprisingly easy and economical. I already had a Nexus 6P installed, and with these steps that work on most Android and iOS devices, I now have a phone with a webcam. It has video quality almost the same as an independent webcam that would probably cost $ 200 now. What makes it even better is that my iOttie car mount fits perfectly with my glass table, so I don’t have to clumsily arrange the phone to get a good angle on my face. –Cameron Faulkner

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

While I’m working on a MacBook, this Satechi hub has been a lifesaver for connecting podcast microphones and any other equipment I’m suddenly using on my own. –Adi Robertson

Satechi V2 aluminum multi-port adapter

I spend tons of batteries with my flash when shooting at home and found that these rechargeable batteries last much longer than normal disposable batteries. Not only do they save me trips to the store and keep more batteries away from landfills, but they also save my money in the end. –Amelia Holowaty Krales

Panasonic AA NiMH 2.550mAh rechargeable batteries

Photo: CalDigit

This Thunderbolt 3 dock allows me to change the configuration of my entire table (keyboard, mouse, speakers, Ethernet, screen, external storage units and microphone) from one computer to another just by moving a cable. I connect all my peripherals to the dock and then just use the single Thunderbolt cable to connect my Mac or any Windows machine that I need to test at the moment. It also has a very useful high-speed SD card slot on the front, which is great for when I need to dump images from my camera to the computer. –Dan Seifert

CalDigit TS3 Plus Thunderbolt 3 Base

Vjeran Pavic / The Verge photo

Last year, I installed a Google Nest Wifi router with a mesh stitch. I have had a lot of network equipment over the years and this was immediately the best. And it was extremely easy to set up. –TC Sottek

Google Nest Wifi router

Ultra-wide monitor

Photo: LG

An ultra-wide monitor is the best purchase I’ve ever made to work from home. It’s so big that I need to physically lean from side to side to see everything. I can have three large windows at the same time or several windows overlapping. (At the moment, I have nine different windows open and it doesn’t look cramped.) Mine is an old LG 34UM94-P that they don’t manufacture anymore – it looks like there is an updated version, the LG 34BL850- W. However, any monitor with fur minus 34 inches in size and resolution of 1440p or better is what I recommend. –Dan Seifert

34-inch LG 34BL850-W QHD Monitor

Home office helpers

Fully Jarvis Bamboo Standing table

Photo: Jarvis

We heard three employees on this table:

Fully Jarvis was recommended to me by my colleague Christian Mazza, and has been by far my best purchase for working from home in years. It is quite expensive for table standards, but cheap for permanent table standards.

The assembly was much less complicated than I thought it would be. Having the option to sit or stand, when you are confined to your room or home office all day, makes a big difference. In addition, it looks great and has some customization options for colors and tableware. –Nick Statt

I love my Jarvis table for the same reasons that Nick loves it. If you are considering one, I recommend spending the extra $ 20 for the extended reach height, which allows the table to be lower for sitting and higher for standing, and the extra $ 35 for the programmable height alternator. , which allows you to adjust the heights that you can switch back and forth with just the press of a button.

I also opted for the $ 29 casters to be able to rotate the table in my apartment, which allows my wife and I to use it as a mobile entertainment system. When we’re done with the day’s work, we can roll the table over to our comfortable chairs and watch Netflix or play Cross between animals on the desk monitor. –Jay Peters

I also have Jarvis, only in a bigger size. It has served me well for about four years. It is a comfortable, stable and spacious table that has more versatility than typical table options. –Dan Seifert

LapGear Designer Lap Desk

Photo courtesy of LapGear

I should be working more at a table, but I spend a lot of time working on a couch. It’s bad for me, but also very comfortable. Using a lap table like this helps me to at least pretend I’m a little more careful with my posture; in addition, it is useful for writing on physical paper (or when my laptop gets very hot). –Chaim Gartenberg

LapGear Designer Lap Desk

Mounting bracket for Huanuo monitor

Photo: Huanuo

This monitor stand raises my screen to a good height so that I don’t lean over, and is the highest I have ever encountered. Other monitor arms I tried were just not tall enough for me when I was standing up while working – and I’m not that tall, at five feet. Mounting also allows me to adjust my monitor to exactly the right height for movies or Cross between animals when I’m using my desk as a mobile entertainment center. –Jay Peters

Mounting bracket for Huanuo monitor

Nespresso Inissia espresso machine

Photo: De’Longhi

I am desperately addicted to iced coffee and finally invested in this espresso machine with my stimulus check. Waking up in the morning is a little more exciting when I don’t have to spend my French coffee. And it came with a milk sparkling wine! –Makena Kelly

Ello Devon Glass Tumbler

Photo: Ello Products

I never drink enough water. It seems that I forgot and have headaches due to dehydration, but something in this bottle helps me to remember. Maybe it’s the design? I love it! –Amelia Holowaty Krales

Ello Devon Glass Tumbler

Herman Miller Sayl Chair

Herman Miller Sayl is an ordinary chair – Vox Media’s New York office has hundreds of them. But I bought one without arms, because it works a little better for my posture. I am tall and it is difficult to find chairs that do not encourage me to stay stooped. Also, I like red. –Sam Byford

Herman Miller Sayl Chair

Notebook and pen

notebook

Although all of my work and most of my writing takes place on my computer, it is sometimes easier (especially for sudden calls or when I don’t want to leave a video) to just go back to the notebook I keep next to my laptop and write it down one or two notes. And I found that using an elegant pen is not only good for my morale, but it makes it much less likely that I will run out of ink (or cramp in my hand) when I need to write something important quickly. I’m currently using a Levenger True Writer ballpoint pen that I got as a birthday present, but any pen that makes you feel good will do. –Barbara Krasnoff

February 4, 2021 update, 2:37 pm ET: This article was originally published on April 28, 2020 and has been updated to include changes in prices and circumstances.

Source