Working from home kit for all budgets
It probably goes without saying that WFH is here to stay, especially if you work in IT like me. The need to be in an office was already limited to “collaboration” and socializing needs but this time in lockdown has caused many of us to reflect on the extensive time we waste in commuting and money we spend in office-related work-habits.
I for one saw my monthly savings dramatically increase since I haven’t been paying £6 per pint or £9 for lunch a few times a week. My road to getting on the property ladder has become a tad easier since I’ve started saving so much more money.
It’s not all roses and rainbows though. If you live in a big city, you’ll probably relate with this section, but I’ve been relegated to use my living room for quadruple duty. It’s my kitchen, eating, exercise, relaxation, and now it’s my office area. Sharing a flat in London ain’t easy, but being the reality for most millennials, you’ll quickly find it hard to do a full day’s worth of work without someone walking by you or cooking something next to you. I won’t even approach the topic of families in small living quarters because I’m not in a position to opinionate, but from what my colleagues have expressed to me, flexible working options are now as important (if not more) for job-seekers and/or if you’re trying to retain talent.
Being a self-proclaimed work equipment/efficiency nerd (I always look for ways to make my work hours as comfortable/efficient as possible) I’ve iterated through configurations until I’ve landed on my current setup. So follow me on this journey!
The beginning
I started with a fairly typical hacky setup, with the laptop in front and two auxiliary monitors. Working on a DevOps support role, this allowed me to keep track of my changes, have my emails and monitoring within reach and still be able to code my changes quite effectively.
The problem with this barebones setup is that you’re limited to a laptop keyboard for typing, which is not very ergonomic.
The Must-Haves
So as soon as I could, I upgraded to a more “posture-friendly” setup like this:
In 2015, I shifted to using one monitor in vertical mode to allow me to follow chat apps and code more efficiently. The first requirement for this was the laptop raiser.
There are thousands of raisers out there, but I wanted something that fit the theme of my laptop and was resilient enough to last. So I went with the Bestand Aluminum one, at £43, it’s on the pricy side but it’s solidly built. If you want a more budget option, then maybe consider this model instead that will only set you back £30.
I then invested in a good mouse. At the time the Logitech MX Master had just come out and it has proven to be a tank of a mouse. Lasting well over 5 years now, it’s been a great buy, which you can find on a budget for as low as £50 nowadays. If you prefer the more modern design aesthetic, you might want to consider the MX3 instead. Really love the fact that I can use the thumb area to quickly alternate between virtual desktops, scroll horizontally in big documents or quickly switch between all windows in using the Mac expose feature.
Last but not least, it’s time to pick up a keyboard. This may just be the most personal and subjective choice of the whole setup, but I went with the tried and trusted wired version of the Apple keyboard. although it’s hard to come by these days, you can still pick up the wireless version here. The “Apple Tax” is here to stay, but to be perfectly honest, I’ve used this keyboard for 5 years straight and it hasn’t skipped a beat. I’ve cleaned it tens of times and the keycaps have kept their detail and don’t look aged at all. It’s an amazing product. If you’re not a fan of the mac option, may I steer your attention towards the Logitech MX Keys, a great option that will go great with the above-mentioned mouse and has the added benefit of being able to connect with up to 3 devices (incl. tablets and smartphones) via Bluetooth with convenient buttons to quickly switch profiles. If you’re looking for a budget option, you can easily find mouse+keyboard combos for under £40, but I would point your attention at the Logitech K380 instead. A tenkeyless version of the MK Keys that will only set you back £40 and still give you the quick-device-switch features of its bigger sibling.
The nice to haves
I’ve always been a fan of “1-cable” solutions so I’ve naturally gravitated towards docking stations to aggregate all my cables and dongles at work. It’s especially useful if you need to quickly unplug to make a speedy exit out of your desk.
Docking stations are notoriously expensive, especially if you go for a “Thunderbolt” enabled one. But it need not be the case. With USB-C becoming ubiquitous, you can see models like the Lenovo Thinkpad Docking Station at much more reasonable prices. Rocking multiple USB ports, several display outputs and Ethernet, this can be your one-stop-shop to all your connectivity needs (I’ve been using this model with my MacBook Pro without any issues so far). But if you’re dead set on having Thunderbolt, you can find the solidly built CalDigit TS3 Plus or the stealthy Belkin Dock Pro, both north of £200.
If that’s a bit too steep, I suggest you scan the Amazon Warehouse section for some amazing deals on open-box items. That’s where I do most of my shopping for accessories and gadgets since I don’t care too much for the packaging they come in ;)
Monitors
Spending hours on end in front of a monitor is part and parcel of what we do, so why not get a good one that won’t strain your vision. One of the single best investments I’ve made has been in a solid monitor setup. My recommendation is to have as many as you need for your setup and based on the resolution. For example, I’ve used multiple 1080p monitors like these Dell 21.5" IPS 1080p arranged in either horizontal or vertical layouts, and they’re very good to get you started. But as you become more focused on multitasking or on having several pieces of information displayed clearly front and centre, you might want to up your screen real estate by moving up to a 1440p or even 4K displays. There’s nothing quite like the sharpness and resolution of a 4K screen, once you’ve experienced it, you’ll be asking yourself why you hadn’t made the jump sooner. I can recommend two panels, the Dell 23.8" IPS QHD 1440p is a QHD model that you might want to use in a side-by-side config and the LG UHD 27" IPS 4K is a 4K model that can be your primary screen, aided by your laptop screen on the side for any smaller content like a team chat.
If you’re looking to clean up your desk setup, might be worth considering a monitor arm. I’ve bought this model from Duronic that also holds my laptop but they have several other options.
Conference Calls
If you spend as much time as I do in conference calls, you’ll probably be using a headset for those Zoom/Skype/Teams/Hangouts sessions. I use the Jabra Evolve 65 Bluetooth Headsets because I like to stand and walk while I talk. They have a great battery life, clear voice and an indicator light for when you’re in a conf call but they’re quite pricey. The Jabra 20 wired version of this headset has a much more affordable price whilst keeping the same functionality.
Laptop cameras are usually good enough but I prefer using a dedicated 1080p camera. The Logitech C920 HD is amazing for that.
Noise Canceling Headphones
I prefer to listen to music during work, so you’ll often see me alternating between my conference call headsets and my Bose 700s if the office is particularly busy. At home, however, I usually only use the Bose. My colleagues and friends will also swear by the Sony XM3s so you may consider picking one of these up. Either way, you’ll be very well served audio wise!
Budget Roundup
- Laptop Stand
- Logitech MX Master Mouse
- Logitech K380 Keyboard
- Dell 21.5" IPS 1080p Monitor
- Jabra 20 Wired Headset
Mid-Range Roundup
- Bestand Aluminum Laptop Stand
- Logitech MX Master 2S Mouse
- Logitech MX Keys or Apple Magic Keyboard
- Lenovo Thinkpad Docking Station
- Dell 23.8" IPS QHD 1440p or LG UHD 27" IPS 4K Monitor
- Jabra Evolve 65 Bluetooth Headset
Top of the line Roundup
What does your setup look like? Have I missed anything in these categories? Let me know in the comments of your preferred gadgets and accessories!
I haven’t covered desks and chairs since I don’t have a big sample on them and I use an electric standing desk that I bolted to an existing Ikea desktop.
If you’d like to get any of these, feel free to use my Amazon Links and help support these articles! Have a good time working from home!✌️
Note: Commissions may be earned from the links on this post.
