The Work From Home Starter Kit Wirecutter

Aside from the electronics and gadgets, there are also a few remote working accessories that will help complete your virtual office, whether it’s at home or in an exotic location. Even if a camera isn’t essential for your work, it’s still fun to take on remote working trips to capture the experience. Your phone camera might cover everything you need, as the quality of mobile cameras just bets better all the time. But if you want to take your photography hobby a little more seriously, a DSLR camera is a good place to start. Battery life is always a concern when you need to work while travelling. First we dive straight into some of the best electronics and gadgets for your perfect remote working setup.

• A September 2022 studyc surveyed workers in mid-2021 and early 2022.
• Committing to one assignment during the wash cycle and another during the dry process can train you to work smarter on tasks that you might technically have all day to tinker with.
• It’s great for watching with friends, sharing ideas, or just getting a better view.
• Throwing together a makeshift home office in an unsuitable environment may negatively impact your transition to remote work.
• Remember that having the right equipment is essential for remote work success, so take the time to research and invest in the right tools for your needs.

It can hold screens between 15 and 34 inches (up to 20 pounds). It’s adjustable, has built-in cable management, and doesn’t look hideous. It uses the VESA mounting standard, so make sure the monitor you have supports it.

• Ditch the stiff office wear, but don’t stay in your pajamas all day either.
• In lieu of coworkers whose packing up and leaving the office reminds you to do the same, set an alarm at the end of the day to indicate your normal workday is coming to an end.
• If you like your current job, the ideal solution would be pivoting from in-office to remote.
• A mouse is just more ergonomic to use than a trackpad, and a gaming mouse could help if you’re dealing with wrist pain.
• Just tap the top to change color temperatures, and tap and hold to increase or decrease brightness.

Portable power bank

Other employers, such as Twitter, have responded to the sudden need for everyone to work from home by reimbursing employees for impromptu home-office setup necessities including desks and chairs. So you’ve just landed your remote job and you’re officially a work from home girly! Now it’s time to stock your new home office setup with remote work essentials. While working at home, many people may forget to keep track of time. You may end up working for 15 hours a day before you know it.

Have Regular meetings

Depending on your role, you might need to download and upload files, so fast speeds are required to keep you productive. Spend time researching the best internet speeds in your area. You do not need to build a home office, but having space to sit and focus on work is essential. If you live with other people, you need to set rules and expectations.

Why set up a home office for remote work

I’m more of a paper-and-pencil versus digital-planner person, and this Hobonichi model has become a staple of my WFH setup over the last few years. You also get Jan/Feb/March calendars for the following year, which is a nice perk. I also love how it always lies flat regardless of what section I’m using.

Choose colors wisely

A 2020 survey of over 1,000 remote workers found that 59% of respondents felt more cyber-secure when working in-office compared to working from home. A survey conducted by FlexJobs found that 28% of remote workers reported experiencing technical problems, and 26% cited Wi-Fi connectivity issues as challenges. Task identity is defined as the extent to which an individual can complete an entire piece of work or identify with a complete project, rather than contributing only a small part. Task significance refers to the degree to which work has a substantial impact on others within or outside the organization. While remote work may not inherently alter these job characteristics, their presence remains important in shaping remote workers’ attitudes and work outcomes.

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. Remote work is in demand for today’s workforce, and the trend isn’t showing any signs of slowing down in 2025. Whether you’re a freelancer or searching for full-time roles, navigating this new job market can feel confusing. One of the best remote work practices is to have a separate workspace at home to help switch into “work mode.” You don’t need a full office setup! A planner helps make each day feel organized and clear.

Play around with your setup, tweak what isn’t working, and make it your own. A well-designed workspace isn’t just about aesthetics—it directly impacts your comfort, focus, and productivity. With the right setup, you can stay efficient, minimize distractions, and work more comfortably every day. Productivity declines among remote workers have been attributed in some cases to inadequate home office setups. Nevertheless, some surveys have reported that over two-thirds of employers observed increased productivity among their remote workforces, although findings vary.citation needed

This flexibility is great for staying active and focused throughout the workday. Working from home is great for many reasons, such as saving time, reducing travel expenses, spending more time with family, and being in a comfortable environment. However, there is a “but” — distractions at home can range from children’s play to the rustling sound of the washing machine. Krisp offers a reliable noise cancellation tool that helps eliminate these minor inconveniences, allowing you to work without disruptions. Task management tools like Trello, Asana, and Notion can keep you organized, streamline workflows, and improve team collaboration. Setting up daily reminders and structured task lists can make workdays more efficient.

It’s not much to look at, but it’s simple, it’s affordable, and it works. With a 16-inch OLED screen, the Zenbook S 16 is a laptop you’ll want to keep using after work hours. It’s powered by an AMD Ryzen AI CPU with Radeon 880M graphics, along with 24 GB of RAM, which is plenty to handle most tasks compared to laptops in this price and weight class. It also lasts a long time off the charger—14 hours in our tests—so you can bring it to every room without lugging a power brick. Printing tasks are part of most home and office work today. Using a wireless printer makes printing easier and faster because you don’t need cables.

For example, let’s say you specialize in social media marketing. You can also find professional networking events held in person in your local area. While it can feel nerve-wracking going this route, sometimes being able to meet company decision-makers face-to-face is a great starting point. Plus, you can still arrange to provide your services virtually if anyone you meet expresses interest in them later on.

Use our home office checklist to build your work-from-home setup over time. Get used to setting boundaries and drawing lines between focus and comfort. If you’re sharing an apartment with roommates or if you’re living at home with your family ground rules are essential. You need what you need to work from home to ensure they respect your workspace and don’t interrupt you at critical moments.

Laptop

It has three USB ports (one USB-C and two USB-A), and enough ports for a multi-monitor setup. If you’re plugging a laptop into a monitor, chances are you’ll need to plug in other items like a keyboard, mouse, charging cable, and maybe an SD card reader. Plug it into your laptop, and plug everything else into it. I’m using this dual-monitor desk arm to hold up a 32-inch ultrawide monitor and a wide vertical monitor, and it’s been treating me wonderfully for several months. The arms move smoothly and don’t sink under the weight of the screens.

Additionally, issues related to liability and workers’ compensation may arise in remote work arrangements. Remote work may sometimes be viewed cautiously by management due to concerns about reduced managerial control. Furthermore, remote work can cause a blurring of personal and professional boundaries, especially when workers join work meetings from their homes, surfacing new privacy challenges. Effective remote work requires appropriate training, tools, and technologies. Remote work arrangements can introduce cybersecurity risks, and following recommended best practices is important for maintaining security. Individual responses to the characteristics of remote work may vary.