29 Things People Who Work From Home Have Called "Must-Haves"

Buzz Feed

07-04-2025

1. A 24-inch budget-friendly monitor in case working off just your laptop isn't cutting it anymore. It'll give you a much larger workspace and the ability to drag windows seamlessly between your connected laptop and monitor. Being able to reference several pages at once can have a major (positive) impact on your productivity — and it's much more comfortable than crouching over your MacBook every day.
It features a 75Hz refresh rate with 1080p resolution, making it suitable for casual gaming too. It has two HDMI ports — be sure to pick up a USB-C hub if you're planning to connect a MacBook.
Promising reviews: " If you work from home, you must have this in your life! Super easy to set up, great packaging, great quality, great price. I absolutely LOVE this!" — RR
"Just set this monitor up, and so far it's earned all 5 stars! It was easy to assemble, it's compatible with my MacBook Pro (with a USB-C adapter), and the picture is great! I just wanted another monitor for when I work from home, so having something available that was affordable like this was perfect for what I needed." — Allison H.
Get it from Amazon for $109.97 (also available in two smaller sizes).
2. A slim laptop stand to raise your laptop and bring it closer to eye level, especially handy if you use it with a desktop monitor. This is better for the overall ergonomics of your setup, but it also ensures your laptop gets ventilation and doesn't overheat.
This stand fits any laptop from 10–15.6 inches and can be easily disassembled into three parts for easy transportation.
Promising review:"This product came very quick, was easy to assemble, and it's very sturdy. I can't believe it took me as long as it did to purchase a laptop stand, as I've been working from home since October. It makes a big difference in my comfort sitting at my desk for eight hours. I have two screens, so I needed my laptop to be elevated so I don't slump over. Hands down, an absolute must for the home office." — Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in 10 colors).
3. A colorful desk mat that's waterproof so your desk will be protected when you accidentally knock over your drink or spill some cereal while working (oops). It doubles as a mousepad *and* helps tie your entire aesthetic together if you have a color scheme!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising reviews: " WFH must-have. The color matched almost perfectly with my desk. Perfect for my work area. Really provides a 'non-skid' workspace that protects my beautiful desk." — Elva
"Thank goodness I came across these mats! Lifesaver when it comes to my mouse falling off of the small mouse pad. Nice and comfy for my small computer table. Just what I needed. A MUST-have." — Regina
Get it from Amazon for $13.43+ (available in 17 colors and five sizes).
4. A keyboard cleaning gel, because when you WFH it's even more tempting to take lunch at your desk while continuing to work, which means there are likely tons of little crumbs building up between your keyboard keys, not to mention dust and grime. All you have to do is gently press this gel against the keyboard, and it'll pick up all the dirt and crumbs between your keys.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:"Working from home like a lot of people, I eat at my desk. Crumbs were getting everywhere. Plus my cat loved to lay on my keyboard if I was using my laptop. It does such a great job of getting fur and crumbs up. I used a little bit at first because some of the reviews were saying it was sticking. But I didn't have that problem at all. It only now it's sticking to my keyboard and hands more. But that makes sense it's just a glob if junk. So much better than an air can. A must-have for all office desks." — Ashley
Get it from Amazon for $5.93.
5. A six-outlet wall charger and surge protector, which doubles as a night-light with a dusk-to-dawn sensor — it automatically turns on when ambient light in the area isn't enough to see. It's designed to handle those annoyingly bulky chargers, PLUS it has two USB fast-charging ports, meaning you can finally put an end to your daily routine of plugging and unplugging things underneath your desk.
Promising review:" Work from home must-have. I work from home, so I have a lot of items plugged into the two nearest outlets. This six-outlet with the two USB ports and night light is awesome! Should've bought another for the other wall!" — Megan H.
"I work from home in a small apartment, and this really made my setup work the way I want it to. I need to use all six plugs, plus I like to keep my phone and MiFi charging while working, too. This was the perfect thing for me to get everything plugged in and essentially retrofitted into a built-in apartment wall desk setup that was intended for the large desktop towers of the late '90s. I'm ordering a second one in hopes it transforms another part of my weird floor plan. Bonus: The USB ports seem to fast charge my iPhone XS Max. I can go from dead to fully charged in about 90 minutes." — Moose
Get it from Amazon for $12.98 (available in three colors and an option with a USB-C port).
6. A pair of blue light–blocking glasses, because we all stare enough at our phone screens as it is without adding another eight hours of staring at our computer, with more time spent in video calls than interacting IRL with people when you WFH. These lenses protect you from blue light that can cause eye strain and headaches and even mess up your sleep cycle.
Promising reviews:"A WFH must-have. These glasses are super helpful staring at a computer screen all day. Buy them now." — Cee EL Cee
"I have been needing some blue light–blocking glasses due to the increase in the amount of time I am spending online when working at home. I love the style of these two frames: They are trendy, lightweight, and comfortable. I have gotten a few compliments on them when on Zoom meetings! A must-buy. I definitely have noticed less eye strain for sure!" — carabetha
Get a set of two from Amazon for $13.59+ (available in 14 color combos, including sets of two or three).
7. A Jabra Evolve2 65 wireless headset that helps block out noise with its memory foam padding and angled design. Plus, it has three-microphone call technology that enhances your voice (and not your kids playing games in the living room).
www.amazon.com
These offer up to 37 hours of battery life on a single charge. Forget to plug them in the night before? In just 15 minutes, you can juice these up for 8 hours of use so you don't have to get a late start to work.
Promising reviews: "I truly love these. I have been working remotely, and these are a game changer and work seamlessly with Skype and MS Teams. My kids can't be heard in the background, and wireless distance is sufficient to go to the kitchen or toilet during long calls. A remote work must-have item." — Mom2BinSienna
"I really love this headset! It talks to you, works with your voice assistant, and has a mute notification feature so you will never again be the 'sorry, I was on mute' person. The battery literally lasts me all week. I was hesitant to cough up the money on a nicer headset, but honestly it's worth every penny if you spend a good deal of time in meetings/calls." — Taylor J
Get it from Amazon for $166.99+ (available with mono or stereo sound, for Teams or all platforms, and USB-C or USB-A connectivity).
8. Or Logitech's H390 wired headset if you're looking for a simple pair with a rotating, noise-canceling microphone, because you're tired of colleagues asking you to repeat what you just said. It connects via USB, and has volume and mute controls right on the headset cable.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising reviews: " A must-have when working from home. I work from home with three kids in the house, and I promise you, no one on my teams calls can hear any background noise. This is true. My husband and I test it out every couple months just to make sure it's still working." — Ashlee
"I use these headphones for my WFH job as a customer service rep and it is great. I usually have all kinds of sounds from home going on but none of my customers can hear it. Feels light on the ears, I do try to take them off every few hours just for my ears' sake but no headphone fatigue as of yet. Love the mic mute button on the headset as well just in case my child is standing next to me and no one can hear. 10/10. Get these headphones!!" — Allison S Flowers
Get it from Amazon for $22+ (available in three colors).
Psst — check out more of the best headphones for working from home if you're shopping around!
9. A memory foam gel pad to provide ergonomic support for your wrists and avoid the aches and pains that come with typing at a computer all day. Seriously, once you get wrist pads, there's no going back.
It comes in two pieces — one you can prop in front of your keyboard, and the other in front of your mouse.
Promising review: "Must-have for working from home. After over one and a half years of working from home, I started to get wrist pain on the tops of my wrists and realized it was because I wasn't using a support. These have already helped alleviate some of the discomfort and will hopefully eliminate it entirely over time. Highly recommend if you're also working from home!" — Tammylynn130
Get it from Amazon for $9.97+ (available in 15 colors).
10. Or a cushy cloud wrist rest you've probably seen all over TikTok if you're remotely interested in ~desk aesthetic~. It'll give your setup such a dreamy vibe, and your wrists will thank you for the cloud-like support!
www.amazon.com
This style was made popular by Logitech, which released a cloud wrist rest as part of their gorgeous Aurora collection, but that one is often out of stock and only available to buy in bundles (FWIW I do have the full set with their keyboard and love it). This is a nice way to get the same look for cheap; plus, it comes in way more colors!
Promising reviews: "I've had this for months and it's definitely a must-have if you work from home. My wrists used to bother me after a while, but now that I have this, it's not an issue for me anymore!! I love this product it's comfortable." — Ani
"When it comes to my desk setup, I'm all for aesthetics but also practicality. I genuinely need a wrist rest for my keyboard, and I'm super picky about the way they feel. This wrist rest is super squishy and AMAZING quality. It's comfortable and super cute. I'm obsessed!" — Mel🤍
Get it from Amazon for $14.42 (available in 14 colors).
11. An adjustable foam footrest for placing under your desk, giving your feet a soft yet firm support. It essentially brings the floor to you, extremely helpful if you're on the shorter side and your feet don't easily lay flat on the floor! And if you tend to get restless throughout the day, you can flip it over and rock back and forth.
Amazon
I've been using this particular footrest for years, and I can say I didn't realize how uncomfortable I was while sitting until I had this. I'm 5'3" and use the full height of this footrest to ensure my feet are completely supported, but you can remove the bottom part to adjust the height if needed. The velvety cover also comes off and can be tossed in the washing machine for easy cleaning.
Promising review:"Excellent product, really improves my home office setup. Great footrest, stays put and is very comfortable without being squishy like a pillow, which would just be annoying. Material is durable and does not absorb odors (NYC air is often stinky). Most important, it doesn't make my feet hot, even in the summer. Awesome product, a must-have especially when the coronavirus has made it necessary for many folks to work from home." — SophiaD
Get it from Amazon for $41.95+ (available in three colors and velvet or mesh styles).
12. A Bluetooth speakerphone if you're still relying on your laptop speakers for video calls. This'll noticeably improve your audio by reducing background noise and enhancing your speech, and you'll hear your colleagues more clearly as well, making it an improvement for everyone involved.
You can also use this as a regular speaker for music and podcasts and the like, and hook it up using an AUX cord or an included dongle. Conveniently, i t also has a button to mute and unmute yourself, so if you're using different video platforms (or your kid is online learning) it's easy to just mute yourself manually if you can't find the button right away on the screen.
Promising reviews: "A must-have for remote work. My remote working experience just got 1,000 times better. This little speaker was just what I needed to reduce background noise and make meetings more effective." — Cheryl
"Very convenient, great audio quality. Better than my MacBook. People were complaining about the noise from other things at home when using my MacBook, but this one cleared all the noise and my voice was crystal clear on the other end." — Uday Poosarla
Get it from Amazon for $59.49.
13. An adjustable mesh desk chair because it's time to stop sitting in that hard, straight-back dining room chair with zero lumbar support. This will give your comfort a major upgrade with its breathable mesh lining, adjustable flip-up armrests, neck rest, and recline function — so you can lean back and admire all your hard work.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising reviews: 'This chair is amazingly comfortable. Especially with the lumbar pillow I received from the seller. I was in desperate need of a new chair, and this chair meet my need. I love it! Definitely a must-have for your home office." — LNG
"I got spoiled by a Herman Miller chair at work. I've been putting up with some cheap cloth and foam computer desk chair for years. Now that I'm a bit older, and do some work at home, I needed more comfort and support, and this chair works for what I need and it didn't cost me $800. Granted, this one isn't as adjustable, and the lumbar support isn't pronounced, but it is soooo much better than what I had. It might be difficult for some to put together, as it can be a bit heavy for one person, but the weight also contributes to the 'well-made' feeling once put together. The best thing about this chair is the size of the seat, which fully supports my butt, and back of my thighs, all the way to the back of my knees. The neck support is nice too, but I could see some being irritated with the limited positioning — it can be removed." — Christopher L. Dulawan
Get it from Amazon for $188+ (available in 10 colors).
14. And a memory foam lumbar pillow to strap onto your chair for instant lower back support, simply a MUST if you work long hours at a desk. The mesh cover also keeps this pillow breathable so it doesn't get hot over time.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
I've had this exact lumbar support pillow since 2018, back when I was still working in an office, and I can't express enough how much it's improved my posture and reduced back pain after long hours of sitting. I initially got it because I was stuck working in one of those awful office chairs with zero lower back support, and years later, I still use it at home, even though I have one of those fancy gaming chairs with built-in adjustable lumbar support, simply because I prefer how soft and comfortable this pillow is. It fills the curve of your spine *perfectly*, and you can adjust the positioning as needed, with straps that go around the back of your chair to hold it steady. I personally use it in conjunction with the ErgoFoam footrest, and I never have back pain after working anymore.
Promising review:"Must-have now that we work from home. My wife and I are on our office chairs around eight hours a day and these have helped completely eliminate back pain. The cushion has kept its original form after 3 months too. Great product." — Lad
Get it from Amazon for $28.04+ (available in four colors, a gel-infused version, and various sets).
15. And a memory foam chair cushion (yup, from the same brand) that can help relieve pressure on your tailbone, hips, and lower back while sitting for long periods of time — reviewers say it's worked wonders for their aches and pains. Basically, it's the best thing you'll do for your tushy all year.
The cover is removable and washable!
Promising review: "Well-made seat cushion with the added benefit of a cutout where your tail bone rests to aid in sciatica situations. A must-have for people suddenly working from home who miss their great office chair." — J. Snodgrass
Get it from Amazon for $33.99+ (available in four colors and a gel-infused style).
16. OR instead of a standard office chair setup, an ergonomic exercise ball chair designed to engage both your body and mind using micro-movements, helping boost your focus while reducing pressure on your lower back and shoulders. If you struggle a lot with pain and restlessness while trying to focus on work, give this a try.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising review:" Best home and professional office chair you will ever own. I am not coordinated enough to sit on a yoga ball without the base. This chair is wonderful. Ergonomically customizable (by inflating/deflating) for any workstation. I bought one for work and another at home. I recently switched jobs and took my one in from home for the front desk window as we share coverage. All my co-workers love it! At my previous job, 90% of my co-workers with desk jobs purchased one for their workstations as well. What I love most, as I am petite and have lower back damage, is that this type of desk chair never puts pressure on the nerves in your leg. It is a must try." — SJCJ
Get it from Amazon for $69.98 (available in three colors).
17. A selfie ring light for all your virtual meetings so your coworkers can actually *see* your lovely face and not a shadowy figure with a dark background.
You can either use this with your phone mounted just under the light for FaceTime, or if you're calling or filming from a laptop, you can set up the light on your desk behind the screen. Boom, fancy lighting.
Promising review:" Video conference must-have. You don't know you need it until you need it. My lighting was horrible and the video look awful. Someone suggested a light ring to mount my phone on. Who knew something so simple could make such a difference in video quality! This product is very easy to use and has different light types (warm and cool) and brightness adjustment. Plus, there's a remote so you can use it to take photos or videos with your phone! The tripod is very easy to adjust. I can't believe how inexpensive this product was. It is so worth it." — Kim Shopper
Get it from Amazon for $26.39+ (available in three sizes and an RGB version).
18. An adjustable standing desk converter, because we all know sitting for hours straight is terrible for our health. With this, you can easily take standing breaks throughout the day while still working, and when you're sitting, it functions as a regular monitor stand so you can set your screen at eye level.
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
Promising reviews:" A must-have when working from home. Great product!" — Parpagene
"It is a lifesaver. If you can't fit or afford a full sit-stand desk, this unit has been going up and down a few times a day for 6 months strong. Also if you think you will be standing for more than a couple of hours a day, I assure you no. That's why the manual system is great — whenever you are tired, just grab the handle and place it down quick, it doesn't require thinking or waiting." — Dave
Get it from Amazon for $119.99+ (available in three sizes and two colors).
19. Or a sleek and beautiful electric standing desk if you're ready to go all-in on the sit-to-stand office life. With just the tap of a button, it'll raise itself up in a matter of seconds, and you can save up to four height presets so you're not having to readjust each time! It also has a child lock feature to avoid accidental activation *and* three handy USB charging ports on the side.
I've been using the FlexiSpot Comhar EG8 standing desk for well over a year now, and I really can't recommend it enough if you're ready to invest in a high-quality standing desk. I have the white desk with a glass top, and it looks super modern and elegant in my living room. There's a thin drawer in the front — you won't be storing anything super thick in there, but it's great for putting papers, sticky notes, and other small items out of the way.
The actual standing desk feature works like a charm — since it's just me using this desk, I only use two of the four height presets: one for my sitting position, and one for my standing position. An anti-collision feature is also built in, meaning the desk will stop moving if it detects an obstacle in its way. I've found this feature can be a little hit or miss, so it's best to keep the area clear and just be attentive as it moves up and down. The child lock is *particularly* handy — I don't have kids around, but it's easy to bump into the control panel and accidentally activate the desk if you don't have this lock turned on.
Promising review: "LOVE this desk. Super easy to assemble, and the built-in drawer keeps things so tidy. I like the child safety lock, too. It took a few weeks to arrive but was very well-packaged. The quality blows me away. Before the pandemic, I worked at various offices with all different kinds of stand-up desks, and this one by far is the most versatile and well made. This is a must-have upgrade if you're working from home. Beautiful, functional and the child lock feature makes it safe if kids are around. Can't recommend enough." — Brie
Get it from Amazon for $229.99+ (available in six colors, with a glass or wood top, and two sizes).
20. And an anti-fatigue mat because if you've incorporated standing breaks into your day, you'll notice that it puts a lot of pressure on your feet and legs. This mat's high-density PU foam helps absorb the shock you'd normally feel in your muscles and joints from standing — that way, you can feel comfortable standing for longer!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
I use this mat anytime I use my standing desk in its lifted position, because standing barefoot on my hardwood floor for any lengthy period of time is *not* the greatest feeling. That said, you can use this with shoes on, too, if you're at the office! It's designed to wipe clean.
Promising review:"Soft and a must-need for WFH employees! I never realized how much this could help with my soothing foot pain when standing at my desk all day working. This did the trick!" — Ehtesham Ali
Get it from Amazon for $17.50+ (available in eight sizes and in 11 colors).
21. A sturdy phone holder that makes it *so* much easier if you take video calls for work on your phone — or for taking those midday breaks to scroll TikTok. You can prop your phone up vertically or horizontally and keep it charging at the same time!
www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com
This holder also has grippy pads on the bottom so it doesn't slide around or scratch your desk!
Promising reviews:"A WFH must-have. This phone stand is wonderful to have on my desk while working from home. It would make a great stocking stuffer, too!" — Audrey McDonald
"I bought this for all of the Zoom meetings I was conducting at home. It works great! It's very sturdy and allows me a good angle when speaking to clients. Would recommend." — Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $7.64 (available in five colors).
22. A Rocketbook smart reusable notebook you can fill with handwritten notes, then blast them straight to your smart device for storage, wipe the pages clean, and start over. Not only will you be able to look back on them for your own reference, but it *also* means you'll be able to send notes from that important Zoom meeting directly to your boss as an attachment and look super organized.
The letter size measures 8.5 x 11 inches, while the executive size is smaller at 6 x 8.8 inches. They've released a newer version of both that have improved pen-to-paper feel, spiral binding, a scratch-resistant cover, and more file organization options. (Unfortunately, the color options for those are currently more limited.)
Promising review:"My new work-from-home must-have. I am a big fan of handwriting notes. I have tried a few digital note taking solutions with the Apple Pencil, but it never felt 100%. This notebook bridges that gap. This notebook has been perfect to keep aside my keyboard to jot notes, to-dos, and reminders that I can then easily import to apps to track if I haven't completed them by the end of the day. If you are a note-taker, I highly recommend you pick one up. I am already eyeing up the planner version." — Jonathan B. Fischer
"This is such a neat item. It's so nice to be able to take notes and not have a million sticky notes around or a ton of notebooks. Had no trouble setting up one icon to email my notes to and I set up another to send to myself in the iMessage app. A standard Pilot Ballpoint pen will NOT smudge in the least (and can be 'erased' using an alcohol prep pad!). Also have found that the Pilot Frixion gel pens write beautifully and erase cleanly!" — cjsbabygirl
Get it from Amazon for $14.93+ (available in two sizes, two versions, and 15 colors and patterns).
23. A super lightweight ergonomic lap desk for when you need to move the "office" to your couch or bed, because it's just one of those days. That said, it also works great at a desk, with an anti-slip wrist pad for comfort and to prevent your laptop from sliding down. Plus, a handy storage slot in the back is designed to prop up your phone or tablet.
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Promising review: "This product is a must-have for anyone who works from home and needs to switch up from being at the desk and sit on the couch. Ergonomically perfect, stable, and makes working on a laptop of iPad significantly easier." — Michael DeLuca
Get it from Amazon for $29.59+ (available in six colors and two sizes).
24. Or a bigger, adjustable laptop tray table that folds up when not in use. It offers plenty of space for a large laptop, a notebook, an iPad and phone (thanks to the tray at the top), *and* small items like pens and glasses thanks to the side drawer. It can be set to five different heights and four different angles, so you can really customize it to your comfort.
This can be used as a standing desk or as a table while working from bed!
Promising review:" I hate how much I love this. I didn't own a desk and now work primarily from home so this desk has become a must-have. It is very sturdy and I feel like I'm swimming in space underneath it. The top has some kind of pseudo leather and is anti-slip so I don't loose everything and it has cool inserts that help things from falling if I set it at an angle. Puts the fun in Functional." — TweedleDumsTwin
Get it from Amazon for $69.99 (available in three colors).
25. A game-changing hanging wall organizer you can hang just to the side of your desk for organizing all your papers into color-coded sections — the colored folders are slightly transparent so you can see what's inside.
www.amazon.com, Amazon
Each folder can hold up to 25 sheets and the whole thing can be collapsed and secured with the attached cord for easy transport — which is *so* convenient if you're working a hybrid office-WFH schedule. It even comes with blank stickers for labeling the tabs. (Check out our Smead wall organizer deep dive for more deets on how helpful it is!)
Promising reviews:"I love this! It hangs easily (I use one of the extra large thumbtacks) and would be easy to move if you needed to. The colors are bright and the pockets are sturdy. A must-have for any home office." — jjjmac
"It's very nice and organized, I love it. I needed to make room on my desk and this helped a lot. I was gonna use hooks to hang it up but after feeling the weight of it with all the papers in it (plus my cats eyeing it curiously), I decided to use nails instead. Holds up well so far and I hang my ID badge from it to grab on my way out hehe. I like the size and that it doesn't take up a lot of space. Very happy with it, was excitedly waiting for it." — Elizabeth Lopez Corrales
Get it from Amazon for $8.10+ (available in four colors).
26. An electric mug warmer in case you, like me, get distracted while working and sip your morning coffee so slowly, it ends up going cold before you finish it. With this electric warmer, you can happily enjoy your hot, caffeinated drink for hours.
Reviewers suggest turning the heat down from high to medium once the drink gets down to about the halfway point so it stays a comfortable temperature!
After seeing this coffee warmer all over BuzzFeed Shopping and even gifting my dad one for Christmas, I finally decided to buy one for myself. Based on all the reviews, I was pretty confident I'd soon be kicking myself for not getting it sooner, and that proved to be true: This thing not only looks good, but works great for keeping my coffee warm all day long (because yes, I'm one of those people that'll sip on coffee until 5 p.m., all right!!). I was kind of worried it'd be too small for some of my larger mugs, but the center plate is bigger than expected and accommodated every mug in my (very eclectic) collection perfectly. I can confirm that flat-bottomed mugs are the best option for using with this warmer as they do stay hotter, but it still keeps my concave-bottom mugs warm enough for my taste. Also, I looove how sleek the white version looks on my white desk, and the auto-shutoff function is a nice safety feature as an absent-minded person.
Promising review: "This is a work from home must-have!!!! Drink stays hot until the very last drop. Highly recommend." — Gigi
Get it from Amazon for $17.09+ (available in five colors).
27. A desktop whiteboard that fits in that lil' space between your monitor and keyboard for writing quick notes, ideas, or even motivational messages for yourself. A little pull-out drawer holds your dry-erase markers and other small accessories!
This whiteboard also comes with a dry-erase marker, accessory channel (to hold the marker), and a storage drawer.
Promising review:"This black whiteboard is wonderful! You do need to get some liquid paint markers for it to work; I bought these at the same time and they are wonderful as well! Once you write on your board and the 'paint' dries, it doesn't wipe off! Only the white pen that came with the board wiped off with my hand. When you need to clean off your board, just use a damp microfiber cloth or just some paper towels and it will come right off. I use this board daily to time block what I am doing and put it behind my keyboard so I can type and see what I'm doing for that hour. A must-have productivity tool for me now! Especially working from home now. Two thumbs way up!" — Rose Gold
Get it from Amazon for $26.99 (available in five styles).
28. A USB-powered cooling pad if you like to work with your laptop directly on your lap but *don't* like the feeling of your legs burning after approximately five minutes. It'll also help if you're working on an older laptop that starts to sound like a jet engine after a while. This slim pad connects directly into one of your laptop's USB ports and uses its three powerful fans to keep it cool and quiet while you get your work done.
www.amazon.com
I've had this cooling pad since 2018, though I mainly use it with my personal laptop when I'm playing PC games. The pad itself is super quiet and not distracting, and it does a fantastic job of actively cooling down my now-older laptop while it's working hard to run games, so I can vouch for its effectiveness. It's also *fantastic* to use while you're working with your laptop on the couch (which I sometimes do to take a break from my desk), keeping your legs away from the heat without feeling bulky or heavy. If you're using a MacBook, be sure to pick up a USB-C hub to connect this.
Promising review:"Best purchase I have made in years. Only had it two days, but the first words out of my mouth to my wife were, 'I can work for hours like this.' If you work from home and like to work on the couch, recliner, breakfast nook, patio, etc, and you have your computer in your lap, this is an absolute must-have. Not only does it keep your legs and lap cool, but it also keeps your computer cool and able to process much more efficiently." — Trent Thiel
Get it from Amazon for $22.39+ (available in three colors).
29. An "After Coffee" notepad so you can sit down and organize your day right after pouring your morning caffeine. It's split into three sections to help you figure out what should be handled first thing, what can be done later in the day, and what can wait until tomorrow. Productivity can take a hit when you're constantly surrounded by distractions at home, but this will help you stay right on track.
Godly Gorgeous / Etsy
This Black woman–owned business makes super cute apparel, prints, notepads, and more! This notepad is 6 inches x 8 inches and has 50 sheets to help coordinate all your to-dos.
Promising review:"Exactly as pictured. I saw this item on a list of 'must haves' for working from home and I must agree! This is helping me stay organized. It looks great and arrived very quickly!" — Amanda
Get it from Godly Gorgeous on Etsy for $17.
Note: Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.