By Over the last few years, many more people have started working remotely. While remote work has many advantages, such as better work-life balance, it also has disadvantages, like distractions, lack of technology, and difficulty collaborating with team members. Everyone knows someone who works from home at least part-time, and since the holidays are coming up, you might be wondering what you can get them to improve their work. Here are a few of the best tech gifts for working at home.
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Headsets
Working from home can be difficult if you don’t have a dedicated office with a door you can shut to drown out the noise from the rest of the household. Unfortunately, many people don’t have dedicated offices, making working from home difficult. Instead, they may work at their kitchen tables or have a small workstation in the corner of a room. In addition, children, pets, and spouses are all distractions that can affect someone’s work, even if they’re not in the same room.
A headset is an ideal gift for someone who enjoys silence while they work. They can for example use their headset to cancel out the noise from around them or to listen to music. Other people may enjoy listening to audiobooks or podcasts such as Better Than Yesterday, and headphones will equally allow them to do this without disturbing others. Headsets are also ideal for individuals who attend meetings throughout the day, allowing them to hear all the important information they need to track. In addition, many headsets come with built-in microphones to make it easier to communicate, hear, and be heard on those important Zoom calls.
Monitor
Most people who work from home either have to buy their own equipment or use old workplace equipment. However, a monitor is an essential tool for anyone with a desk job, and using the wrong monitor can affect your productivity, making you work longer hours just to finish your work for the day.
Anyone who works at a computer all day will love a larger monitor or dual display to help them accomplish more in less time. The right monitor can help anyone in any job easily read the information on their screen and do more than one thing at once to improve their efficiency and simply make working easier.
Ergonomic Mouse
Believe it or not, using a mouse all day isn’t healthy for you and can contribute to hand and wrist pain or even carpal tunnel. An ergonomic mouse puts a user’s wrist in proper alignment to prevent straight from clicking around a computer screen all day. Some mice come with Bluetooth, allowing you to pair them with different devices, so they can be used at home with a desktop or on the go with a laptop.
Ergonomic Keyboard
A keyboard is also an important piece of equipment for anyone who spends eight hours a day typing away. However, if your keyboard doesn’t help keep your wrists in proper alignment, you could end up with a strain that affects your ability to type the next day. On the other hand, keeping your wrists supported will allow you to sit in proper positions while preventing the risk of carpal tunnel, so there’s no reason not to get one, especially since they’re available for less than $100.
USB Hub
Offices are better for office equipment than your home because you can easily connect all your devices. However, when working from home, you don’t have access to the same tech. A USB hub allows you to connect multiple devices without running out of ports. The average hub adds around four ports to your computer, so you can connect all your devices and charge everything you need to charge without ever getting up from your desk.
Note-taking Tablet
A note-taking tablet reduces waste by helping you avoid the need for paper and pens. Instead, you can use a tablet to jot down all the important notes from a meeting and upload them to the cloud or your computer when you’re done. In addition, these tablets sync to your devices and allow you to send important documents to yourself or others for markups and signatures. Some may be afraid of tablets as they are prone to cracked screens, but you can easily find a repair shop to have the tablet back to its best shape in no time.
Laptop
Laptops are expensive, but if you’re considering how someone works at home, it might be the perfect gift for them. Many people who work from home can take their office computers home, but working at home can be uncomfortable if you don’t have the right desk setup. Therefore, remote workers can be left with back and neck pain from sitting at a desk all day. Additionally, sometimes people just want to work on the couch or in bed to be comfortable, especially if they don’t have any meetings planned for the day. The right laptop may be a perfect addition to any home office setup because it allows you to travel.
A laptop can also be a lifesaver for a remote worker when the power goes out during a blackout or brownout. When someone loses internet and power, they can grab their laptop and head to a library or public place with WiFi to continue their work without interruption.
Wearable Technology
When we talk about wearables, we’re talking about health tech that can tell someone everything they need to know about their daily health, including the number of steps they’ve taken and how long they’ve been inactive. In addition, wearable technology can benefit individuals who work from home and spend long hours sitting at their desks. In an office, you typically stand up to talk to others or attend meetings. However, all of these things can be done at a desk when you work from home, so people are becoming increasingly less active. A wearable can help remind remote workers when it’s time to stand up and stretch while tracking their activity to ensure they’re not overeating while sitting at their desks all day.
High Def Webcam
When you work from home, you spend a lot of time in front of your webcam in meetings with clients, clients, and bosses. If your webcam has poor quality, it can affect your confidence. Webcams have a way of making us look different because the image is flat and blurred. However, a high-definition webcam can highlight all your best features to prevent Zoom fatigue and help you feel your most confident self when presenting in front of important stakeholders.
Final Thoughts
Working from home comes with many challenges, like distractions and a lack of reliable technology. However, you can reduce someone’s WFH stress by investing in key technologies that can improve their work experience to help them become more productive and less stressed. After all, the faster they get work done, the more time they can spend relaxing or doing things they enjoy.
Ashley Nielsen
Ashley Nielsen earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a freelance writer who loves to share knowledge about general business, marketing, lifestyle, wellness, and financial tips. During her free time, she enjoys being outside, staying active, reading a book, or diving deep into her favorite music.
