Whether you’re working from home a few days a week or full-time, it’s important to carve out a space that separates your work and personal lives. It’s equally important to make sure your workstation is fully kitted out with the right gear and accessories to make the day more bearable and comfortable. Since 2020, we’ve been testing standing desks, office chairs, monitors, USB docks, keyboards, and tons of other work-from-home gear in our own lives—these are our favorites.
Updated July 2022: We’ve added dozens of new products, including portable monitors, desk fans, USB microphones, new mice and keyboards, and more.
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You’ll Need a Good Laptop or PC
We’re guessing you have a laptop or desktop of some kind, whether it’s your personal device or one you got from work. If not, check out our Best Laptops, Best Cheap Laptops, Best Chromebooks, and Best MacBooks guides. Our step-by-step laptop buying guide might help too. If you’re eyeing a desktop PC, we have recommendations and advice for prebuilt gaming PCs that might be handy, or you can build your own. Here are a few of our favorites:
MacBook Air with M1
Photograph: Apple
Apple’s MacBook Air (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best option for most people. With the M1 processor, it can handle all but the most intensive tasks. And even with more demanding apps, it fares really well for its price. (You can usually find it for $900 or less at Amazon.) It’s completely silent due to the fanless design, and the battery life is spectacular. It’ll last more than a full workday too. A newer MacBook Air 2022 is on the way with more ports, improved performance, and a nicer design. It’s pricier though, and this 2020 model is still a great buy. If you need a more powerful machine, look at the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
This is one of our favorite Windows laptops. The Ryzen 5 processor and 8 GB of RAM deliver plenty of power for the usual everyday tasks. Better yet, the excellent 14-inch IPS screen is paired with a 360-degree hinge, so you can convert it into tablet mode and interact with the touchscreen (with your finger or the included stylus). If you need more power, go for the Ryzen 7-powered model.
If you can do all your work via a browser, and that browser happens to be Google Chrome, consider a Chromebook. This Samsung Chromebook (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the prettiest and most high-end models around. It has an aluminum frame, a nice 1080p QLED display, and a battery life that will last you a full workday if not more. This two-in-one …….
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/work-from-home-home-office-gear-guide/