Whether you have worked from a home for years or you are just being forced to adjust to this new reality, working from home (WFH) takes a significant part of the working force today. The fact is that with remote network connections and fast, secure internet at home, we don’t need to be working in an office together anymore. And with the rise of viral issues such as the 2020 Coronavirus, more and more people are realizing the long-term value of being able to work from home. The problem is that working from home means making a few particularly wise investments.

Even if you are used to having a solid PC rig due to your gaming habits or you are simply comfortable working from home already, you might wish to read through this guide. It might just give you the inspiration that you need to make sure you can find some quality essentials to make working from home a bit more comfortable for you moving forward.

Working from home with a poor quality setup is never easy. That’s why we want to help you make sure you have the best setup; so that you can spend more time getting things done and less time feeling needlessly uncomfortable as you go about your working day. So, what matters to the modern work-from-home expert?

What should you be looking to buy for a more comfortable quality of life once you are settled in at home?

 

Home office essentials for everybody

A quality computer

You should first and foremost invest in a quality PC or laptop. We would recommend looking into various brands. Popular PC builders include the likes of Dell, where you can buy something office-friendly, to experts like Apple. Naturally, your budget is going to play a meaningful role in making you decide what kind of quality computer you would like.

If you are someone who is doing a lot of graphical design, you might benefit from something like an Apple laptop. If you do a lot of high-end processing and tend to play a fair amount of games on the side, though, investing your hard-earned into a PC from a firm like Alienware might make some sense, as well.

Basically, make sure that the bulk of your investment goes into the PC itself. Having a good working monitor – preferably two – will go a long way to making sure you can work as efficiently as is possible, too.

The more that you can spread across multiple screens, the more likely it is that you can get things done in a timely and professional manner leading to better results moving forward.

A home office chair

Next up, you should be looking to make intelligent decisions regarding which home office chair you would like to buy. A home office chair is something you are going to get used to working in, immediately. There are many options for home office chairs on the market, and it's a good idea to compare different options. The best chairs today have adjustable armrests that can give you extra padding and cushioning and a lot of other features. Also, you can look into an ergonomic recliner office chair. That would be the right choice if you aren’t working directly in front of a desk.

If you are going to be using a desk, though, then you want something more like a gaming chair. There is a big choice of gaming chair styles, as gaming chairs tend to offer natural balance for ergonomic setups like keyboard and mice. They also tend to sit in well with a desk, giving you enough arm and legroom to make sure that you can move and play without any stress or challenge whatsoever. A lot of people lately have been opting out for a gaming setup even for their offices. 

Ergonomic computer desk

While not everyone will work directly at a desk – some people prefer to go wireless and desk-free – you can still get huge benefits from having an ergonomic computer desk. Gaming desks tend to be suitable for this, as they usually give you enough space for all of your tools/facilities as well as for your peripherals like your mouse, keyboard, and speakers.

If you are looking for a desk that is made to give you plenty of space, then don’t discount gaming desks. They tend to work well as they usually have things like cup holders, headphones holders, and various other small attachments that can make your day-to-day work organization easier than it is today.

With this, you can easily have everything operating from one place. You could be taking work calls via Skype during the day and then handling gaming sessions at night with a smile on your face thanks to the sheer volume of space that it can provide you with.

Those are the main reasons we recommend if you are looking to get a home office computer desk, that you take a closer look at getting a gaming desk. When used right, it can be the ideal way to help make your complete workstation feel more productive and comfortable.

Gadgets and peripherals

Next up, make sure that you take some time to look into the numerous devices and peripherals that you might require. Gadgets are varied and include things like headphones and a microphone. Again, your best bet here is investing some time to look into all options and peripherals from the gaming industry.

Gaming headphones and gaming microphones are often built to deliver the crispest sound, and also a split audio input and output. They also include such features as noise cancellation and voice enhancement options. That’s why we recommend you go down that route while trying to improve your home productivity. At the same time, be sure to invest in a good quality keyboard and mouse.

For your mouse and keyboard, we recommend you to look into getting a wireless option to avoid wires getting tangled and caught as you try and get some work done. But if you will primarily use the mouse for gaming, then you can get one of the wired ones, since they are supposed to be a bit faster and more responsive. Investing in a good quality keyboard, mouse, and headphone/microphone set is always a wise idea.

Software

While not tied directly to your working from home facility, getting the right software for home operations should be highly recommended. Some good choices we suggest you look into include:

• Zoom. Zoom is a handy video chat software and provides you with essential tools sick as group messaging, and video conference calls with ease. In the free version, you get a 40min long conference call that you can use with your team. That could actually help to keep office meetings straight to the point.
• Skype. An excellent chat system that you should look into use for things like live video sessions, individual chats with clients, and conversations with your staff/superiors. Skype is free and has been a staple of communication among people split by a considerable distance since it's inception.
• Microsoft Teams. Loaded with office-useful utilities that can keep everyone engaged, while working on the same projects, and aiming at the same goals. It is a beneficial tool for companies, and the fact that most corporate teams already pay for Microsoft 365 makes it easier to implement for the team.
• Slack. Released in 2013, Slack has become a staple in many companies. Its free version offers you enough features to collaborate with your team, except for screen share. Also, it is easier to set up and administrate than Microsoft Teams.

Any chat service that would allow people to talk safely and securely is highly recommended as part of the essentials for your home office. This way, you and your team can speak freely and as often as you will need to, making sure you can always get the kind and quality of communications that you would have gotten in the office if you were to have been there in person.

It’s useful for maintaining the regular and consistent conversations that we need to get things done right, whether you are working in the office or from home.

So, where will you start?

In the article above, we laid down the essentials for every home office. We believe that you can start from the core of your setup: Desk + Chair. 

With so many options and essentials, we would recommend getting involved in any of the ideas above as soon as possible. Each one is going only to improve the quality of your working conditions and could actively promote how you go about handling your day-to-day tasks.