Long before I was forced to stay indoors earlier this spring, I spent most of my time … indoors. I built a PC back in college (with the help of friends), and since then I’ve continued perfecting my home office setup—switching desks, keyboards, monitors, and more.
When many of my friends and colleagues were forced to quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic, I realized most people don’t have a home office setup like mine. The pandemic is still surging, and while a vaccine has been approved, it’s likely we won’t go back to offices for several more months. Even if we do, office work will never quite be the same, as more and more companies are considering permanent work-from-home solutions. So, my fellow folks privileged enough to work from home, below are some picks that might make that work more bearable. Many have been tested by WIRED’s Gear team, and we’re recommending others based on customer reviews across retailers, what other sites have to say, and our experience with the brands.
Updated December 2020: I’ve added several new items, including a chair from Poppin, an under-desk bike, a headphone stand with wireless charging, new desk accessories and tech support sections, 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 own personal device or the one you brought from work. If not, check out our Best Laptops, Best Cheap Laptops, Best Chromebooks, and Best MacBooks guides. 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 for a lot less.