20+ Awesome Things You’ll Probably Want On Hand If You Have To Work From Home

Or as I like to call it, “Work From Couch.”

1. A pour-over coffee maker you can rely on while you’re surfing shared Google docs — no muss, no fuss, and no fancy coffee gadgets busting on you and making you regret the day both you and the Starbucks mermaid were born.

Promising review: “In my effort to slow my life down, I am choosing to make coffee in smaller, more ‘hand crafted’ quantities. It’s paying off for me in a better-tasting cup of coffee … and making me slow down and take more time with life. You can actually taste the difference in this coffee maker and pot at a time coffee. I am no longer making a pot, grabbing and gulping. I am now lingering in the making and drinking which adds to the enjoyment. Bought my daughter one too, so that she will start slowing down and smelling the coffee.” —Deborah Daniel

Get it from Amazon for $19.99.

 

2. A roll-on migraine stick made with peppermint, spearmint, and lavender oils to help you soothe away that vague headache you sometimes get from sitting in one place for too long (Big Work From Home Mood, y’all).

Promising review: “This stuff is my go-to fix when I feel a migraine coming on. I suffer from sinus headaches and migraines usually once or twice a week. This product I put on each temple, under my nose and on my wrists when I feel the pressure starting and it cuts the pain to a minimum. It seems to stop the worst pain before it has a chance to start. Thank you for a great product! I will buy again and again!” —Brenton1985

Get it from Amazon for $10.99.

 

3. A lightweight breakfast tray you can prop next to you on your bed, because let’s be honest, 90% of the Gchats you’re sending your coworkers are from deep inside a mountain of your sheets.

Promising review: “I absolutely love this item. It can be used in so many different ways! It is also very sturdy and high quality. I highly recommend it. Perfect size to set your computer down and a coffee or a larger breakfast. I love it!” —Micaela

Get it from Amazon for $21.99.

 

4. A pack of NeuroGum made with a blend of caffeine and nootropics, designed to give you energy five times faster than regular coffee — without jitters or sluggishness afterward. That 3 p.m. WFH slump when you suddenly have the attention span of a goldfish just met its match.

Promising review: “As a medical student this has been an amazing addition to my daily study regimen. Same amazing boost as the Diet Coke and coffee I used to chug, but without the jitters, crash/headache, or teeth staining. It’s become my new go-to for staying awake and alert in the OR or on the wards. Highly recommend for anyone who needs a pick-me-up but doesn’t want that ‘wired’ sensation you get from coffee.” —R. Sardesai

Get a nine-pack with six pieces of gum each from Amazon for $21.00

 

5. A memory foam seat cushion for your tushy that will be a total lifesaver if you’re working away from your usual comfy office chair, and need a quick fix in the meantime.

Promising review: “This seat cushion is SO GOOD. I have had a lot of problems with pressure on my tailbone and resulting back problems, and they’ve been getting worse. I will be honest, I have only tried the old-fashioned medical donuts, so I don’t have much to compare it to. However, this cushion is nicely thick, and the cutout and contours are so perfect and they take all pressure off my tailbone. After working for a few hours, I got up and for the first time in almost a year, didn’t have pain. Normally, the pressure on my tailbone becomes pretty bad while sitting, but produces an even sharper pain upon standing. Feeling so great for the first time prompted me to buy another for work so I could keep this one at home and never be without it! Hopefully, reducing the pressure on my tailbone will also help it heal, but even being free from pain is wonderful.” —CSC

Get it from Amazon for $29.95.

 

6. A mug warmer to keep your coffee piping hot long after you brew it, because while you would never forget to chug it at the office, for some reason coffee slips into the time-space-WFH continuum when you’re drinking it from your couch.

Promising review: “It’s going on a little over a year since I got this coffee warmer and I felt I needed to let everyone know that this is the best coffee warmer I’ve gotten. I work 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and it is on the entire time, 5 to 6 days a week. It keeps my tea at just the right temperature. Not scalding or room temperature like other warmers I’ve purchased. The 60-inch cord is long enough to go across my large desk. The hot plate is 3.25 inches in diameter, making it the right size for even my large bottomed coffee mug. The entire warmer is 5.2-by-8.6 inches, so it’s not cumbersome having it sit on my desk. This was a great purchase, I’m glad I got it.” —Christin Fern

Get it from Amazon for $9.89.

 

7. A pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones so you can go into full ~flow~ free of all the distractions in your space (read: the temptation of Netflix, the 15 Reddit tabs open on your browser, and your cat who for some reason thinks your keyboard is his own personal bed).

The charge on these is no joke — in Bluetooth mode, they get around 30 hours of play time! Also, psssst — if you’re looking for music ideas, HubSpot created playlists to maximize productivity that are perfect for working from home.

Promising review: “I have tried many other brands of headphones and comparatively these look much nicer than some of the really expensive brands I have tried. The sound quality is also great and they block outside noise very well. I purchased these for a long haul flight I was taking and they were extremely comfortable and not super bulky and heavy. I am very pleased with the battery life too. Overall these are a great pair of headphones and I would recommend them to anyone, especially if you will be wearing for long periods of time.” —lindsay ann

Get them from Amazon for $59.99 (available in five other colors).

 

8. A time-marked water bottle to remind you to stay hydrated during the day, which is especially important when you’re WFH — it’s even easier to feel anxious or tired when you’re on your lonesome, and being dehydrated can def make it even worse.

This bb also comes with a no-leak lid and the ability to infuse your water with fruit to jazz things up — plus a carrying strap, so you can take it on your midday walks away from your desk!

Promising review: “For years, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with water bottles. I’d want to carry one and get in my daily H2O, but the bottles would be heavy, hard to clean, or just plain ugly. This bottle is brilliant on many levels. First, easy to clean, soft to the touch but not slippery, it is comfortable to carry and fits in most cup holders. Next, the pour is perfect! No straw to mess with or lid to unscrew. No valve to get grody, or break! The lock is optional, but the closure is not. You pick the setting. You can close the lid or close AND lock the lid — genius! Next, is the very convenient, ounce/timer label. This keeps you motivated to KEEP drinking. You can tell right away if you falling behind on your intake by just checking how far along you are on the water level of the bottle. I am a HUGE fan and already plan on buying one for each member of my family. Probably will also gift this bottle to others because it is seriously THAT cool! Thanks Cactaki for your innovative and step-above design! This product is fantastic!” —BGR8FUL

Get it from Amazon for $19.95 (available in two colors).

 

9. A hand massager to work out all the little aches and pains that come with using your hands to type out all the meetings that could have been emails, and are, in fact, emails now.

It pulls double duty, too — one side is geared to massage your fingers, and the other to massage your palms. A lot of people use it to recover from hand surgery or deal with carpal tunnel and arthritis.

Promising review: “I bought these after having carpal tunnel surgery and they’ve been wonderful for my hand rehab. I keep the medium firmness one at work and squeeze it through out the day when I’m not typing or using a mouse and it has been great for brining strength back to my hand and fingers. I keep the more firm ball in the bedroom and use it every morning when I wake up to get my blood flowing and start using my hand for the day. Overall I would highly recommend these and will re-buy them if I ever lose them and I’ve already owned them for over a year. Great product and if used right will do what they are made for.” —TexasWheelz

Get it from Amazon for $9.98.

 

10. A set of blue-light blocking glasses ideal for anyone whose WFH setup involves a lot of time in front of their computer (it…me?) — these protect your eyes from the type of of light in screens that can mess with your sleep cycles and strain your eyes.

Promising review:I purchased this item because I work from home and I am constantly look at a computer screen. My eyes were getting strained from always looking at a screen and knew I needed to add something to my routine. I purchased this for me and my boyfriend and they work AMAZING! Not to mention stylish.” —Beth

Get a set of two from Amazon for $17.98 (available in seven color combinations).

 

11. An adorable We Rate Dogs daily calendar to brighten up your day every single time you sit down at your desk. What? Did we do?? To deserve dogs????? 😭

Promising review: “Every day at work my coworkers and I look at our calendars and ogle at the cute puppies. It is a great way to decompress and look at some good boys and girls to break up the day. Highly recommend.” —Tyandl

Get it from Amazon for $12.52.

 

12. A waterproof, stain-resistant faux marble granite adhesive you can use on an old desk to magic it into a sleeker, brand new version, so you’ll actually look forward to working on it every day.

Promising review:I took a chance and bought this originally as a ‘BandAid fix’ to re-finish a desk. I had looked in stores in the contact paper aisles, but all of them were just that … paper. THIS item is actually a thin sheet of vinyl (?) with adhesive, and I ended up liking it so much I bought more and re-finished my kitchen countertop with it as well! Highly recommended if you want to change the look of your counters but you don’t have the money for a full remodel just yet. It can be cleaned with dish soap and water just like a real countertop.” —Ezra Boyd

Get it from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in four sizes).

 

13. A keyboard cleaning gel, because if you are anything like me then working from home means that your laptop is working overtime both as a keyboard and as a lunch tray (“Alexa, how do you get Cheez-It crumbs out of a laptop fan???).

Promising review: “I was skeptical at first. Was afraid my keyboard would be all gummed up with yellow slime! The opposite, it cleaned it as good as new. Got all those dog hairs between the keys! No smell lingering on keyboard or my hands. No sign I even used it except a clean keyboard. Kind of fun to play with. Squeeze it between your fingers! LOL. My next task for it will be those dust return air vents on our heating system and use it on my dusty window blinds. This stuff works and I highly recommend!” —Billy

Get it from Amazon for $8.99.

 

14. An itty bitty desk trash can to collect all your odds and ends, like used tissues and wrappers and that stray noodle that must have fallen out of your leftover pad thai when you were going to town on it earlier (is there any world more lawless than WFH?).

Promising review: “This is one of those just-opened-the-package-gotta-review-it-right-now things. I bought this for my desk at the office. It’s weighty and substantial, very high quality, and the lid movement is quiet and balanced. The outside surface is a very smooth, slightly shiny, black matte finish, and with my luck getting damaged products, I was rotating it and bracing myself for the inevitable scratch. Not a mark on it. Very happy customer.” —J. Davis

Get it from Amazon for $15.

 

15. A glorious assortment of snacks, because if we’re all being honest with ourselves, 80% of the reason anyone works from an actual office is to get those free snacky snacks. You deserve to look forward to the bliss of popping open that 3 p.m. sugar rush.

Promising review: “Love this snack package! Great variety of different flavor snacks, all delicious!” —Dr. Carmen Otalora

Get a pack of 20 snacks from Amazon for $17.99.

 

16. A set of nonstick, reusable toaster oven bags so you can make grilled cheese and paninis for quick breakfasts and lunches at home instead of sending six messages to coworkers saying “Out for a walk!!” and spending $15 on a wilting salad.

Better yet, you can reheat french fries, pizza, and even mini tacos and get all of that glorious heat without making them all soggy from the microwave. Leftovers just got lit.

Promising review: “I get lazy and hate to heat up the stove for grilled cheese. I used old bread from the freezer and popped it in to try it — WOW, great grilled cheese. I buttered the outside and it was great!! Love these.” —Kulena

Get a 4-pack from Amazon for $6.99 or a 10-pack for $12.99.

 

17. Plus a bottle of Mike’s Hot Honey, so you can add a pinch of sweet and a kick of spice to WFH meals that might otherwise feel totally “blah.” (No offense to microwave pizza! She’s trying her best.)

Promising review:This is now a staple for my kitchen. How I cooked without it before, I’ll never know. Makes the best vinaigrette ever, quick pan sauces for pork, unexpected zip in dozens of dishes. Does it come in gallons? Have given it as hostess gifts several times and everyone gets hooked.” —Martha Ronemus

Get it from Amazon for $8.48.

 

18. A delightfully bendy desk lamp that not only charges right up with a USB cord, but will also serve as a port to charge your phone. Behold this glorious intersection of style and function!

It also comes with three different brightness settings, so you can adjust it as the light in your space changes throughout the day.

Promising review: “I could not believe the price for this, I love these gadgets. I didn’t even realize it had multiple light setting or that it was touch on and off. I just assumed it would be a cheap lamp with a simple purpose. It’s more than that. I am able to charge my phone while working and I don’t have to reach behind stuff to plug my charger in as it sits on my desk. The light has three settings and all are quite bright and the lamp itself bends if you need it to focus in on a specific spot. Got way more out of this than I would have expected.” —laura

Get it from Amazon for $13.94 (available in four colors).

 

19. A set of adhesive cable clips you can stick to your desk to keep your charging cables locked in one convenient place, so your desk doesn’t become a veritable jungle of cords that makes you wince every time you see it.

Promising review: “It was always a pain to reach down the side of my bed to reach my chargers, not to mention the wad of cables I’d have to sift through just to charge my phone. I finally searched for a solution and came across these. They’re great! They’re really easy to stick on and they stay in place. I haven’t had an issue of them falling off. Whenever I need to charge a device they’re right next to me, easy to reach and untangled. I definitely recommend!” —Nelis Perez

Get a set of six from Amazon for $6.97.

 

20. A miniature desk fan so you can keep cool without having to blast the AC through your entire space. Plus, all that cool air in your face will keep you energized and alert for all those Skype calls you gotta make at odd hours.

Promising review: “I bought this 4-inch table fan because my work area sometimes gets stuffy, and I just need a little air movement. It is BETTER than I expected — it is quiet, doesn’t take up much space, and recharges easily at a USB port. (It also comes in different colors — mine is turquoise.) if you’re looking for a small quiet fan, this is the one to get.” —Library Cat

Get it from Amazon for $12.99 (available in four colors).

 

21. Plus a tiny (and adorable!!) cactus humidifier that operates on a USB cable, so you can keep the air in your work space cozy and hydrating while you conquer the 57 tabs open on your computer one by one.

Promising review: “I LOVE these little humidifiers! I bought my first one to use at my desk at work, because the air is so dry in the building, and it has been a godsend. Not only does it help keep my sinuses happier, but it looks great too. I bought a second one for my nightstand that I use while I sleep at night, and they both work perfectly.” —Selene Schneider

Get it from Amazon for $14.89 (available in five styles).

 

22. A chic, waterproof desk mat to tie your office space together and protect your desk from scuffs and blots. As an added bonus, all the colors are reversible, so you can change your desk vibe with the season.

Promising review: “It’s a really beautiful desk pad. I love that the colors are reversible. Right now loving the purple for winter, but will switch to the pink side in the summer. Makes my work desk look more colorful and pretty! It feels like a good quality mat. The stitches surrounding the border are sewn on evenly and not cheap-looking. The feel is soft but durable. When I unrolled the mat, it flattened out easily and nicely without any creases or having to put heavy weights on the corners to flatten it out (unlike another similar desk pad brand that I bought for my home desk). As for function, I like that it also acts as a mouse pad for my mouse. Writing on paper with it underneath is not a problem, writing still feels smooth. Overall I love this beautiful mat.” —Jessica

Get it from Amazon for $14.44 (available in six color combinations).

 

23. An adjustable foot hammock you can easily install under your desk to keep your feet elevated (and maybe help you resist the temptation of spending the *whole* day working from your bed).

Promising review: “I ordered this hammock because it was the only one I found that offered universal installation AND positive reviews. I attached it to the holes in my work desk that are for cords and cables. It works perfectly!! Bonus awesomeness: I have a pinched sciatic nerve, and using this hammock provides the perfect stretch for the piriformis muscle. If you’ve had sciatic pain, you know this muscle. It’s also inconspicuous under my desk, so it doesn’t draw attention when I’m using it.” —AuntieD

Get it from Amazon for $19.89.

 

24. A sneaky lil’ adhesive utensil drawer you can stick under any desk for easy access to your pencils and Post-its — an especially convenient solution if you’re not planning to *always* be WFH, and just want a quick fix for a vanity or cheap desk in the meantime.

ALSO, this might be an easy way to “hide” your phone from yourself if you find yourself getting distracted every time the group chat gets lit.

Promising review: “The adhesive is very strong, adheres to my desk perfectly. I figured it could eventually weaken due to the pop-out action; however that was not the case still as sturdy as the day I got it. I love it, and I recommend it to anyone who needs a small drawer to keep pens and small desk items in.” —niko

Get it from Amazon for $13.95.

 

25. A set of elegant matching desk accessories to bring some order to your space. An organized space = an organized mind = you’ll be so good at working from home that you’ll be tempted to start a lifestyle blog about it (you do you, y’all).

Promising review: “I fell in love with this set the moment it came out of the box. It is sturdy, well-made and definitely worth the price. My living room is all pink and I just inherited my grandmothers writing desk so this fit in beautifully. I am a writer and like to make my writing space as inviting and lovely as possible. This desk set helps me keep my papers, mail, note pad, writing journals, and pens beautifully organized. Worth every cent.” —MRS

Get it from Amazon for $34.97 (available in nine colors).

 

26. A set of decorative succulents to give your space a sense of calm and order (and also to low key Instagram story your setup and show off your ~WFH aesthetic~).

Promising review: “Looooove these little guys. They look incredibly real, and give some life to the apartment. I have these on my coffee table and a few in the bathrooms. I get compliments on them all the time — just bought more for my sister!” —Lee A.

Get a set of four from Amazon for $24.99.

 

27. An adjustable, portable standing desk so you can break up the monotony of your day by standing for a bit and getting the blood flowing to your legs. Also a great solution if your desk is a little too low for comfort!

Promising review: “One of the best health investments of the year for me. This is so simple, yet so much thought must have went into designing it to make it stable, lightweight, ergonomic and sharp looking. A terrific under $40 investment. If you’re considering one of those $400+ standing desks, I would highly advise to give this standing laptop desk a shot first. I feel great standing up a few hours a day while tasking away and working hard. Great invention!” —Ben Grablachoff

Get it from Amazon for $34.99 (available in two colors).

 

28. A set of adjustable desk shelves to organize your professional knickknacks and make your WFH space feel dimensional and cozy.

Promising review: “Excellent product! I have been searching for an organizer to put on the top of my dresser, and I could never find anything unique, functional and not too big. I came across this organizer and took a chance since I wasn’t seeing it in person. I am so glad I did! The product arrived overnight (instead of two days) and was super easy to put together… just follow the pictures exactly as shown. They even included a screwdriver, so you don’t need anything extra to put it together. It is super cute, fun and fits perfectly. I definitely recommend.” —lmeglin

Get them from Amazon for $24.99 (also available in Black and Light Cream Purple).

 

29. A set of purrrfectly precious cat pens to set on your desk, for no real reason other than they will make you happy, and we all deserve a little happiness in our lives right meow.

Promising review:These pens write really well, are superfine, and pretty adorable. I didn’t think I would like them so much and was worried they would smear really bad (I’m left-handed), but they don’t. The caps stay on nice and tight, easy to stick on the end of the pen while you’re using it and they don’t fall off. Now I just have to make sure people don’t steal them from my desk…” —Laurabear

Get a set of six from Amazon for $6.99.

Next Page

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *