In case you’re seeking to take your desk setup to the subsequent stage, that is the information for you. Head under for a few of my favourite merchandise that may enhance your working setup, starting from equipment to decorations and extra. All of the issues on this record are issues I’ve personally used and might vouch for.
Wi-Fi 6E routers
Wi-Fi is right here, and it provides some substantial efficiency and reliability enhancements. In case you’re seeking to make an improve to your own home setup, now’s a good time to do it. Right here’s a rundown of Apple’s units that assist Wi-Fi 6E:
- iMac (24-inch, 2023)
- MacBook Professional (14-inch, Nov 2023)
- MacBook Professional (16-inch, Nov 2023)
- MacBook Professional (14-inch, 2023) or MacBook Professional (16-inch, 2023)
- Mac mini (2023)
- Mac Studio (2023)
- Mac Professional (2023)
- iPhone 15 Professional or iPhone 15 Professional Max
- iPad Professional 11-inch (4th era) or iPad Professional 12.9-inch (sixth era)
- MacBook Air (M3)
Our favourite Wi-Fi 6E {hardware} comes from Eero, which provides whole-home mesh methods at compelling costs.
Satechi desk mat
Visually, one in all my favourite upgrades to a work-from-home desk setup is the addition of a pleasant desk mat. My advice on this class comes from Satechi, which provides an eco-leather desk mat in a trio of various colours at a compelling $39.99 worth level.
I’ve been utilizing these for some time and discover them to be very sturdy and versatile, due to the dual-sided design. Notably, one of many sides doesn’t function a Satechi brand, which makes it the perfect facet.
200W USB-C 6-port GaN charger
You’ll be able to by no means have too many USB-C ports for charging your varied equipment and units. Satechi’s USB-C 200W GaN Charger packs six USB-C ports that may cost any of your equipment or units at full velocity.
I’ve grown to love having this factor on my desk, so I at all times have a spot to cost no matter system wants some juice at any given time. It’s expensive, however it’s well worth the funding.
OWC Thunderbolt 4 dock
One of many extra integral additions to my setup this 12 months was the OWC Thunderbolt Dock, a model we additionally went hands-on with earlier this 12 months.
The OWC Thunderbolt Dock I’m utilizing in my setup provides 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports with assist for as much as 40Gb/s switch speeds, 4 USB-A ports, an SD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, and gigabit Ethernet. I’ve the dock mounted on the underside of my desk, so it’s hidden and out of the best way, however its ports are nonetheless accessible.
Laptop computer stands from Twelve South
In case you or the individual you’re shopping for for makes use of a MacBook at their desk, the addition of a devoted laptop computer stand could be a appreciable ergonomics enchancment. I’ve been a fan of the Twelve South Curve for over 4 years and might extremely suggest it to MacBook customers.
Twelve South additionally provides the ParcSlope as an alternative choice for MacBook customers, and it even is available in an up to date matte black end that appears glossy on any desk.
Another choice from – you guessed it – Twelve South is the Curve Flex, which you’ll see above. This one incorporates a premium aluminum construct that’s adjustable. It may be raised or lowered proper to your liking.
Nomad Stand One
Nomad makes a few of my favourite equipment for iPhone, and the corporate’s newest Stand One is not any exception. The Stand One is a premium vertical charger with built-in MagSafe assist. It’s created from aluminum and options an built-in 2-meter braided USB-C cable. It could possibly cost your iPhone at as much as 15W speeds.
The Nomad Stand One is accessible in two colours: silver/white or carbide.
Whereas the Nomad Stand One is a beautiful iPhone charger, you may want one thing with a 2-in-1 design. My favourite choice right here is the Belkin 2-in-1 Wi-fi Charging Stand with MagSafe, whereas one other extra reasonably priced choice is accessible from Satechi.
This stand from Belkin is costly, nevertheless it incorporates a sturdy design with an upright MagSafe stand in your iPhone and an built-in spot in your AirPods within the base. It could possibly cost your iPhone on the quickest doable MagSafe speeds, as much as 15 watts. It makes use of a single-cable design for powering the MagSafe charger and AirPods charger.
Keychron Q5 mechanical keyboard
I made the leap to a mechanical keyboard this 12 months, and I haven’t appeared again since. I’m personally utilizing the Keychron Q5, which incorporates a backlit design, a built-in quantity knob, USB-C connectivity, and a customizable design.
Along with these advantages, I’ve discovered my change to the Keychron Q5 to be a big ergonomics enchancment. The elevated design has considerably diminished wrist ache throughout lengthy writing periods compared to one thing like Apple’s Magic Keyboard.
The Keychron Q5 is considerably expensive at slightly below $230, however there are additionally extra reasonably priced mechanical keyboard choices on the market. One among our favorites is the Logitech MX Mechanical wi-fi keyboard, which can be extra compact than the Keychron choice in addition to wi-fi.
Satechi headphone stand
Satechi’s 2-in-1 Headphone Stand is likely one of the issues on my desk that I get requested about most frequently. It incorporates a hook design to carry your headphones, with a base that doubles as a Qi charger in your iPhone or AirPods.
On the again of the 2-in-1 Headphone Stand are two separate USB-C ports. One among these is a UBS-C enter port that may be linked to energy, whereas the opposite is a USB-C output port.
The only USB-C enter gives sufficient energy for the Qi charger within the base, in addition to to energy the second USB-C output. The Qi charging pad gives as much as 7.5W of energy and works with any Qi-supported system, together with iPhones, AirPods, and extra.
Below-desk headphone mount
Another choice for headphone storage comes from Elevation Lab. The Anchor Below-Desk Headphone Stand mounts to the underside of your desk utilizing adhesive and might maintain as much as two pairs of headphones on the similar time.
HomeKit gentle strips
For accent lighting, you may by no means go incorrect with some HomeKit gentle strips in your desk. Whether or not you place them behind your desk or beneath, they’ll present atmosphere and personalization in your desk setup. HomeKit compatibility permits you to management the brightness and coloration out of your iPhone or utilizing Siri.
HomeKit gentle strips have gotten considerably cheaper over time, with choices now coming in at underneath $50 from dependable producers on Amazon.
Philips Hue Play Gentle Bar
The next-end choice for desktop accent lighting comes from Philips Hue and the firm’s Play Gentle Bar. These can present some lovely accent lighting in your workplace and desk, both with a stand or by being mounted to the again of your show.
These, nevertheless, are pricier than a primary gentle strip, and also you’ll additionally want a Philips Hue Bridge for full performance.
HomeKit desk lamp
Rounding out our concentrate on lighting is a primary HomeKit-capable desk lamp. You’ll be able to decide up a glossy HomeKit desk lamp from an organization like Meross on Amazon for underneath $50. I’ve personally been utilizing this Meross desk lamp for a very long time and haven’t had any issues with it.
The rationale I’ve included a number of totally different lighting equipment on this information is that I believe having delicate and customizable lighting round you might be nice for productiveness. That is very true should you’re working in a room or workplace with vibrant fluorescent overhead lighting.
Logitech MX Grasp 3S
I’ve been singing the praises of Logitech’s MX lineup of mice for years, and completely nothing has modified. The newest Logitech MX Grasp 3S is a supremely wonderful mouse in your Mac. Ergonomically, I discover it to be considerably higher than one thing like Apple’s Magic Mouse.
The MX Grasp 3S can be absolutely customizable utilizing Logitech’s Choices software program on the Mac. You’ll be able to assign the totally different buttons to macOS options, like mission management, expose, the app switcher, and rather more.
Below-desk Storage Shelf
On the lookout for a option to preserve muddle off your desk? This HumanCentric Below Desk Storage Shelf is a superb choice. It attaches to the underside of your desk utilizing adhesive strips and can be utilized to retailer issues like your keys, pockets, AirPods case, and extra.
This won’t seem to be essentially the most thrilling accent selection, however belief me after I say I’ve cherished including this to my setup.
Ember Temperature Management Sensible Mug
In case you’re a espresso drinker who finds themselves getting distracted and letting your espresso get chilly, the Ember Sensible Mug might help remedy that downside. There’s a companion app for iPhone that allows you to management the temperature, and the battery contained in the mug can preserve your espresso heat for as much as 80 minutes.
Below $20 WFH upgrades
To spherical out this information, I assumed it’d be useful to incorporate some extra reasonably priced desk and work-from-home equipment.
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