Technology Upgrades That Actually Make You Want To Work In Your Home Office

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If you work in a home office, following our two-desk design tips can maximize space and functionality and hopefully help you work with your partner in peace. You might even avoid home office design mistakes that ruin your workflow to keep your productivity from taking a nosedive. But if you still find yourself longing for an office cubicle, give your space some technology upgrades. Don't worry — you don't have to trade in your desktop for a fancier version or ask your stingy boss for some home office allowance to accomplish it. Some simple additions are all you need.

To get started, try switching your regular mouse with a vertical model to keep your wrists happy and pain-free. Similarly, investing in some smart lighting options, like bulbs, recessed pieces, strips, or lamps, can make your home office more comfy and inviting. If you want to connect your laptop to multiple monitors or are frustrated with the lack of charging points near your desk setup, a docking station and charging port combo will take care of these issues. And if you do have some home office allowance set aside or are your own boss and don't mind spending on swanky gadgets, invest in a digital notebook and smart assistant device to attend video calls and jot down notes in style.

Start by assessing the lighting in your office. Is it too dim? Is it difficult for you to focus on your documents? Or does its glaring glow give you headaches after a short while? Whatever be your concern, the good news is you can take advantage of beautiful home office lighting ideas to maximize your productivity. The tech upgrade here is to turn to smart lighting options, such as Kasa's Wi-Fi Bulbs. They self-adjust their color from warm to cool whites based on the amount of natural light your office receives. You can even control the bulbs with your phone and set timers with domestic assistants, like Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

If your issue is wrist ache from all the click-click-clacking on your mouse, try out a vertical model. Lekvey's Ergonomic Mouse is wireless, rechargeable (so you won't have to constantly flip batteries), and compatible with multiple Windows operating systems. That being said, it isn't compatible with MacOS or Apple devices.

Want to connect your basic laptop to several monitors, keyboards, scanners, or printers? Get a docking station for your home office. LIONWEI's USB-C Docking Station is a good option. This 13-in-1 triple-display multiport adapter will make you long to work from your uber-technical and sophisticated home office setup. Plus, if you don't have multiple charging points near your desk, this device can double as a multi-port charger and simplify your life.

If money's not an issue, give your home office some swanky technology upgrades. A digital notebook is great if you like taking notes by hand but don't like typing them out again on your device or painstakingly maintaining a picture folder of them on your phone. One option is reMarkable's 10.3-inch Writing Tablet, which comes with a marker, pen, and built-in eraser. Plus, it feels like paper, so you won't miss your favorite notebooks when jotting down your work or reviewing digital copies of physical documents. The best part, though? You can turn your handwritten scribbles into neat, typed-out text with a simple tap. Sharing your files is easy, too.

Of course, maybe you're on a budget or attached to your iPad. Not to worry! Buy a paper-feel screen protector such as ESR's 2-Pack Anti-Glare Tempered Glass. The matte writing film will make you feel like you're on a digital notebook without the heavy investment. Just be sure to check that it's compatible with your device model before ordering one.

Finally, get a smart assistant device to help you out with your day-to-day operations. Amazon Echo Show 8 comes with spatial audio capabilities, a smart home hub, and Alexa. Moreover, you get to join all your video calls with a simple voice command, so you won't have to set them up yourself or miss your in-office assistant. You can even keep track of your calendar so you don't miss out on important engagements.