Comfort, that’s the only thing that guarantees success when you work from home. There are no more mysteries and it is what you should look for if, for whatever reason, you are carrying out your professional activity within the home. So, if you are interested in achieving it, we will tell you taking advantage of our own experience how to create the perfect home office .
Where and how to work comfortably
Depending on whether you are going to work remotely temporarily or as something prolonged in time, you may be more or less interested in investing in certain equipment, but in both situations you should seek comfort first and foremost.
The great recommendation is to do it in a space dedicated to it. For example, setting up a small office or office in a room that, in turn, allows you to limit the work area of the leisure area. If it is to develop your professional activity always remotely it is something to value, but if it is not, it is complex. In addition, it must be admitted that not all of us have an extra room at home that can be “dispensed with”.
Therefore, depending on the options of each one, what you must be clear about is where you are going to place everything so that you do not have to go mounting and dismounting every day . And if there is no other remedy, let it be an efficient solution. So you have everything you need to do your job without wasting time. With this in mind, our recommendation is clear:
- Choose the most optimal workplace
- Place a desk suitable for your activity and devices or things you need to carry it out
- Take care of ergonomics
You fulfill the first point by looking for a place that is well lit, preferably natural light. Although you can also get some artificial light solutions. For example, if you need to buy a desk lamp the recommendation is clear, that you can regulate the color temperature and intensity . We gave you some ideas a long time ago, such as the Xiaomi lamp or even others with up to an integrated Qi charger. Although if you want to give it a touch of color, the catalog is also very wide.
With the controlled light, for the desk you can choose a table you have at home, or buy a tabletop and a pair of easels. Logically, if you are going to establish a fixed space, the options of desks that allow you to work standing and sitting are interesting. And not because you have to work 8 hours on your feet, but because there are times when certain activities are carried out more efficiently in that position.
What we do recommend is that you be comfortable at the table , that you do not feel “tight” if you need different devices in your day to day. As, for example, it could be the computer (laptop or desktop), screens, keyboard, mouse, speakers, notebooks, etc.
If for some reason you did not have the option of a dedicated table or one of the necessary dimensions, a great idea is to get a kitchen cart of those typical ones. In it you can create your popria charging station, storage of hard drives and other devices or accessories. With wheels you can easily carry it from one side to the other.
Finally, to work comfortably and ergonomically, a good chair. Here you do have to choose what type you need or want. These are perfect for improving your workspace or leisure , although if you are not going to buy any new chair, take a look at the chair cushions that relieve possible back pain, believe us they work.
Tips for having the perfect home office
Controlled the space and the basic elements such as lighting, table and chair where you go to work, there are other tips that you can take into account to further improve your work from home. So, we are going to see it one by one.
Use a second or larger monitor
If you work with a laptop, even if you are used to them, having a second screen is always recommended. Firstly, by using both you will gain desktop space and you could divide the documents you are working with into one and the other messaging applications, emails, etc. And secondly, because even using a single screen, if these are external you can have a greater diagonal and the ability to place at a much more comfortable height.
To work for many hours, our recommendation is to do it on an extra screen, if it is 27 inches, even better. This is an ideal size and you have very interesting options for price with resolutions that go up to 4K.
It is already a matter of choosing which option interests you the most. If you are going to use it in conjunction with the laptop screen or not.
Articulated arms for the monitor
If you have a fixed space in which to work, the best way to use your or your external monitors is the articulated arms . These greatly improve ergonomics in the workplace by being able to better adjust height and tilt. Also because they allow pruning to use the screen vertically, something that not all bases allow.
So for that and for other benefits like having a cleaner workspace and computer, the monitor arms are one of those must-have accessories when testing.
Laptop stands
If you decide to work solely and exclusively with your laptop, in addition to our next recommendation, a laptop holder can be very useful. And is that, raising the screen and placing it at eye level avoids possible postures that could trigger fatigue after long periods of use.
Here it is a matter of choosing the one that best suits your needs, if you want something fixed or better something portable that takes up little space when you want to collect the work area.
External keyboard and mouse
Again, if you work on a laptop at home, you should also work on an external keyboard and mouse . The reason is obvious, you are going to improve ergonomics. Because, as much as you are used to its keyboard and trackpad, with these you can place the laptop in a higher position and that will avoid possible problems or pain in the cervical area due to maintaining a position in which you look down for a long time.
There are many types and prices of keyboards and mice, but this is like everything: the better the device, the better the experience. The Logitech MX Master is a great mouse, but only if you are right-handed. And with the keyboards more or less the same, there are very interesting models, such as those that offer an ergonomic design. Some of our favorites are:
In terms of keyboards there are also multiple options, but again a good keyboard shows. Although the main thing is that the travel and resistance of each key is optimal for you. Here we could extend a lot and value from traditional options to mechanical or ergonomic. Some options:
These keyboards and mice are wireless, which brings benefits known to all. Although you must take into account not running out of batteries. Because it is true that they last a long time, but if by some chance you run out of them you will not be able to use them and that is a nuisance. So, it is best to get a charger and rechargeable batteries or take advantage of one of the many existing packs like these.
Isolate yourself from the noise
If you work alone or don’t bother anyone, speakers are always a great option. Because they are more comfortable than always having something placed on the ears, although these also have advantages if they provide noise cancellation .
As we have already seen on more than one occasion, having headphones with noise cancellation helps when concentrating if there is noise at home. Noise from neighbors or even other family members who are at home.
For comfort, quality and efficiency of its noise cancellation, the most recommended options are headbands. But you can also use other in-ear type or wireless button that are very comfortable during the day.
Chargers and power strips
With as many devices as phones, laptops, tablets, cameras, wireless headphones, etc., having everything you need to charge comfortably is important. Therefore, the starting point is to have a power strip with a sufficient number of outlets to cover the needs. Some options also include USB connections like this AOFO smart power strip , so you can reduce other chargers.
However, since many devices are currently charged via USB cables, it is best to use some type of multiple USB charger or wireless charging bases . Because you only have to connect the cables you need there when you want to charge several devices at the same time. You could even charge your laptop depending on the power you need and whether or not it has a USB port C.
As an extra tip that affects comfort in the work environment, have good cable management and organization . Achieving this is not complex at all, so we encourage you to do so. Even, taking advantage of what we discussed before, you can create that charging station in the lower tray of the cart where you will place everything you need to have your “mobile office” at home.
Give it a touch of color
As you can see, achieving a comfortable working environment is not complex at all. Many of the things you may already have, and improving it to create your perfect home office is a matter of making small investments in devices or accessories that really improve the time you spend with your professional activity.
So, do not forget to give it a touch of color or place some elements such as small plates or objects that give an organic touch to the space. Since you are at home do not make that corner a cold place. Of course, remember that no matter how comfortable you are, it is also important to take breaks and disconnect.
