Working From Home Is Complicated, but These Tech Products Make It Simpler From endless video calls to busy households, these upgrades can help boost your efficiency.
By Sal Vaglica Edited by Frances Dodds
This story appears in the March 2022 issue of BIZ Experiences. Subscribe »
1. The toy chest for adults.
Everyone's favorite childhood toy earns a spot on your desk with this 4½-by-12½-by-5-inch solid oak drawer. Set the Lego Wooden Desk Drawer 8 ($220; lego.com) out on a workspace, pull out the drawer, then stash devices, Post-it Notes, that gaggle of pens, or whatever else is cluttering your desk. Or get more than one — both this 2-by-4 configuration, and the smaller 2-by-2 size ($130) are stackable (of course!) so you can build a wall of them.
2. The limber lamp.
Until the Edge Light by Lume Cube ($120; lumecube.com) came along, your desk required two lamps: a bright one for working and a more diffused (and flattering) source for video calls. The five articulating points on the 36-inch-tall Edge let you point the light in any direction — and because it has a softening lens, you can evenly flood yourself for Zoom meetings. The arm houses touch controls that let you dial in the LED bulb's brightness and temperature, with plugs to recharge USB-A and USB-C devices.
Related: 3 Smart Boards That Help You Work From Home
3. Your tiny office assistant.
When situated on a nightstand, the Lenovo Smart Clock 2 ($70; lenovo.com) gives you quick access to alarms with a soft white night-light, and it wirelessly charges a smartphone and watch. But on your desk, its 4-inch screen can display photos and calendars, play music, show the weather, and control your smart home's tech without occupying precious screen space on your laptop.
4. Smarter noise canceling.
When Amar Bose released the first noise-canceling headphones in 1989, they were meant to quiet the roar of airplane engines. Today, the technology is useful anywhere you work. The Bose Quiet-Comfort 45 ($329; bose.com) has plush, over-the-ear cushions for all-day comfort and the battery power to last 24 hours. Inner microphones pick up your voice, so you can wear the headphones for video calls. And if someone is talking to you, that person's voicerings clear — so you can hear the airport cashier say, "The Kind bar will be $9."
Related: These Tech Accessories Make Traveling So Much Easier
5. The better second screen.
Finally, a portable monitor as sleek and simple to use as a tablet. The Dell 14 Portable — MonitorC1422H ($270; dell.com) comes with a base that gives your setup an additional 14-inch FHD screen, at the perfect viewing angle, with independent controls for brightness. The screen has pass-through power so you can charge devices tethered to it when using an optional USB adapter ($56). But the key is the pliable, 39-inch-long USB-C cord that makes it easy to set the Dell to the left or right of your keyboard.
