Whether you’re shopping for a special remote worker, or looking to give yourself the gift of productivity, this list of the season’s hottest tech tools and handy home office gadgets takes WFH to the next level.
Gifts for the Home Office Worker Who Has Everything
Compiled by the Worktank team in Seattle, our holiday shopping list includes a few locally curated finds, as well as several universally loved gifts available at major retailers.
AI-Powered Webcam
The Insta360 Link webcam makes collaborating easy. Beyond better audio and video quality, this tiny camera offers some extremely sophisticated technology. Because it’s AI-powered, simple hand gestures can signal the camera to track an IRL sketch pad or whiteboard while you work through ideas with a virtual audience, and it will automatically point down after 10 seconds of inactivity to offer you privacy. For those who prefer to walk around while in meetings or on calls, the camera will follow your movements, yet still focus on anything you bring close to the camera, and the active noise cancelling feature drowns out any background interference.
Excel Coffee Mug & Mouse Pad
Microsoft Excel reigns supreme when it comes to tracking, forecasting, and managing data, but who has the time to memorize all those shortcuts? Treat yourself, or someone else, to a handy cheat sheet for the desk. Covered with dozens of helpful shortcuts, the Excel Coffee Mug and Mouse Pad are useful in more ways than one. With these by your side, you’ll never have to Google how to remove duplicate entries from a spreadsheet again. (Hint: try Alt A+M).
Ergonomic Wireless Mouse
It takes a lot to improve on something billions of people use every day, but Logitech did it with their MX Vertical Wireless Mouse. The advanced ergonomic design and unique 57-degree angle prevents forearm twisting and reduces muscle strain by placing the hand in a more natural “handshake” position. In addition, the 4000 DPI sensor provides precise tracking that requires four times less hand movement than a traditional mouse with a 1000 DPI sensor.
Battery Backup Power
Winter, especially in the Pacific Northwest, means power outages. The Goal Zero Yeti 500X Portable Power Station offers a chance to remain productive and connected to colleagues during an often-ill-timed outage. Depending on which devices are connected (laptop, monitor, lights, etc.), this battery can keep you going for a full workday. As a bonus, it can charge via the sun or your car, making it great for out-of-office days at a remote campsite or the beach.
Noise Cancelling Headset & Mic
Whether working fully remote or spending a few days in the office, it’s important to have a headset that can adapt to an ever-changing environment. The Jabra Evolve2 75 Link380c MS Stereo Blk headset offers fully adjustable advanced active noise cancellation to suppress background noise and help improve your concentration and productivity, while the integrated HearThrough button allows you to tune into your surroundings without removing the headset. In addition, eight precisely placed microphones filter out ambient noise and ensure your calls are always crystal-clear.
Quality Lighting
While standard home office lighting may be fine for work, it doesn’t mean it’s ideal for video calls and virtual meetings. Paint yourself in your best light with the Key Light from Elgato. Set up is simple and the lights clamp easily to the edge of the desk so they don’t take up valuable floor or desk space. Controlled wirelessly via Bluetooth, the light temperature and intensity can be adjusted via the Elgato app, downloaded to your PC.
Mars Incense
Known world-wide, but located right here in Seattle, Blackbird is a fragrance design house specializing in incense and perfumes. Their incense cones are a vast improvement over candles from the big box retailers, and the Mars scent is a fan favorite, often sold out in local stores. Reminiscent of a quiet sanctuary in Dubai, Mars smells of warm spicy things and consists of imaginary resins from the red plant. The hand-formed cones last about 20 minutes, but the zen-like scent stays around for much longer.
Energizing Herbal Tea
We love our coffee here in Seattle, but sometimes we prefer a little wind in our sails as opposed to a turbo-diesel boost. The energizing Sweet Clarity tea from the House of Waris Botanicals does not disappoint. Founded by well-known actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia, House of Waris celebrates the notion that taking a moment to slow down allows us to achieve more as individuals and as a community. This particular blend of tea is formulated to bring focused energy, enhance cognition, improve circulation, and protect against daily stressors.
Moon Lamp
Give them the moon – literally. While it may not be critical to your productivity, this Levitating Moon Lamp is super cool to look at and has a distinct calming effect. The magnetic base allows the moon to float on air, and its NASA imaging design with real crater depth gives it a truly realistic appearance. Roughly seven inches in diameter, the moon lamp is an ideal size for a home office.
Give the Gift of Productivity to Yourself or Someone Else
This holiday season, make working from home work for you and the other remote workers in your life with tech tools and gadgets designed to enhance the home office. For more tips on home office setups, check out our review of Lighting Gear for Video & Virtual Broadcasts and Gamer Gear: Ideal for Video Conferencing & Virtual Broadcasts.
