One of my favorite parts about remote work is that I get to completely customize my WFH office setup myself. From the space I use to the decor surrounding me and the equipment I use – it’s all up to me. And that’s the case for everyone who works in a remote capacity. Here are some of my favorite things that make up the best remote work setup ever!
WFH Office Equipment
The greatest gift I ever gave myself when I started working from home was my standing desk. I was able to fully customize everything from the color of the legs and tabletop surface. It is fully motorized and was easy to put together myself when it arrived.
With my standing desk and under desk treadmill (listed below), I get in 5-10 miles a day of walking over the course of a few hours. I wish I could stand or walk all day long, but sometimes I need to attend video calls so for that, I need to sit. I love my light pink velvet rolling desk chair. It’s light and comfortable and it moves around easily. The height is easily adjustable too so I can frame myself perfectly in video calls.
I’m lucky enough to have a wonderful full-time remote job and employer who let me choose my own device as a part of my onboarding process. As an avid apple consumer, I went with the MacBook Pro. This thing is a beast but it’s totally worth it and it’s incredibly fast. I have had zero issues with my MacBook Pro and I highly recommend it to anyone in need of a new laptop.
When it comes to maintaining my website, I use my Apple MacBook Air. It was also a laptop that I picked out myself with my former employer, but when I was laid off, I was allowed to keep the device. I went with the Air because it’s light and easy to work with. It is the color gold but it looks more like a rose gold with a pink tone. I can tell the MacBook Air is more budget-friendly than the MacBook Pro in almost every way. It’s not as fast and doesn’t have as much space available as the more expensive option. But it does everything in WordPress and on LinkedIn that I need it to do for my consulting work in personal brand building.
I love my wireless keyboard and mouse and I hate traveling without them! It’s so nice that there aren’t any wires to mess around with on my WFH office desk and I can move the keyboard out of the way when I don’t need it. Because I use a laptop stand (see below) for my work laptop, I also like that the wireless keyboard can be used at a comfortable angle for my fingers and wrists. These came in a set and I only have good things to say about both.
Since my work from home setup includes two different laptops, I keep my MacBook Pro sitting on top of a laptop stand throughout the day. The laptop stand raises the laptop just enough to make me look better in video calls so that the camera isn’t going directly up my nose. When I’m not using my MacBook Air, I close it up and store it neatly underneath. It’s the perfect place to keep it out of of the way.
Once you go dual monitor, you never go back. So if you are happy using that small laptop screen, go right ahead. But if you’re ready for more work space and better organized laptop screens, jump in! I love using my second monitor to move files around and keep an eye on a document while I’m drafting something else. It’s great for editing or creating featured images in canva. I also love how large my second monitor is! It makes me so much more productive. I consider it essential WFH equipment.
Since there’s no going back once you start using a second monitor, really get serious about it by using a desk-mounted movable arm for the external monitor. This way, you can swivel the monitor in any direction and free up some much needed desk space too. It really makes for the ideal WFH office setup!
Remote Office Extras
When I first started working from home, I would deliberately use my breaks to get outside and take a walk around the neighborhood. Then I realized I could start relaxing during my breaks if I could do my walking while I was working. That’s when I researched and bought a treadmill to go under my desk as an important part of my remote work setup.
If you’re going to use a treadmill at your WFH desk, you need to ensure the flooring is safe. In order to use a treadmill on carpet, you MUST use a mat. If not, you might ruin your carpet or worse – start a fire or cause permanent damage. This mat is strong and durable but easy to move around too. My desk chair also rolls much easier on the mat than the carpet, so it’s a double win for my home office setup!
Sometimes I need to get off my feet but I want to keep moving at my desk. That’s when I slide the Desk Cycle under my office desk setup. This piece of exercise equipment is perfect for WFH life and it’s a simple way to stay on the move, even if you’re in a meeting.
Beyond Remote Work Tools
There is nothing I love more than a hot cup of coffee or tea in the morning. I spent years using a standard coffee maker and then a Keurig, but my favorite way to drink coffee now is using an electric kettle for pour-over coffee. And I have my best friend and partner to thank for that. If I had never met this British man, I would have had no reason to ever purchase a kettle. This kettle is exceptional because he can use the wifi settings to turn on the kettle so that it’s boiled by the time he gets out of bed. Then he brings me coffee in bed. Sorry, Amazon and Starbucks don’t offer that service.
I’ve been using the same OXO single serve pour-over coffee maker since 2019. Much like everything else that OXO makes, this one is designed for years of heavy usage. It makes great tasting hot coffee in a matter of minutes one cup at a time and I love it. It uses paper cone filters so it’s much more environmentally-friendly than those pesky k-cups. I can even compost the coffee grounds and filter afterwards.
Since I use so many devices as a part of my remote office setup, I also use a tabletop surge protector in a cube shape that includes standard power as well as USB plugs. It keeps my electronic devices safe and it’s easy to access all of my power sources from my WFH desktop. I can charge everything at once without a problem!
On The Go: Travel Essentials
Hardside Spinner 20-Inch Carry-On
This hard-sided suitcase is perfect for a weekend trip when I don’t want to check a bag. I can fit everything in here, including shoes and makeup, and the tough exterior keeps it safe from damage while traveling. I also adore the color – rose gold – a light pink. The wheels spin easily and glide over any surface without a problem. It also fits flawlessly in the overhead bin since it measures in at 20 inches.
This light pick duffel bag is the perfect carry-on that fits under the seat in front of me. I use this on every single trip I take, regardless of whether I’m flying or driving. It has plenty of pockets inside and strong zippers that haven’t failed me yet. It also slips conveniently into place on the handle of my rolling luggage.
I don’t know why I’ve been traveling without Apple AirTags for as long as I have! These things are genius! They set up in just seconds and several can be used at once so you always know where all your belongings are. These AirTags have given me much-needed peace of mind during my travel to the UK and back!
If you’re going to use AirTags, make sure you also pick up some holders so that you can easily attach them to zippers or keys or just keep them safe in a luggage pocket. These ones are waterproof, for extra protection, and they come with a variety of keychain attachments.
Flying with a laptop is stressful enough so keeping it safe shouldn’t be an added stress. This padded sleeve has a great handle for carrying and additional pockets for things like a notepad or charging cord. I really like the light grey color of this one and it’s done a great job of keeping my giant MacBook Pro safe on the go.
Have you ever checked into a hotel and then found that you can’t find the plugs or they’re just in the most inaccessible locations? I have so I’ve learned my lesson and always pack my travel power strip.
These travel shoe bags are a must-have for anyone. Truly. Just think about how dirty the bottom of your shoes are. Enough said, right? Do you really want all that stuff all over your nice suitcase or clothing? Probably not.
Door Stop Alarm & Portable Door Lock
I learned the hard way just how necessary it is for every woman traveling alone to pack one of these in their suitcase! In my New Jersey hotel room a few months ago, the door wouldn’t lock. I popped the battery into the door stop alarm and I slid the portable door lock into place to keep me safe at night. Both are incredibly easy to use and gave me the peace of mind I needed when traveling alone.
I keep my Birdie personal alarm dangling from my lululemon belt bag at all times. If I find myself in a threatening situation, all I have to do is pull on it to activate an alarm and blinking light. Know of a young woman going off to college or a female who travels often? Think about gifting her one of these Birdie personal alarms.
This luggage caddy cup holder is brilliant! Simply slide it over the handle of your rolling suitcase and it acts as a catch-all for everything travel related. It also holds your coffee cup or water bottle easily so you don’t have to set it on the dirty airport floor any longer. Genius!
With as much travel as I do, I can’t leave home without keeping all my charging cords organized so that I know where everything is and I can get to it quickly. I used to stuff everything into a bag but this travel cord organizer is a life-saver.
I like to be comfortable when traveling so these joggers are my go-to, especially on long flights. They’re stretchy and comfortable enough to wear for a 2 hour drive up to LA or a 6 hour flight across the country. I’ve even worn them for my 11 hour flight from London to San Diego. They come in a wide variety of colors too. Get some. You’ll thank me.
Sometimes when I check into a hotel, I need some air flow or just some white noise. This desktop fan is USB-powered and just the right strength for circulating air bedside.
I hate waking up in the middle of the night and forgetting that I’m in a hotel room only to find I forgot the layout of the room and it’s completely dark. Sure, dark rooms are great for sleeping through the night, but I tend to wake up in the middle of the night for a bathroom break. That’s when this motion sensor night light comes in handy. As soon as it sees me getting out of bed, it illuminates the room so I can make it to the bathroom in the dark.
With two sizes to choose from, these clear travel bags make it easy to store all my liquids in one and larger items in the other. I’m always worried about my lotion or makeup dripping or leaking and these bags do a great job of containing any potential mess. My lotion leaked during my trip to the UK and thankfully it didn’t make a mess of the rest of my luggage.
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