According to WFHResearch, 40% of US employees work remotely at least one day a week. This means the chances you know someone who could use a boost to their work from home setup is high.
While working from home has its pros and cons, like being able to drink coffee in your pajama bottoms but having to resist the ever-present allure of your bed, as TechCrunch’s brand marketer (who works from home), I juggle a lot of daily tasks and sadly, napping is never one of them. However, through trial and error, recommendations and a lot of Amazon returns, I’ve found the best work from home gear to stay focused and productive.
Here are my six work from home essentials to gift the remote worker in your life.
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Wireless noise-canceling headphones
Price: $249 at Amazon
One of the main cons of working from home are the distractions. If your gift recipient lives in a city or has a roommate (as I do), I highly recommend wireless noise-canceling headphones. I use my AirPods for meetings, watching Instagram Reels (for research, of course) and moments when I need to be 100% focused on the task at hand.
For a breakdown of all the new features on Apple AirPods Pro 2, read Brian Heater‘s full review here.
POUT ergonomic laptop stand
Price: $69 at Amazon
Sitting for eight-plus hours a day can wreak havoc on your body, and while standing desks are an option, they can be expensive. Instead, I’ve opted for an ergonomic laptop stand, and my neck thanks me every day.
There are laptop stand options for every price point, but my favorite alternative to a standing desk is the POUT – Eyes 3 Lift — Ergonomic Laptop Stand.
The Eyes 3 Lift has 11 arm positions with a 0-180-degree range and four height positions: compact, sitting, standing and eye-level while standing. They’re designed to help alleviate neck, shoulder and back pain while working. POUT’s laptop stand only weighs four pounds, but can hold up to 22 pounds and folds down for carrying, making it a great gift for remote workers whether they work from home, a café or the beach.
LUXSURE selfie ring light
Price: $50 at Amazon
While not every remote worker needs to film TikToks like I do, a ring light can be a great addition to anyone’s WFH setup. After all, what could be worse than having poor lighting in a Zoom call? While that may be a bit dramatic, a ring light is an easy way to help any remote worker look more professional on camera.
To add a little light to a remote worker’s life (quite literally), I suggest LUXSURE’s selfie ring light. The tripod height level is adjustable up to 60 inches and is paired with a 10.5-inch LED light that has three color modes and 10 brightness levels, making it easily customizable to suit anyone’s WFH preferences.
This ring light is also the perfect gift for any TikToker, YouTuber or videographer in your life as LUXSURE’s ring light comes with a Bluetooth remote, two phone holders with adjustable degree ranges, a camera mounting option and a detachable tripod stick.
Ello 64oz water bottle
Price: $15 at Amazon
To make sure I stay hydrated while working, I bought a 64oz water “jug” from Ello. It is one of the best WFH purchases I made and my top recommendation for anyone looking for a gift this holiday season, even if it’s not a very “fun” one.
Ello’s water jug has a comfortable side handle for drinking, a large top handle for carrying, and time markers on the side to make sure you’re staying hydrated. But what convinced me to purchase the water jug was that it’s BPA free, has a leak-proof lid and, most importantly, it’s dishwasher safe.
Ello’s water jug is available in eight colors on Amazon for $15, making it a great gift for a buyer on a budget.
Wireless mouse
Price: $70 at Amazon
This is a slightly riskier gift since mouse and keyboard preferences can differ from person to person, but a wireless mouse is possibly the most essential work from home item, making it one of the best gifts. I suggest gifting an ergonomic mouse, like Logitech’s Lift Vertical Ergonomic Mouse.
The Logitech mouse is available in different sizes, small and large, and two styles, right-handed and left-handed. Not only does this mouse elevate your wrist to relieve wrist pressure and realign your arm and upper body for better posture, but it also has four customizable buttons, varying speed and precision scrolling modes, and it can connect to up to three devices, allowing users to work across multiple devices at once.
Logitech’s vertical ergonomic mouse is available for small to medium hands on Amazon for $70, and for medium to large hands, the Logitech MX is available on Amazon for $100.
Canva Pro subscription
Price: $120 at Canva
Canva, an online graphic design platform, is the first website I open in the morning when I log on and the last thing I close out of each day when I log off. It has helped me take TechCrunch’s social media presence to the next level.
Whether someone works in social media, graphic design, or simply needs to create beautiful presentations, a subscription to Canva Pro is a fantastic gift option (and significantly cheaper than other creative software suites).
With a handful of AI-powered “magic” tools, Canva is the perfect platform for any work from home employee that dabbles in the creative space.
To get the best bang for your buck, I recommend the yearly subscription of Canva Pro available exclusively on Canva for $119.99.
Bonus gift idea
I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t shamelessly say to make sure the remote worker in your life is staying up to date with all of the latest tech news by having them follow TechCrunch’s social channels. It’s a free gift that keeps on giving — and who doesn’t like free gifts?
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