Hybrid work is all the rage these days, but the adjustment to working from the office some days and home (or wherever) on others is tricky. Some mornings you have to commute, others you just kind of walk to the kitchen or something. Wherever you're working from, a few gadgets here and there can make the workday a little more bearable, and make you a little more comfortable and efficient.
Best tools for hybrid work
A telescopic laptop stand is a godsend for when you want to stand up to work, but a portable one is even better, because it means you can stand or sit in your home office or work office with no problem. Try this one from Nulaxy ($56.89), which swivels and folds up for easy carrying.
If you have to haul your computer or other work materials back and forth when you commute, the Matein backpack ($21.98) is a good choice for a commuter bag. It has multiple large compartments and small pockets, plus a built-in USB port and charger for your tech. Don't let the price fool you, either: CNN says this cheap backpack offers enough features to compete with others that retail for nine times as much, so before you consider one of the pricier options, try this one on for size.
The Pinch Provisions “Work From Anywhere Kit” ($36.99) is a small pouch with a big assortment of tools, including a notebook and pen, a tablet stand, cord organizer, and charging cables, so you can stash it in your bag and use it wherever you’re working on a given day.
Pick up the Rocketbook reusable sticky notes starter kit ($23.99) to make sure that whatever you jot down at home is accessible at work and vice versa. With regular sticky notes, wherever you stick them is, well, where they’re stuck, so if you need that information while you’re working in another location, too bad. These, though, are scannable and whatever you write on the reusable notes appears in your Rocketbook app and in your cloud, so even those of us who still rely on handwriting our to-dos aren’t left adrift on out-of-office days. I use these every day and have found they stay sticky and erase easily, plus having my notes on my phone is just super convenient.
When you’re home, you get used to having all your tech charged up, but when you have to commute back and forth to work, it’s easy to forget all your cords and wires. The Rorry portable Apple Watch charger with built-in cables ($27.98) can charge your watch, phone, AirPods, or iPad on the go, so you’re never trekking home from the office without access to your devices. Plus, it’s little and the cords tuck into the sides, so you can just toss it in your bag without worrying about a jumbled mess. Check out this video review to see some praise for its surprisingly fast charging abilities.
One of the best things about working from home is getting to eat your own food whenever you want. Replicate that experience by bringing some to the office in the Umami Bento Box ($26.72), which has space for everything you’d eat at the comfort of your own table: Four utensils, two sauce jars, and two dividers. Plus, it’s leak-proof. I've had mine for about a year and it still seals as well as it did on the first day, which the interior of my bag is grateful for.
Hear me out: You don’t have to sacrifice your comfort on in-office days as long as you pick lounge pants that look like work pants. Men, these G Gradual sweatpants ($33.99) have the pleats, waistband, and fly of their business-casual peers, but they’re secretly soft. Ladies, try the Yogipace yoga pants ($37.99), which have belt loops and a chic cut that sure make them look like their itchier counterparts.
A portable dual monitor lets you replicate the in-office experience at home or amplify the work you can get done in the office as it is. Teamgee sells one for $214.99 that gives you two extra monitors on the side of your laptop, letting you, theoretically, do three times as much work (or just your normal amount, but easier). If you don't need it to attach to your laptop, PC Mag recommends the ViewSonic VA1655 ($104.49) for its "sophisticated on-screen display."