5 must-have items for a great remote office

With a desk job, we tend to spend a lot of time at our desks. You probably spend more time sitting at your desk than you do walking. In recent years, we have seen a revolutionary switch from traditional offices to remote offices. With this in mind, it’s essential that employees are provided with the best supplies for their remote offices. In this blog, we’ll walk you through 5 must-have remote office items.

Start with a productivity-boosting monitor

When you’re working remotely, it’s important to enable efficient workflows. One of the best ways to achieve this is to invest in a second monitor. Monitors have become a true necessity in any (remote) office. And that’s not without reason, because it allows you to view and interact with several windows at once (instead of having multiple windows open on a small laptop screen). From the ergonomic perspective a second screen is a must have to prevent a bended posture towards your laptop. This unnatural bended posture is one of the biggest causes of neck and back injuries. Once you start using a second monitor, you’ll never go back.

The ideal office chair

You sit in front of a computer for most of the workday. Whatever you’re working on, your body is in a static position for hours at a time. The ideal office chair will make your body feel great for years and, in fact, prevent it from feeling bad in the first place. In our blog on how to work ergonomically, we go into detail about this. But what does that mean exactly? How do you recognise an "ideal" chair when you see one? What features should it have? And how can you tell if it will give you all the benefits of an office chair?

The best way to answer these questions is not to look at what other people have, but to think about what your body needs from a chair. You can do this by asking yourself which parts of your body start aching first when you experience discomfort. For example, it might be that you quickly experience problems with your lower back. Or maybe it's your shoulders that start to hurt. From there, you can find a chair that provides support for those specific areas!

Ergonomic keyboard and mouse

One item you can't go without is a good keyboard, especially if you type a lot. An old-fashioned typewriter kind of keyboard, where all the keys are the same distance from each other, is bad for your hands and wrists. What's even worse is a computer keyboard with flat, flimsy keys which can easily get stuck. If you want to avoid injuries, like carpal tunnel syndrome¹ or RSI², you require an ergonomic keyboard. There are several options to choose from; but if you want to be kind to your body, look for one with big spaces between the keys.

A good mouse is also essential. The standard mouse with three buttons at the top isn't optimal for your hand or your productivity. There are lots of other options that have at least two more buttons below those three, allowing you to interact with your computer intuitively and efficiently. You can get by with just three buttons, but four or five are better to prevent arm and wrist injuries.

Put your laptop on a pedestal

The laptop stand is a must-have item for a great remote office. It allows the laptop to be placed at an angle that makes it easy for the user to see the screen without compromising their posture. There are many types of stands available, but it is critical to find the one that will work best for you. The height of your desk, chair, and torso are all factors to consider when buying the laptop stand that’s perfect for your remote office.

Cancel the noise with noise-cancelling headphones

Noise-canceling headphones are ideal when you work remotely, as they are one of the most effective aids to concentration. Noise-canceling doesn't mean that they block out all sound, but instead they produce white noise that cancels out or masks specific sounds, allowing you to work without distraction. Ideal when employees live in a busy household, for example!

At Workwize, we are supplier independent. For that reason, you will always have an assortment of more than 100,000 products at your disposal. Together with our experts and the wished of your company we will make the perfect catalog meeting your wishes.

We believe that a great remote office doesn’t just end with the right supplies. In order to onboard employees remotely, they may require additional supplies. For that reason, we do not only provide everything you need for a great remote office, we also offer mobile phones, laptops, and company merchandise on our platform - all the things a new hire needs to easily integrate into the company from day 1.

Interested? Schedule a call with one of our consultants today to learn more about remote office best practices or drop us a line on the contact page.

¹Carpal tunnel syndrome is explained by the NHS as: “Pressure on a nerve in your wrist. It causes tingling, numbness and pain in your hand and fingers. ”

²RSI is explained by the NHS as: “A general term used to describe the pain felt in muscles, nerves and tendons caused by repetitive movement and overuse.”