The essential tech and products for working from home
From noise-cancelling headphones to internet boosters, these products will keep you sane and efficient while working from home
Snailax Foot Warmer
Permanently cold feet? One of the brilliant things about working from home is that you can be as 'extra' as you like with your set-up without getting funny looks from your colleagues, or running the risk of them stealing your gadgets. Enter the Snailax Foot Warmer: a nifty, cushioned device which not only warms your feet, but massages them too, all while sitting discreetly under your desk. The only downside? You'll never be able to return to normal slippers again.
Bestlite BL1 Table Lamp
Locking down in winter means limited daylight and more hours spent working after dark. Invest in a decent (and stylish) desk lamp to lesson the strain on your eyes. We love this Bestlite Table Lamp from the Conran Shop.
Master and Dynamic noise-cancelling earbuds
Noise-cancelling headphones needn't be bulky. The Master and Dynamic MW07 Plus range are dainty enough to leave you feeling unencumbered, but the clever design ensures all other sounds are properly blocked out. Admittedly it was the elegant design and chic colourways that first attracted us, but the 10-hour battery life and 40-hour charging case plus effective protection from external noises make these earbuds a Culture Whisper team favourite.
Laptop table or stand
Ideally we will all be working at a desk with a supportive chair and an ergonomically adjusted screen, keyboard and mouse. But how many homes have the capacity for that? Especially when there are multiple people all working from home at the same time. This clever laptop table is a posture saver for when you are seriously limited on space. If your only option is working from the sofa or even your bed, the table goes over your legs so you don't have to hunch over the laptop or prop it up with pillows, and the small drawer at the side gives you somewhere to keep pens and notes. If you have a desk or table to work at, use it with legs folded down as a laptop stand to put your screen at a better angle so you don't get neck strain.
And this stand gets bonus points for not being ugly and for folding away for easy storage when not in use.
Self Control App
Force yourself to focus, or at least remove the option of procrastinating on Net-a-Porter with the Self Control app, available to download free for Mac and Google Chrome, The simple interface allows you to block certain sites, individually or as a white list, for set amounts of time. If you really don't trust yourself, you can also work with a white list where you select the (relevant, productive) sites you can look at while blocking out the rest of the internet. No cheating and bringing up the banned sites on your phone...
Netgear Wifi range extender
Make every room in the house a wifi hotspot with this easy plug-in extender. It adds up 1,200 sq ft of coverage and has the capacity for up to 20 devices. The dual-band technology provides up to 1200Mbps, which is plenty fast enough for video conference and hefty downloads. With no more huddling around the router, family members can spread out into different rooms to work (or just watch Netflix).
Smart TV Stick
Okay, so access to lots more TV channels won't help your working situation, but it will give you something to look forward to when you clock off. With the prospect of many more nights spent at home, now's the time to invest in a more comprehensive entertainment package so at least you can watch the films and box sets you actually want to watch. A NOWTV Smart Stick is an easy and affordable way to expand your telly horizons, with different passes tailored for entertainment, movies or kids.