Though we’re now 8 months into this nationwide working from home experiment, there’s always an accessory that can take someone’s work-from-home (or distance learning!) game to the next level. I pulled together four essentials that have fueled my day-to-day workflow for the last few months! These gifts are practical, ergonomic, and functional—the three criteria I use to evaluate something for my home office before buying. Consider these an age-appropriate idea for distance learners as well. Looking for more holiday gift inspiration? Make sure to check out my other gift guides and my YouTube video below if you want to see how these products work for me!

A note: Some links in this may be affiliate links on which I earn a small commission at no cost to you. You can read more about my affiliate link disclosure here.

Laptop stand

By mid-April I began to struggle with back and neck pain due to my tendency to slouch and look down at my laptop screen. All it took was a month of working from home full time. This laptop stand, along with a better office chair, have completely straightened me out. The Nulaxy laptop stand fits most major laptops—I can attest up to 15”, the size of my laptop. The Nulaxy stand comes in three colors: space gray, black, and silver (mine), so the design options are industrial if you’re into that, as I am.

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Blue light glasses

I’m such a believer in blue light glasses that I have multiple pairs strewn about my house; nearly one for each room with a screen! Because I spend much of my day working on a screen before transitioning to content creation, blue light glasses help me avoid the eye strain I otherwise suffer without them. My favorite brand is Peepers, with stylish designs and colors for both men and women and options for corrective lenses. This gift is great as a standalone or as a piece of a “work from home” bundle (creating gift baskets is my favorite!). Or slip them into a stocking!

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Insulated cup/mug

Given the quantity of beverages I consume in a day, both hot and cold, it’s no wonder my insulated mug collection takes up an entire shelf in our kitchen. When working from the office it would be obnoxious to bring more than two Yeti or Swell mugs. But I feel no such shame working from home. Piping hot coffee? Check. Ice cold water? Check. Medium-cold smoothie? Check. Room temperature orange juice leftover from yesterday? Unfortunate check. If you’re looking to make this gift more personal, consider adding a pound of their favorite coffee, or a gift card to their favorite smoothie or juice bar.

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Headphones

I’m partial to Apple’s AirPods for my work because of their seamless integration with other Apple devices. I can switch quickly from video editing on my laptop to taking a call for work without skipping a beat. But if Apple isn’t your thing, there are plenty of affordable options. For example, if you need noise-canceling headphones to drown out the roommate who decided to vacuum at 3 pm or your kids calling—yet again—for help on their math homework, I swear by these Jabra 85h bluetooth headphones.

 

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Additional gift guides:

• Small Business Gift Guide
• Intentional Gifts for someone who has everything
• The Ultimate Planner Gift Guide