Ultimate Home Office Guide

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By Omar Shahine

Logitech makes really great peripherals. I have their mouse and keyboard (Logitech MX) and their best webcam. This is a true 4K camera and is a USB-C camera as well. Apple re-sells this camera for their XDR Pro Display which says a lot about the camera. It’s easy to set up and comes with a small privacy screen.

The Elgato Key Light is a high quality light that has adjustable brightness and color temperature. I believe that the number one thing you can do to improve your online meetings is to have great lighting on your face. The Key Light is attached to my desk with a mount that is adjustable. There is an iOS app and Mac and Windows app allowing you to control it.

The Elgato Wave 3 is a brand new microphone from Elgato. As such it’s not well known yet. I like it that it’s USB-C, and has a mute touch button on top that has a status indicator - this allows me to quickly mute and know that my microphone is turned off. It also has a line-in found on most mics for feedback when recording a podcast.

UpLift has a fantastic selection of stand up desks. They also have a number of really great accessories so that you can totally dial in your desk including power strips, cable management. Uplift was rated the best standing desk by Wirecutter. I love mine so much I got one for my daughter and will be getting one for my son soon.

The UDM-Pro is an incredible machine. It has a few important features: It replaces the need for a CenturyLink modem and it can provide a connection to two different internet providers, and automatically switch to the working Internet any time it detects an issue. It’s like having a backup generator for your power! It's like magic! Great for everyone working from home and those who have kids schooling from home as well.

I always need to look at a calendar and a few years ago I discovered an artist in Seattle that makes a Letterpress calendar. Each month has a beautiful illustration. All the calendars have a small little Easter egg for you to find (like Where’s Waldo).

Every year I purchase these as gifts for some colleagues at work.

This product sparks joy.

Dyson products command a high price and this lamp is no exception. This is a remarkable product though and it’s filled with numerous bells and whistles such as a light that changes color throughout the day, auto on-off, auto-brightness, and a cantilever design that is a joy to adjust.

You can find a perfectly suitable desk lamp for much less but if you are looking for something that is a fantastic light and looks like art, this is it.

I have used many pens in my life - and nothing compares to the feel of using this pen. It sits in a beautiful walnut and metal stand (that is very heavy and sturdy) and has a satisfying feel when using it. I use this pen a few times a day to just down notes on my sticky notes. Nothing is smoother than writing on the Schmidt P8126 rollerball.

I started off with the Monitor Stand when I had a single monitor, but recently I upgraded to the Desk Shelf.

Grovemade is a really remarkable company. When I think of craftsmanship - they hit all the notes. There products are hand made in Oregon and you really sense that artisans poured their hearts and souls into these products. I love looking at them and using them. They bring me joy.

If you have an iPhone 12 this stand can’t be beaten. It holds your phone in a floating configuration allowing you to rotate it and use it as another screen. It weighs a lot and won't move and exudes quality.

I sat in the iconic Herman Miller Aeron for many years. Great chair but doesn’t look good in my home (it’s got an office aesthetic) and it’s also a bit of a beast. When researching chairs I landed on the Herman Miller Sayl chair. I think the price point is right, it comes in fun colors and it has a great return policy.

Herman Miller products go on sale twice a year (15% off) and that is a great time to get them. My chair was delivered by FedEx in a HUGE box in just a few days. The box is so big my son played with it for days.

I like the mini version of this mat. It’s really important that you are not standing on a hard surface or even carpet and have a cushion as this helps minimize fatigue and also encourages movement and body shifting while standing. The original Topo is nice, but was too large for my space.