As companies adopt remote and hybrid work policies, more employers are offering work-from-home stipends to help teams enhance their home office setup.
A work-from-home stipend, or home office allowance, is a sum of money offered to employees to cover a portion of the cost of working from home. The amount and frequency of the stipend will vary depending on the employer. Often times it will be a flat allowance that can be used to purchase equipment or supplies, but some companies may even offer a recurring allowance to cover the cost of monthly expenses.
If you’re given the benefit of using a work-from-home allowance, here are 8 products you can buy to make your home office more worthwhile.
What to Buy with Your Home Office Stipend
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1. Chair
Gabrylly Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair
If there’s one thing to splurge on, it’s a chair. Since it’s where you spend most of the work day, a comfortable chair is an essential investment to any home office.
Consider this Gabrylly office chair, which comes in at just under $290 and features an ergonomic design that makes it suitable for any home office. Some reviewers have even compared it to the coveted Herman Miller brand, which often sells for nearly triple the price.
The chair rates at about 4.4 stars with over 6,400 reviews.
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, try this KERDOM chair is $130. For a limited time, Amazon is offering a $10 coupon that can be applied to the purchase.
It rates higher than 4.5 stars with over 250 reviews, and many reviewers have highlighted the easy assembly, stylish and sturdy design, and comfort level.
2. Monitor
Working with two separate screens is so much easier than working with one, which is why our next recommendation is a monitor.
With a monitor in your home office, you’ll be able to work with more screen space, and you won’t need to fit multiple windows on one screen anymore. Just pull up a reference document on your laptop, then work out of your monitor. (For accountants, it’s great when you need to reference a prior year file.)
This Acer monitor comes in multiple sizes with a price point that ranges from $125 to $200. It’s highly rated at 4.7 stars with over 37,500 reviews.
3. Monitor Desk Mount
VIVO Single Monitor Desk Mount
Want a monitor, but don’t have the desk space for it? That’s what a monitor desk mount is for. Not only will it elevate your monitor so that it’s eye level, it’ll also clear up some valuable desk space.
This adjustable monitor mount from VIVO holds a single screen up to 22 pounds, and its simple design means it’s not too distracting on your desk. It boasts a 4.6 star rating with over 10,700 reviews.
4. Laptop Stand
Don’t underestimate the benefits of a good laptop stand. Not only will it help with good posture, you also won’t have strained or tense neck muscles from staring at a laptop on your desk. Get a laptop stand, and keep your laptop at eye level while you work.
Consider this laptop stand from Rain Design, which might just do the trick at just under $40. It sits at an incline to make for a more convenient typing experience (although we’d recommend a wireless keyboard instead) and includes plenty of space underneath to store your office supplies, such as a portable hard drive or a keyboard.
It rates an impressive 4.7 stars with over 11,200 reviews.
5. Wireless Keyboard
A wireless keyboard is often times more comfortable than using your laptop keyboard, especially if you choose to have your laptop raised on a stand. Get an ergonomic one, and your wrists will thank you in the months to come.
This keyboard from Logitech features a curved layout with cushioned palm rests for ergonomic support. It also boasts a battery life of up to three years.
It’s rated 4.6 stars with over 18,400 reviews and comes in at under $25.
6. Wireless Mouse
Don’t just stop at a wireless keyboard, get a wireless mouse too. A mouse makes it easier to scroll through screens and relieves pressure on your hands from using the trackpad on your laptop.
Logitech comes in handy again with their wireless mouse, which is compatible with both PCs and Macbooks. Similar to their wireless keyboard, this mouse has a 3-year battery life and includes an auto-sleep power-saving mode. It also features hyper-fast scrolling capabilities and customizable buttons that allow you to create shortcuts, such as forward and backward buttons.
It’s priced at less than $35 and rated 4.6 stars with over 5,500 reviews.
7. Docking Station
Hiearcool Store Laptop Docking Station
Laptops these days don’t seem to have enough USB or HDMI ports, and when you want to connect your laptop to a monitor and a wireless keyboard and a mouse, you need a lot of ports. That’s where a docking station will come in handy.
The Hiearcool Store offers this laptop docking station that’s compatible with both Windows and Macbooks. It features several ports for different types of USBs, VGA, ethernet and HDMI connections.
More than 6,900 reviewers have rated it 4.3 stars. Amazon sometimes offers a 10% savings when you apply their coupon, but it’s regularly priced at just under $80.
8. Desktop Vacuum Cleaner
ODISTAR Desktop Vacuum Cleaner
Ever notice crumbs in your work area? Or dust or paper scraps or pet hair? Mini vacuum cleaners are unassuming little gadgets that will keep your desktop clean.
Consider this desktop vacuum cleaner from ODISTAR. It may be small, but it’ll pick up the mess on your desk without taking up too much space. The battery-powered version is priced at less than $15, and the rechargeable version without batteries at less than $20. It’s rated 4.3 stars with over 8,400 reviews.