How to set up a practical and productive home office for less

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With nearly a decade of freelance writing experience, I’m immensely familiar with making a living through remote work. Since the pandemic, I’ve transitioned fully to a work-from-home lifestyle, and I can’t ever imagine going back to the office. For me, the convenience of skipping the chaotic morning commute, saving on fuel costs, and staying in the comfort of my own space far outweighs any downsides that may come with working from home.

Remote work comes with its fair share of hurdles, like limited social interactions and reduced movement throughout the day, which can significantly impact your mental and physical health if you’re not prepared for it. But there are ways to combat all of these potential setbacks, such as investing in a walking pad and a comfortable office setup. Working mainly online can also affect your professional performance without the proper guardrails. You’ll find a unique set of distractions that can make focusing on work assignments and tasks more challenging. For example, if you’re in that workflow groove and the mailman rings the doorbell or your dog starts whining at the door, you don’t want to be interrupted and lose your momentum. For these reasons, creating a home office or workspace that fosters focus and efficiency is key to maximizing your productivity. 

If you’re new to working remotely or just want to upgrade your current home office setup, let my years of expertise guide you on this quest. We’ve listed the three areas that will be the most helpful to consider when creating a streamlined and efficient work-from-home office space tailored to your specific needs. 

Picking the right desk

It can be tempting to lounge on the bed or couch with your laptop all day when working from home, but it’s not conducive to a fruitful workday and won’t help your posture, either. Delivering your best work starts with proper focus and the right mindset, which is best achieved by sitting upright in front of a desk. Traditional desks that match your interior decor preferences are always a classic choice, but they aren’t your only options.

If you get tired of sitting around all day, a standing desk with adjustable heights provides a more flexible workspace, allowing you to sit, stand, stretch, or even get in steps by placing a walking pad underneath. You can find budget-friendly options for $150 or less, like the Mainstays Electric Standing Desk at Walmart. These types of desks typically use a motor lift mechanism to lower themselves up and down to the perfect height. Standing desks are often more compact and have a minimalist design, making them a practical pick for smaller homes and apartments. 

The one major drawback of the standing desk design is that most styles don’t have built-in drawers, so you can’t easily store or access your laptop charger, file folders, or office supplies. For those who require plenty of storage space, an L-shaped desk that fits into a corner of the bedroom or office offers ample room for whatever odds and ends you’d like to have nearby.  You can also find options that combine the classic desk with the modern-day standing style, like the Lark Manor Farmhouse L-Shaped Electric Standing Desk, which has one side that lifts to different heights. Since these desks are a larger piece of furniture, they will have a higher price point, ranging from $400 to $800, generally.

Mainstays Electric Standing Desk

Lark Manor Farmhouse L-Shaped Electric Standing Desk

What to place on the desk

Once you’ve got your desk sorted out, it’s time to consider what items will help you achieve your best work-from-home performance. Studies have found that 65% of Americans report symptoms of digital eye strain, which is a condition that causes eye pain or discomfort after staring at a screen too long. Screen and text size are two factors that can affect the severity of these issues, so investing in a larger monitor will help keep your vision from going blurry after a long day of work. 

You can set up your workstation so that your laptop connects directly to another monitor upon launch, and it also provides more screen space to spread out internet tabs and run various programs. If you opt for an extra display, a laptop stand can also increase the functionality of your setup by putting them at the same height for a better flow. If you choose one, like the Lamicall Adjustable Laptop Stand at Amazon, you can also raise it to the optimal eye level, which can lead to improved posture for less stiffness in your neck or shoulders. 

We also suggest adding a full keyboard and wireless mouse to your desktop, so you’re not limited to the compact keys and trackpad on your laptop. These computer accessories are quite affordable, with bundles around $20 if you find the right deal. 

For those who live with loved ones or roommates, perhaps the most important item for your work-from-home arrangement is a pair of noise-canceling headphones, so background conversations and loud noises won’t be a distraction. I personally use the JLab JBuds Lux Active Noise-Cancellation Headphones, which I ultimately picked for the aesthetically pleasing colorways and stylish look, but the sound quality and noise-canceling technology are just as impressive, especially at the price point of $80 or less.

Philips 24-inch Frameless Full HD Monitor

Lamicall Adjustable Laptop Stand

Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

JLab JBuds Lux Active Noise Cancellation Headphones

What to place under the desk

If you sit in a subpar desk chair for an entire 8-hour workday, you can be left with a sore neck, hunched shoulders, and lower back pain. Investing in an ergonomic office chair is essential for any proper work-from-home setup. With a former workplace buying your previous chairs, it can be shocking to see how expensive these decked-out office chairs run, with premium leather versions easily costing over $300. You don’t need anything fancy, but you do want to consider if the chair has a headrest, armrests, and adjustable heights. You can find options, like the Casabay Ergonomic Office Chair, that will fit the bill for under $50 at Walmart and Amazon. 

Another commonplace issue for remote workers that frequently goes overlooked is decreased physical activity. No longer are you walking to the bus station, through the parking lot, or around the company’s corridors each day, so you’ll have fewer steps and fewer calories burned, which can lead to unwanted gains on the scale (and that’s not even mentioning the constant snacking that’s an option while at home). Investing in a walking pad, which is basically a flat treadmill, takes under $100 with the right deal, and you can set it at a snail’s pace, so you can keep working, typing, or making phone calls while getting in that extra movement your body requires. It is important to note that a walking pad will require a standing desk to work efficiently.

Casabay Ergonomic Office Chair

Rythkore Walking Pad Treadmill

Why should you invest in a better home office setup?

Remote workers can have even closer eyes on their work performance, and taking time to streamline your work-from-home setup improves your day-to-day capabilities. By investing in a monitor, headphones, and these other work-from-home essentials, you can eliminate distractions and increase focus to help you knock out tedious tasks and assignments more quickly, which means a better evaluation once it’s time for employee reviews.