Professionalise your home office

published 19 June 2020

Treat yourself to the best laptop you can buy

Laptop computers don’t get much better than Apple’s MacBook Pro, says Joseph Green on Mashable. “It has everything you need to work efficiently and a whole lot more to keep you entertained.” It has a ninth-generation, six-core Intel Core i7 processor, a six-speaker sound system, and a “stunning 16-inch Retina display with True Tone technology”. The battery should last a working day, only needing to be plugged in after 11 hours. The Touch Bar is also a nifty feature, placing keyboard shortcuts front and centre. “If you can get over the massive price tag, this is probably your best option for working from home.”

The work from home situation may not be “quite as temporary as we thought” for many workers, say Jeremy White and Chris Haslam on Wired, so it makes sense to invest in the best kit and “add a touch of inspiration”. The Form3 3D Printer fits the bill. Unlike typical 3D printers, which “squirt out molten plastic”, the Form3 uses ultraviolet light to “cure liquid resin into a solid”. The results are “exceptionally crisp and clean, ideal for prototyping and small-scale production runs”. It’s controlled using intuitive 3D-design software and connects to Wi-Fi. The basic package includes all the essentials you need to get started and additional resin is available.

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When it comes to office chairs, Herman Miller is “very much the big name in the market”, says Max Freeman-Mills on Pocket-Lint. Its Aeron Office Chair is “about as comfortable, supportive and adjustable as a chair can be”. The mesh back allows your body to breathe, the armrests make it very comfortable and the modern aesthetic is pleasing. “If you’re looking for a chair you can trust to keep your back happy, this is a safe bet.”

Though most laptops include built-in webcams, they tend to be “fairly basic”, says Cliff Joseph on ZDNet. Business users who want to project a more professional image could do with a dedicated webcam, and Logitech’s Connect is a versatile option. It is designed to sit on a desk rather than be attached to a computer screen and the lens view is adjustable through a handheld remote control that allows you to pan and tilt the lens. The camera provides 1,080p and 720p video modes, with four times digital zoom and a 90-degree field of view that allows users to step back if they need to give a presentation. It has two internal microphones and also works as a speakerphone for audio calls.

Working from home means that noises once absent from the work place become part of your daily environment, says Gregory Han on Design Milk. Children, pets and the washing machine can make it hard to concentrate. A pair of active noise-cancelling headphones, such as these Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9s, can help. This comfortable and stylish pair from the high-end Danish luxury brand features advanced active noise-cancelling technology and 25 hours of playtime. If you need to hear what’s going on in your surroundings, “transparency mode” can be turned on with the dedicated button for voice assistant, from which you can also request your favourite song, the weather report, and get your latest notifications.

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Nic studied for a BA in journalism at Cardiff University, and has an MA in magazine journalism from City University. She has previously worked for MoneyWeek.