Mr Viral
If someone in your life needs a home office upgrade (that includes yourself!), you’ve come to the right place. WIRED’s Gear team has been working remotely well before the pandemic made it a thing. And as WIRED’s resident home office product reviewer, I’ve been churning through dozens of standing desks, office chairs, monitors, and other desk accoutrements for more than five years.
Whether you’re tired of your loved one working at the kitchen table and complaining about how much their wrist hurts, or you just want to treat them, I’ve got several work-from-home gift ideas that can make remote work even sweeter. Check out my Ultimate Work-From-Home Gear guide for more recommendations.
Updated December 2024: We’ve overhauled this guide with new products.
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
A Lit-Up DeskBenQ ScreenBar Pro
Is your loved one always cowering over a keyboard in the dark struggling to type? I have used variations of BenQ’s ScreenBar lamp for several years, and they’re truly a must-have for any modern desk setup. These space-saving lamps hang over your computer monitor (yes, even curved screens), and shoot light on the desktop, blanketing it with warm or cool tones—you can set the brightness and color temperature. I usually leave it on when I’m at my desk working and turn it off when I’m playing video games or watching a movie (the light can cause some glare when you’re watching dark content).
The latest version is the ScreenBar Pro, which adds a much-needed motion sensor. That way, the light isn’t always on, and your giftee won’t have to remember to tap the touch-sensitive power button over and over again. Instead, when they grace the desk with their presence, it will illuminate, like Tony Stark walking into his lab ready to get work done. If you’re wondering how to put a webcam on top, BenQ has thought of that with a webcam mount for the ScreenBar. (You’ll have to adjust the angle of the webcam.) And if your giftee uses a laptop instead, don’t worry—I have also tested and like BenQ’s lightweight LaptopBar.
Photograph: Parker Hall
Upgrade Their VoiceSteelSeries Alias
One of the greatest joys of a Zoom call is when the person on the other end comments on your microphone quality. Yes, I should go into voice acting. Let your loved one’s coworkers hear their voice how it’s meant to be heard by upgrading their computer’s mic. The SteelSeries Alias packs a single, large condenser, and the quality is quite a good deal better than the mics on a laptop—I’ve gotten so many compliments. Unlike other USB mics like the Blue Yeti, it has a USB-C port for easy plug-and-play to most modern computers. It doesn’t offer many polar patterns (it only records the person in front of the mic), but there is a nice touch-sensitive button that turns the mic off—no need to reach for the mouse when the dog starts yapping during a call. It comes with a stand, but if your giftee wants to mount it on a boom arm, they’ll need an adapter.
The Alias is a great entry-level USB microphone, but check out our Best USB Mics guide for other options at varying budgets.
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