IF THE Pandemic Era taught us anything about work life, it’s that work-from-home (WFH) is a lot harder than it sounds. Maybe you don’t have a dedicated home office, or you’re training a new puppy, or your neighbors like to throw midweek afternoon pool party ragers—or some hellish combo of all three. Whatever office setup you’re working with, there’s always a way to make it better, more comfortable, and more productive environment.
Start with your desktop. It is the center of your WFH day, after all. You want to surround yourself with handsome, high-quality decor and desk accessories that you can feel proud to show off. Because if you feel good, it’ll show through in your work. (Trust us, we’re pretty sure we read that somewhere …)
Read more: 40 Cool Tech Gadgets
Our home and gear staff personally tests hundreds of products every year. So, we wanted to find out which were the best desktop accessories for upgrading your WFH or home office setup in 2023. Here are our top 32 picks. Enjoy!
Best Desk Gadgets for Productivity
AVINIA Digital Timer LED Display Magnetic Countdown
Keep your meetings running on time and your productivity game tight with this futuristic timer. It’s the perfect analog accompaniment to keep you on task.
novium Hoverpen Interstellar Edition
This levitating hover pen is totally awesome and incredibly useful. Instead of always scrambling to find a writing device, keep this nearby and pluck it out of its magnetic forcefield whenever you need. We really are living in the future here folks.
Mind Design To Do List Notepads and Walnut Stand
This task card set comes with four months worth of notes for planning, allowing you to keep tabs of your daily to-do list and your long-term goals. The walnut stand is a fine touch to keep your tasks at top of mind too. Magnificent.
Statik Statik Magnetic Phone Holder for Laptop
Compatible with iPhone and Android, this magnetic holder fits onto your laptop and keeps your device front and center. The best part is how portable is it, allowing you to take it to the coffee shop or library for WFH outside of your actual home.
Satechi Lightweight Aluminum Portable Laptop Stand
Elevate your laptop literally with this deceptively simple stand. It brings your laptop’s monitor up five inches to a more ergonomic height, and this model folds down flat to take with you wherever you need to work.
reMarkable reMarkable 2 Essentials Bundle
Nothing kills productivity like distractions. Eliminate those nagging social media, news, and inbox alerts with this type-only keyboard that forces you to focus on nothing but getting your writing and note-taking done. No more excuses!
Arzopa 14.0″ Ultra Slim Portable Laptop Monitor
Double the monitors, double the productivity, right? Maybe not quite, but this compact external display extends your laptop’s screen real estate so you can get a whole lot more done.
Lume Cube Mobile Creator Kit 2.0
If you’re tired of looking like a Walking Dead extra in your hourly Zoom meetings, elevate your video conference calls with this clever multimedia setup that packs lighting, audio, and a desktop tripod into an all-in-one kit. It’s ultra-portable, too, so you can take your video calls just about anywhere.
Best Desktop Tech Gadgets
Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds
Now 17% Off
Sony reinvented the noise-canceling headphone game, and now it’s re-reinventing it with its latest WF-1000XM5 earbuds. The featherweight design is ridiculously comfy, and the 24-hour battery life (with the included charging case) is built to survive the longest work days and long-haul flights.
Whether you’re looking to keep your cash stash safe, hide your crypto wallet, or store prescription meds away from the kids, this next-gen Bluetooth safe is the perfect desktop security solution.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen, 2022 release) with clock | Glacier White, with Made for Amazon, featuring The Mandalorian Baby Grogu ™-inspired Stand
Few desktop gadgets pack more into such a tiny space as Amazon’s latest Echo Dot. It’s a premium speaker, web-connected toy, and voice-controlled smart home hub that fits neatly on your desk. We prefer this Star Wars bundle featuring a Baby Grogu-inspired stand.
Anker PowerExpand+ 7-in-1 USB-C Hub Adapter
Wrangle that rat’s nest of cables from all your desktop gear with this smart hub from Anker. It’s designed to be ground zero for tethering and hooking up your electronic gadgets in a single, easy-to-see place.
ESR ESR 10,000mAh Kickstand Wireless Power Bank
Now 38% Off
A reliable power bank is vital for any desk situation. This one from ESR has a built in stand to keep your phone propped so you can see notifications, navigate your podcasts and music, and help you scroll TikTok—on your break time of course.
Nimble PowerKnit USB-C Fast Charging Cable
Most of us don’t give the USB cables we buy a second thought. But these fast-charging alternatives from Nimble look great and charge your devices faster than the ones you’re probably using right now. Bonus: They’re crafted from recycled aluminum and plastic.
SteelSeries Apex Pro HyperMagnetic Gaming Keyboard
Now 25% Off
This ultra-premium keyboard is designed to meet the absurd demands of gamers with lightning-fast key response, a built-in OLED screen, and a disco-worthy light-up face—all of which makes it the perfect WFH keyboard too.
Glorious PC Gaming Race Model O Wireless RGB Mouse with Lights
Similar to the gaming keyboard, a proper gaming mouse can prove to be a huge hack for getting work done. This ultra-light Model O mouse is blazing fast, can be used wireless or wired, and comes with cool light-up features. Nice.
Best Desk Decor
Add a dash of “modern cabin chic” to your desktop with this next-gen electric lantern. The LED light core adjusts from a warm, campfire orange glow to bright white with the turn of the dial. It’s a task lamp or cozy ambient light—whichever the moment calls for.
Homedics Drift 11″ Kinetic Sand Table
This unique desktop accessory has all the calming effects of a Japanese Zen garden with none of the work. Use the companion smartphone app to direct the tiny rolling metal ball to create hundreds of patterns, with ambient lighting effects to boot.
American Plant Exchange 6″ Cast Iron Plant
Nothing literally livens up an office like fresh greenery. Even if your “green thumb” leans toward brown, pick up a few cast iron plants for your desktop and around your office. They’re almost impossible to kill, and trust us, we’ve (inadvertently) tried.
Courant Catch:3 Wireless Charging Station and Valet Tray
Ditch that cheapo $20 charging tray, and give your smartphone and other devices the desktop home they deserve with the Catch:3. Courant’s entire line of power accessories is sleek, handsome, and worth showing off.
This handsome mousepad is perfect for replacing that tired, old-school gel version you bought back in 2010. It’s made from minimally treated Horween leather vegetable-tanned in one of the country’s oldest tanneries. Bonus: It includes a microfiber carry bag so you can take it on the go.
Grovemade Wood Headphone Stand
If you’re rocking some of the best over-ear headphones from the likes of Sony and Bose, they probably look pretty sweet. Keep them out of your desk drawer, and show ‘em off by putting them on display with Grovemade’s handsome, solid hardwood headphone stand.
Best Desk Gadgets for Wellness
Grayl GeoPress 24 oz Water Purifier Bottle
Even though this Grayl water bottle is made for outdoor use doesn’t mean you can’t use it at your desk. Inside is its own special water filter that operates with a cartridge. Permission to fill it up with sink water or via water fountain granted.
GOFOIT Electric Heated Socks for Men & Women
There’s nothing worse than trying to work with cold extremities. This pair of heated socks will keep your feet (and toes, in particular) toasty warm so you can focus on the important things—like hiding from Zoom invites and getting lost in your new kinetic sand table.
Purple Royal Seat Cushion
Now 25% Off
Let’s be honest: Your desk chair cushion probably sucks. If you’re going to spend hours every day with your butt parked in it, why not upgrade to the best seat cushion money can buy? Purple’s simply named Seat Cushion brings everything about the brand’s next-level pillows to your home office.
Ostrichpillow Original Pillow
Bring your own zen sleep space everywhere you go—on your morning commute, your next long-haul flight, or to the office—with this one-of-a-kind nap pillow. It blocks out distractions, so you can literally nap anywhere.
GoveeLife Smart 10″ Mini Space Heater
Give your workspace a heated boost for winter with this 10-inch desktop space heater. It’s sleek, quiet, ultra-compact, and delivers a just-right level of toasty warm air directly to your face and hands while you work. Plus, the built-in handle lets you easily move it wherever you need it.
Working from home is a whole different kind of stress. Therabody’s latest Theragun Sense tackles mind-body wellness with a unique combination of the brand’s proven percussive therapy and guided breathwork. Now you don’t even have to step away from your desk to achieve maximum Omm…
Yeti Rambler 14 oz Stackable Mug
The latest Rambler Mug is built for, in Yeti’s words, “coffee, ramen, and ice cream.” The stackable design features a splash-resistant lid, an easy-grip handle, and it’s dishwasher-safe to boot. Bet your go-to coffee mug can’t claim all that.
Homedics Medium Room Tower Air Purifier T22
We hate to break it to you, but the air inside your house is probably dirtier than the air outside (seriously). Clean it up with Homedic’s almost desktop-sized air purifier that removes “up to 99% of airborne allergens like pollen, dust, and pet dander, germs, odor, mold spores, and smoke.”
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Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He’s kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South Africa, and survived a near-miss great white shark attack in Mexico. His travel advice has appeared on the websites for Forbes, Travel + Leisure, CNET, and National Geographic. He loves the great outdoors and good bourbon, and (usually) calls Tulsa, Oklahoma home. Mike also enjoys speaking in the third person.