Are you curious about peculiar products that improve working-from-home?
When you search online for products suited to remote working, you almost always end up on sites aimed at technology (like computers) or ergonomic furniture. To be sure, these are vital components of a work-from-home setup. This post, however, explores some less obvious items. These, too, can improve your remote working practice, often with minimal financial commitment.
We’d love to hear about any peculiar items you may have discovered. You never know; they could become the next big thing. wofome is a great place to showcase this.
Here are some peculiar products we’ve uncovered:
Desk lamps that can double as video lighting
If you research video lighting online, you often end up at video/photography websites. The lighting solutions they promote are usually purpose-built and carry a high price tag because they are classed as professional photography/videography equipment. They typically come with all kinds of features such as correct colour balance and many accessories like tripods, filters, screens and more.
At the other end of the scale, you can find many cheap video light options on websites like Amazon. Probably the most common one is the ring-light.
There is nothing wrong with any of these.
But what if you could use your humble desk lamp and achieve the same (or a similar) result? What’s more, it has a dual purpose; a desk lamp (most of the time) and a video light when needed. This recommendation is for people using a video camera while sitting at a desk.
Temporary, easy, rapid-deploy backgrounds
If you work from home, chances are your workspace is very comfy, just the way you like it. Maybe it’s not always as tidy as you’d like. That’s okay – until you have a visitor (whether in-person or on a video call). Have you ever heard the phrase “at that moment, I wish the ground swallowed me up” (or something similar)?
What to do?
Here’s a simple way to hide a messy background. These are cost-effective, rapid-deploy screening options. Some you can implement yourself, with a bit of creativity.
Free, professional-looking backdrop
If you work at home for an organisation, here’s a way to get a professional-looking screen to create a divider between your workspace and the surrounding area. What’s more, you should try to get this for FREE.
Your pitch to your organisation should be:
- do you want me to look more professional?
- can I advertise our company logo on your behalf?
- do you want people to see you are proactively equipping your remote workforce?
- I’ll give it back if I leave the organisation.
Spill-proof cup holder
Do you keep a drink on hand when working at your desk? Do you have any electronics on your desk? Are you ever worried about a spill? We highlight this addition because it’s happened to many of us already. A laptop on a desk is so low-profile – it’s just the wrong (right?) height for an approaching coffee tsunami. Like open mouths, the USB ports sit there waiting for their first (and final) coffee fix.
Please don’t risk it. You can find these items in many online stores. They are usually priced below $10. Compare that to a $1000+ laptop. The math is compelling.
To sum up, peculiar products are things we often discover or invent. We would love to hear about any extraordinary items you have discovered or invented.
