What I Use

I’m always making recommendations about one thing or another, so here are all the tools and gadgets that I use myself, day in day out! Always welcome thoughts and ideas, and hopefully might give you some inspiration as well. I’ve included the Amazon links on all the items—please note that I may earn a small commission if you purchase items following these links. Appreciated!

Desk and Chair

Now that I finally have a home office, I’ve bought myself a proper desk and chair. Having spent years working from dining room tables and sofas, I know how lucky I am to have a proper home-working environment.

Headphones

These Jabra headphones are amazing! They really come into their own when I’m working in a noisy cafe with music in the background, yet not a whisper goes through to the other end! Strongly recommended if you’re often working out and about.

Laptop/Tablet

I took the plunge and bought a new Microsoft Surface 11 last year. It’s my main PC, both at home and away. At home, I plug it into my large monitor (see below), and use it with a keyboard and mouse. Away, I use it with a Surface Keyboard. Fantastic combination, and (at least for me) a true PC replacement. I also bought a tablet cover designed for Surface to protect it and also allow me to more easily balance it on my lap when working on the train.

Smartphone

I’ve been using a Samsung Galaxy 4 for about 2 years now, and it’s great! I can’t actually imagine going back to a ‘normal’ smartphone with just a small screen.

Keyboard and Mouse

I use a great Bluetooth keyboard from Artek and a ProtoArc left-handed mouse, both available on Amazon. I’m actually not left-handed at all, but have been using the mouse with my left hand for years—it’s a great way to practice using your left hand and give yourself some extra dexterity. Of course, the trouble with using wireless keyboards and mice is you need to charge them—these two are really good, however, and only need a charge every couple of months. It definitely doesn’t impact my workflow.

Monitor

It was after years of working on a laptop screen before I finally bought a full-sized monitor (after getting the space!). This curved 34” monitor from Koorui is fantastic, nicely filling my view and allowing me to have multiple windows open side by side. This works nicely for having Teams calls where someone is sharing content—you can ‘pop out’ the content and still see your colleagues’ faces properly.

Hubs/Cables

I’ve got a great little hub from Lemorel, which allows me to hook up my monitor, webcam, and Jabra headphone, as well as Ethernet when I’m at the office. The Surface doesn’t have USB-A (only USB-C), so I need this to hook up the Jabra adapter and any USB sticks.

Bags

OK, I’ve built up a little collection of bags, which I use depending on where I’m going and what I need to carry with me.

KROSER Laptop Bag Stylish Laptop Briefcase Fits Up to 17.3 Inch Expandable Water-Repellent Shoulder Messenger Bag Computer Bag with RFID Pockets for Business/Travel/School/College

Laptop Stands

Yes, I’ve collected four of these now! This handy little stand is one that I carry with me in my large bag and use to prop up the Surface monitor when I’m working at the office or co-working space, for example.

I used this laptop stand before I bought the monitor, but I still use this for my old HP Spectre laptop, which I still need for some tasks.

Back when I had less space at home, I also bought this handy, flexible stand to allow me to work in places like the bed and sofa. It worked great!

I also don’t use this next one anymore, but still keep it around. It was actually the first laptop stand I bought in the early days of the first Covid lockdown in the UK back in 2020 when I first started working on my laptop for extended periods of time.

Chargers

This charger is heavy but does the job well, plus has a built-in cable so there’s no risk of forgetting it.

I bought this adapter that has UK, US and EU plug converters, making it useful for when I’m travelling. I also take this one out and about with me to charge my Surface when I’m working at the office or a coffee shop.

This USB cable pairs with the charger to power the Surface:

I’ve also got this handy adapter that I carry out and about for those situations where I need to charge my phone from another source, e.g. those annoying airport charging ports!