Ask HN: Best WFH Purchases?

I can easily share my ipad screen and draw like I would with pen and paper, and then save the notes to send or keep alongside code/docs.

Also being able to quickly handwrite notes and memos, double tap to transcribe, and then copy them to slack/notion/an email is awesome.

I will admit it feels like a bit of a waste of an ipad with that being its only function for me, but if anything in this setup broke I would replace it in a heartbeat.

They are pretty easy to buy and install yourself, I got mine from amazon.

I bought a decent Microphone (jlab talk pro) and a $200 Webcam (Logitech brio 4k). Since all of my interactions are over Webcam I wanted to have something better than the default laptop Webcam. Also I do my work on a desktop

I would also recommend building a PC. I run several docker containers at once and the company issued MacBook pro is very sluggish with this. I built my own PC with lots of ram and (what was at the time) a good cpu.

Also, learn about different kinds of house lights (ambient, task, accent) and get some RGB LED light bulbs so you can control the light level of your home effectively. I have some Ikea lights which light up the whole apartment during the day, but if I'm up late working, I only have a warm LED light on a spring arm lamp over my desk that I use. Some people light to get lights that attach to their monitors and point at your desktop

- A pair of wired earphones/headphones with an attached microphone in it for meetings

- An external camera for meetings, or if you have a spare phone you can use Camo (or iPhone's continuity camera) to stream video from the phone as a camera. When combined with a good phone stand, this setup beats most external cameras.

- A footstool/ottoman to rest your feet

- If you drink coffee, then experiment with and find good coffee beans that you would enjoy

- A desk placement that has you facing a window, this makes sure you can just look up to see outside and also keeps unwanted reflections on your monitor low

And of course a good desk and a chair. Search on FB marketplace for really good deals.

It’s the only way I can be truly comfortable at a desk for 7-10 hours a day.

I've also picked up a standing desk recently. While it is too soon to say, I think I'm already seeing a positive impact on my back. Getting that ergonomic desk setup is probably the more universally helpful thing.

* Directionality matters because extraneous sounds in a home can be very distracting for listeners. For example, say the dishwasher is running. Or you answered a call before turning down the radio. Or a neighbor is mowing. Or, in a highrise, your balcony door is open.

* In conversation your semi-verbal cues like a tsk, a grunt, or an audible sigh can carry surprising weight. It's nice to know these can get through and convey how you feel without having to actually say it.

I consider my good microphone, mounted on an adjustable boom stand, complete with a pop-filter, along with some commonsense audio conveyance awareness, is my secret superpower.

* Teleprompter so you can look at camera and the person you're talking to at the same time. Significantly reduces zoom fatigue for me.

* A bright key light. As well as meaning you can be seen on camera I've found it significantly improves my mood having a bright light in front of me that's diffuse enough to not dazzle.

* Bone conduction headphones are significantly more pleasant than traditional headphones/earphones for long days of meetings

* Decent microphone. Recommend Shotgun mic or lapel mic if you have ambient sound.

* Decent chair (good second hand options from failed startups)

* A decent camera (reused a mirrorless I already had)

* Decent coffee machine

* Large monitor

* Wacom tablet for diagraming

* Aircon (in UK this is uncommon but climate warming means it's unpleasant to be without for more of the year)

* Streamdeck for automating common tasks

- A decent pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones

- Two decent-sized monitors and a full-size keyboard. Don't try to work on a laptop keyboard/screen all day.

I have worked from home almost continuously since 2002 and have only the most basic home office. It’s the end of the utility room which I have divided off, just wide enough for my seat, too small for a ‘proper’ desk so I’ve mounted a sheet of plywood as a tabletop. It’s heaven.

Also, a standing desk - but I only use it to vary the height just little bits while I sit…

A high resolution display that can show you text crisp and sharp.

- good quality chair

- single 27" monitor with adjustable arm (to level it with my eyes)

- Microsoft Sculpt ergonomic keyboard and Logitech G603 mouse

- mouse pad with wrist rest

- audio interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i4) and high-ish quality microphone (AKG)

- Sennheiser open headphones (HD 518 I have for ages) and KRK studio monitors

At the end the highest impact is having dedicated room with doors that close. Especially when kids are around.

- A quiet, uncluttered workspace

- Good microphone

- Good external monitor

- Good coffee

Any time I get annoyed, I stand up, walk to the living room, and pet the cat. Instant drop in blood pressure.

But also what goes around it; if you get that wrong, you can have the perfect chair and not benefit from it. The chair is perhaps the starting point, but it's only one part of the whole system.

If where your feet go isn't comfortable, you'll sit on the world's greatest chair wrong. If the desk you sit at places the keyboard at a position that's not good, you'll stretch or compress your arms, or maybe the chair's armrests are in the way of your elbows or forearms and you're under constant tension all day as you work.

My feet don't rest on the floor; the desk has a little platform under it about five centimetres above the floor; that's pretty good for me. The desk has a sliding horizontal keyboard plate that puts the keyboard about 5cm above my thighs. When typing, I am in a little enclosure formed by the chair and sliding keyboard-shelf, which means my elbows are literally at the side of my hips and the base of my hands rest on the very top of my thighs. I can feel that my arms are very much in a relaxed state, and the natural curl this gives my hands is almost the same shape as they are when typing.

That's a lot of text about my specifics, but it's to push my point. It's not just having a great chair, a great desk, a great footrest (if that's your thing; I like my legs slightly extended, hence the raised plate to rest them on - some people like their feet placed firm to the floor). It's the whole combined setup allowing you to tune to your own human factors and ergonomics.

A cheap chair and cheap desk that allow you to sit and work just right for yourself is far better than an expensive combination that puts you under constant tension or stretch. It's better to spend the time to find a great setup for yourself than big money on items that individually are excellent but won't combine to be just right for you.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nbt9sdnszcpe9ruk1a9gj/IMG_089...

I get about 3-6hrs on the treadmill each day at about 2-2.5mph. I like using it much more than my standing desk. I find that I sleep much better now and have a lot more energy.