Many people have worked online as freelancers from home for a long time. But in the past few years, thanks to you know what, many more workers have found themselves working remotely from home. Many continue to work remotely or have a hybrid arrangement with their office or have started their own freelance business. This trend doesn’t look like abating as many workers have found working from home offers them an improved work-life balance and higher productivity. So why would you want to give this up? And the biggest thing that helps to provide these two things is a comfortable environment to work in.
In this post, I cover the best tech gear and equipment you need to work from home like a pro. The gear you have can make or break your home office set up. Here is my ultimate list of items including monitors, desks, chairs and other equipment that will help you with your productivity and work life balance. And many of these items can be taken on the road with you so you can work remotely from anywhere. From a coffee shop, airport, wherever your home away from home is.
If you decide to be a digital nomad and take your online business or services travelling full-time, well you can, read my digital nomad packing list here. And read this post if you want to know what countries have a digital nomad visa.
Are you ready to work remotely from anywhere with the essential tech gear and equipment for remote workers?
My best tips to Work Remotely
- Have a dedicated workspace
- Keep your workspace tidy and uncluttered
- Create a work schedule
- Start your own systems to be productive
- Write a daily to do list and tick off each item as you
- Ensure you have the essential tech gear and equipment to undertake your remote work
Have a dedicated workspace
A dedicated workspace is crucial for working productively at home remotely or anywhere remotely you want to call home. This dedicated space can be a nook, a dining table, a desk or a spare room that can be turned into a home office. You will spend a lot of time in this dedicated workspace, so take the time to ensure it is a pleasant, tidy and comfortable space. Plus, adding the best tech gear and equipment will see you being productive and providing you with the work/life balance working remotely can offer.
Once you have your dedicated workspace it needs to be filled with the essential tech gear and accessories so you can get the job done!
Best Tech Gear and Equipment for Remote Workers
Desk
First cab off the rank on my list of best tech gear and equipment for remote workers is the humble desk. Having a desk, or a table, no matter what size or shape is essential so you can work remotely. You need a specific space that you can go to, and that is separate from other areas. Having a work place can be psychological – you associate it with being your work place. This is where you can set up all your tech gear and equipment so you can do your work.
Laptop Computer is an Essential Tech Equipment
A laptop or computer is definitely required for you to work remotely. As you certainly can’t work online remotely without a computer. A laptop is definitely top of the list when choosing essential tech gear to work remotely. They are required so you can undertake your work remotely and travel abroad lifestyle if you are a digital nomad.
My main piece of equipment is my Apple MacBook Air. It is lightweight, durable and has a long battery life and it’s a great portable office item. Of course there are many other laptops available including the Acer Chromebook and Microsoft Surface Pro, but my personal choice is the Apple MacBook Air.
Adjustable Laptop Stand
Being comfortable when you work on your laptop is a must. If not, all sorts of aches and pains can interfere with your productivity. As you need to be comfortable as you work remotely, your office set up needs to be ergonomic and comfortable. I have a laptop computer stand that enables me to work on the couch, while laying in bed and while sitting at any table. I simply adjust it to ensure I am comfortable and being as ergonomically-friendly as I can. My laptop and I never go anywhere without my laptop stand.
READ MORE: Review of Best Laptop Stands for Work and Travel
Laptop Accessories
Wherever you are working you will need accessories to keep your laptop protected. A hard-shell protective laptop cover which is also water resistant and is padded is ideal for carrying your laptop to different places. I have the Mosiso MacBook Pro 13 inch case which is a perfect example of what you need to protect your most valuable portable home office item. Check out the Mosiso MacBook Pro 13 inch case on Amazon here >>
Computer Accessories Bag
Chords, attachments and more chords – you have to keep them somewhere as you travel and work abroad. I like to keep all my electronic accessories in my specific electronic accessory bag, this way I know exactly where everything is. It is an essential piece of tech gear for digital nomads. Check out the Accessory Bag on Amazon here >>
Smartphone
A smartphone is a must have. If you are taking your office on the road, you will definitely need a phone. Phones are so versatile these days, they can act like a mini computer so you don’t always need to have your laptop with you. I use many features on my smartphone, call and text, email, camera, and a number of apps that help make my work and travel more efficient. I travel with an iPhone 13 Pro. I just love it for its versatility and the photo quality. It lets me do a lot of things to help my online business.
Mobile VPN
A mobile VPN is essential for remote workers, offering both security and privacy when connecting to the internet, especially on mobile devices. It encrypts your internet connection, ensuring that all your online activities are private and that sensitive data is protected from hackers—this is especially useful when using public Wi-Fi networks.
Why Remote Workers Need a VPN:
- Enhanced Security: With a mobile VPN, remote workers can securely access company systems from any location, preventing unauthorized access and protecting sensitive information.
- Privacy: A VPN hides your IP address, ensuring that your browsing activity, location, and data are kept private. This is particularly helpful when working in public spaces like cafes or airports.
- Access to Restricted Content: Some workers need access to region-specific content that might be blocked in certain locations. A VPN allows you to bypass these restrictions by connecting through servers in different regions.
Popular VPN providers like NordVPN offer high-speed, secure services optimized for mobile devices, making them ideal for protecting your data while working remotely. Incorporating VPN into your tech gear is crucial to maintaining your security and privacy while working from any location.
Powerbank
Powerbanks are wonderful items and are part of my essential tech items for digital nomads. They charge your electronic items when you can’t plug in to an electricity supply. Mine comes in very handy when I am working en-route to my next destination. Even though my electronic items have a power supply of around eight hours, I don’t want to lose valuable time because my devices have died. Powerbanks are an extra power source and vary in their power (mAh). I suggest one with about 20,000 mAH which will provide about 3 charges to your electronic items before it needs charging itself. I can highly recommend the Anker 20,100 mAh, mine has done me proud and kept my items charged.
READ MORE: Best Powerbanks for Travel
Universal Adaptor
To ensure I can use my electronic items in all countries and regions around the world I travel with a universal adaptor. This compact one not only has prongs so I can plug into electrical sockets but USB ports. Making this essential tech item easier to attach a number of electrical items at the one time. Check out the Universal Adaptor on Amazon here >>
Power Surge Board
You just can’t trust any electrical source. Every country’s accommodation is different and you just don’t know what their electrical wiring is like. Add a storm or a really hot day that requires people to use more electricity than usual and you may encounter a power surge. One power surge and boom, no more laptop. I like to travel with a power surge board to protect my tech gear from power surges. This is definitely an essential tech gear item for digital nomads that should not be left at home. Check out the Belkin Power Surge Board on Amazon here >>
External Hard Drive
I know there are cloud based storage areas but an external hard drive is your key to ensuring your work is backed so it is not lost if your equipment fails. You can never be too safe with your work and personal digital files. The WD 2TB Elements portable external hard drive has a high capacity for storing your most valuable files. I use one to back up my files but to also to store my photos as they can take up a lot of room on my laptop. You can get them larger than 2TB, but at the moment, this is enough for me. Check out the WD 2TB Elements External Hard Drive on Amazon here >>
Camera / Video Equipment
Having the right tech gear lets you get the job done efficiently
Depending on your online work you may or may not need to include good quality photographs. If you do you will need camera equipment. When I am caught without my equipment I rely on my phone to take photographs which, I must add, does take pretty good photographs. However I also have a small camera with a good zoom lens. But if you are a professional photographer or have a big interest in photography you will probably want more than I have suggested.
There are fantastic small cameras on the market that are built to take beautiful photographs. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100, Sony RX10 III and Olympus TG-5 are three compact, easy-to-use and affordable travel cameras. Also the GoPros with the GoPro8 being pretty darn good (that’s my opinion) and cheaper than the latest GoPro.
Headphones
Working remotely can be noisy from different household noises – kids, outside equipment, traffic – lots of different noises. When you need to work, putting on some noise cancelling headphones is a simple way to cancel out the distracting sounds around you. Those in zoom meetings and teaching English like them. I have some Bose Quiet Comfort 35. Check out the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 Headphones on Amazon here >>
Light
To work online remotely, particularly at night you need adequate light. Without adequate light you will only have your laptop screen as light and inadequate lighting can lead to squinting, eye strain and headaches. To aid lighting, I like the Ledlenser Ultralight light that I wear on my head. It may make me look funny but it allows me to do my work because it is hands-free, for obvious reasons. Quite a few times it came in handy when I was lying in my hosel bunk, with the curtain closed, checking emails! It also comes in handy if I find I am packing in the dark! Check out the Ledlenser Light on Amazon here >>
Coffee maker
You may not have considered a coffee maker would be on my essential tech gear for remote workers. But I just love my coffee, like many others working online and sometimes when I travel I do not have access to ‘decent’ coffee. So part of my home office is my Wacaco Nano Express. It is a new addition to my tech list, and I wonder, what on earth I did without it! It is definitely an essential tech gear to me. Check out the Wacaco Nanopresso on Amazon here >>
Collapsable Water Bottle
Working online can be a thirsty business so if I don’t have a coffee nearby I like to have a sip of water. I have a regular water bottle plus, this collapsable water bottle is great to travel with. When empty it squashes down small and when full of water acts like any water bottle. I take it most places, hiking, walking around town, on road trips – it is very versatile and comes with me wherever I decide to work remotely. Check out collapsable water bottles on Amazon here >>
Diary
A diary and a pen and pencil are the only non-electrical items on my tech gear and equipment list for remote workers. I know computers have diaries online and there are apps you can use to also diarise your life however, I like to write it down and be able to see it. And I can have it next to my laptop and see it without having to change screens. Check out the diaries on Amazon here >>
Are You Ready to Work Remotely in Comfort?
Now you know all the essential tech gear and equipment for remote workers to ensure you have a comfortable set up. A comfortable set up helps you get the work / life balance. And when you have that, you are more productive. I am sure you will refine this list and add or delete items from it. In the meantime, with this list to help you, your working remotely journey is enhanced. I’d love to hear about your remote work.
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