Our Top Upgrade picks for your Work from Home Setup

November 27, 2020
Our Top Upgrade picks for your Work from Home Setup
Published on  Updated on  

Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, it's reasonably clear that many of us will be working from home for much longer than we may have anticipated. Here are some Ooberpad upgrade suggestions so that your WFH setup becomes more comfortable and effective

Intro

It’s been quite a while since the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing lockdowns transformed our lives both in terms of work and leisure. Work in particular quickly moved into unfamiliar territory for most of us, and work from home has quickly spawned its one set of hashtags and memes.

Our Top Upgrade picks for your Work from Home Setup

The early days of optimism — that we’d be back to work in weeks or a couple of months at most — have given way to the realisation that work is not going to be the same for a while, if ever. Many large organisations have already committed to WFH for their employees way into the next year. We’re also beginning to see that if we’re going to be working this way well into 2021.

We’ve been thinking about this for a while and figured that if we’re all going to keep working from home for the foreseeable future, we’d might as well start getting more comfortable in our makeshift workspaces. Why not stop making do with the limited work gear you have at home, and check out some of our team's suggestions for “Work-from-Home improvement”.

Re-imagine your workspace

Many of us are probably now working from makeshift (the dining table), small workspaces (the study desk) or if we’re really lucky in a dedicated home office rom. These are all way better than long term use of the living room couch, which is a sure way to develop various orthopedic ailments.

Upgrade picks for Work from Home Setup

But how can we equip these spaces in a way that the working experience is closer to our usual office space? How do we ensure that the work experience is not compromised in terms of the quality of interactions during virtual meetings, our physical comfort and health?

Team Ooberpad got together to figure out which gear has been serving us best during the lockdown, and we’ve got a bunch of suggestions on how you might be able to give your work-from-home space a serious upgrade.

So, these are a few of our favourite picks...

The Display

The Budget Option
Samsung DB32E 32 Inch Full HD LED Display
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/samsung-db32e-full-hd-led-display-32-inch

The Ooberpick
https://www.ooberpad.com/collections/flat-displays/products/samsung-dbj-series-full-hd-led-display?variant=31722895638641

The Headset

The Budget Option
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) PI3 In-ear Wireless Headphones
https://www.ooberpad.com/collections/headphones/products/bowers-wilkins-b-w-pi3-in-ear-wireless-headphones

These are active 2-way Bluetooth 5.0 earbuds which combine the convenience of wireless connectivity in a compact easy to wear design. They incorporate the aptX codec which allows pure, unparalleled audio whether you are still on in motion. 

The B&W PI3s support multiple Bluetooth connections and also has a USB-C charging and audio interface. With separate drivers for bass and mids they create full, impactful sound. It allows 8 hours of continuous wireless media streaming and has a 15 minute quick charge feature too.

The Ooberpick
Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P5 on-ear wireless Headphone
https://www.ooberpad.com/collections/headphones/products/bowers-wilkins-p-5-wireless-headphones

The Budget Option

The Ooberpick

Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) PI3 In-ear Wireless Headphones

Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) P5 on-ear wireless Headphone

  • World-first fully active 2-way wireless earbuds
  • Exclusive custom designed Hybrid Dynamic-Balanced Armature drive units
  • Magnetic Cliping Earpieces
  • Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX-Adaptive technology
  • Multiple Bluetooth Connections
  • 8 hours of continuous wireless media streaming at average playback volume levels
  • USB-C charging and audio interface
  • P5 Wireless combines the fantastic sound of P5 Series 2, with advanced Bluetooth streaming for unrivalled wireless acoustic performance
  • Using high quality Bluetooth aptX, P5 Wireless allows you to stream Hi-Fi quality music from your smart phone, tablet or computer
  • An incredible battery life of 17 hours of wireless playback between charges. P5 Wireless charges via USB and if you want to save your battery, it also comes supplied with a cable.
  • P5 Wireless features drive units based on the award winning P7, designed with a diaphragm like traditional loudspeakers, resulting in more precise diaphragm movement and amazing sound quality.
  • Bowers & Wilkins has more than five decades of experience creating the world's best loudspeakers, and they've put that expertise into the P5 Wireless for a stunning pair of headphones


The Router

The Budget Option
D-Link DIR-816 WiFi AC750 Dual Band Router
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/d-link-dir-816-wifi-ac750-dual-band-router

The Ooberpick
D-Link DIR-878 AC1900 MU-MIMO WiFi Gigabit Router
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/d-link-dir-878-wifi-ac1900-mu-mimo-wifi-gigabit-router

Wireless USB Hub

The Budget Option
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/icron-wiranger-wireless-usb-2-0-hub?_pos=943&_sid=75ef0eefb&_ss=r (this is the only option available)

The Ooberpick
Icron WiRanger Wireless USB 2.0 Hub
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/icron-wiranger-wireless-usb-2-0-hub

Audio conferencing system

The Ooberpick
Polycom SoundStation IP 6000 SIP-based IP Conference Phone
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/polycom-soundstation-ip-6000-sip-based-ip-conference-phone

Conference Camera

The Budget Option
Logitech C925E 1080p HD Video Webcam
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/logitech-c925e-1080p-hd-video-webcam

The Ooberpick
Logitech BCC950 Desktop Video ConferenceCam
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/logitech-bcc950-desktop-video-conferencecam

Sit-Stand Desk Converter

The Budget Option
Lumi DWS28-01 Gas Spring Sit-Stand Desk Converter with Keyboard Tray Deck
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/lumi-dws28-01-gas-spring-sit-stand-desk-converter-with-keyboard-tray-deck

The Ooberpick
Lumi M06-23D Dual Motor Electric Sit-Stand Desk (Standard)
https://www.ooberpad.com/products/lumi-m06-23d-dual-motor-electric-sit-stand-desk-standard

Making everything work better

The right gear choices will differ for each of us according to our work spaces, work requirements and work styles, but some of the basic principles remain the same. We all want to be able to minimise distraction and disturbances and have our work proceed smoothly. 

That’s what makes it worth investing in some upgrades which eliminate some of the common shortcomings of our home, relative to our regular office environments.

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