Workers are on the move like never before. Today many of us split our time between the office, home, coworking spaces, and client sites. With the right equipment, you can take your perfect office setup with you and be productive anywhere.
We think there are four essential items for people who work all over the place. They are:
#1 A Good Laptop Bag
If you want to be able to work anywhere, you need a good bag to carry your office around with you. A laptop bag with room for all the essentials protects your laptop from knocks and keeps all your supplies together in one place.
Look for a bag that has an internal strap to secure the laptop in place. Padding is important to protect the laptop or tablet from the inevitable bumps and drops as you go from office to car, plane and home.
As well as protecting your equipment, the right laptop bag helps keep everything organised. Pull out a pen, headphones, business cards and personal items as soon as you need them. Choose a laptop bag that has easy to access pockets and sleeves so you aren’t digging around blindly.
If you carry lots of heavy documents and books, choose a laptop bag you can wheel around with a collapsible handle. A good laptop bag is worth the investment.
#2 Wireless Keyboard
Your laptop’s built-in keyboard is convenient but not ideal for a full day’s work. Laptop keyboards aren’t ergonomic compared to an external keyboard that lets you type with a natural wrist posture. An external keyboard can be positioned closer to your body so you don’t hunch over your laptop. Choose a keyboard to suit your work. If you enter a lot of data, buy a keyboard with a slide out numeric keypad. If you’re a space conscious traveller, a full size keyboard that splits in two for easy transporting might be better.
#3 Wireless Mouse
Using the trackpad on a laptop is fine if you only need it for a short while but after 10 minutes it becomes annoying and uncomfortable. A wireless mouse is small and light-weight so it’s convenient to carry around and ready to use with no need to plug it in.
Mice come in all shapes and sizes so buy one to suit your hand size and tasks. An ergonomic mouse is a worthwhile investment, especially if you have any pain or discomfort. An ergonomic mouse is ideal for workers who are prone to cramping, wrist soreness or are recovering from an injury. They offer a variation of hand positions to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries (RSI).
#4 Portable Laptop Stand
Using a laptop on its own is fine, if it’s only for a short while. A laptop screen sits at a low height, causing you to look down and hunch your shoulders. According to Karen Jacobs, a clinical professor and occupational therapist, working for extended periods on a laptop can cause wrist, neck, shoulder and back pain from hunching your body forward to use the built-in keyboard and mouse.
A laptop stand lifts the screen to the ideal height and helps avoid neck strain. For staff who hot desk and use a monitor, a laptop stand/riser puts both screens at the same height. Combined with a wireless keyboard, a laptop stand means you can have the same setup as your office and work from wherever you like.
Choose a mobile/fold-up laptop stand that is light-weight and height adjustable so it’s easy to carry and set up.
Got a question about any of the gear we mentioned? Visit the Ergolink showroom, call us on (08) 9240 7066 or contact us online.