Yahoo Finance Home Awards 2021: Home Office Accessories
- 1/12
Apple iPad Air
Apple
amazon.com
$499.99
Consider this fourth-generation iPad Air a more reasonably priced iPad Pro. Apple worked the Touch ID fingerprint sensor into the power button, which afforded them the space to build a bigger screen into the same size device as the previous iteration. And that screen is a high-quality Retina display surrounded by thin bezels. True Tone tech makes it easy on the eyes by adjusting white balance and color based on the ambient lighting. Plus, this is the most powerful tablet in its price range, boasting the same A14 Bionic chip as the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. Our testers were able to push it while working without noticing a drop in performance.
amazon.com - 2/12
Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Microsoft
bestbuy.com
$899.99
The Surface Pro 7 works out many of the limitations of laptop-tablet hybrids. Although it looks more like a tablet with its detachable keyboard cover, it can still excel as an everyday work machine. In our testing, the Surface Pro 7 excelled thanks to its 3:2 screen ratio, additional USB-C charging port, improved graphics, and fanless design. What’s even better is that this versatile two-in-one won’t break that bank, since it’s currently available for a base price of around $800.
bestbuy.com - 3/12
Moft Invisible Slim
MOFT
amazon.com
$24.99
For minimalist home offices, MOFT’s Invisible Slim laptop stand really is practically invisible. Strong adhesive attaches it to the bottom of your laptop, where it lays flat at only 1/9-inch thick. Then, it can fold out to lift your laptop to 15 or 25-degree angles thanks to its strong PU and fiberglass construction.
amazon.com - 4/12
LG UltraGear 27GN750-B
LG
amazon.com
$369.00
If you want a monitor for gaming, this LG UltraGear can handle it without standing out too much in your office. The 27-inch full HD, IPS display has some serious color accuracy, sharp contrast, a virtually borderless design on three sides, and an adjustable stand that can tilt, pivot, and raise/lower. Its impressive gameplay features—like a fast 240 refresh rate and one-millisecond response time—will also allow for smooth transitions between creative work like video editing and relaxing by watching movies or playing games.
amazon.com - 5/12
Audioengine A2+
Audioengine
amazon.com
$269.00
With warm, powerful sound and easy setup, the A2+ is a huge evolutionary leap compared to whatever is packed inside your laptop’s aluminum casing. Of course, you can get even better sounding speakers if you’re willing to step up in price, but the A2+ from Audioengine is tough to beat while still being reasonably priced for computer speakers. Packaged in a modern design, the A2+ speakers’ real strength is how many ways you can connect to them. Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, and dual audio inputs means these speakers will work no matter what your workspace looks like. The only downside is the low end might not be throaty enough for some. Luckily, Audioengine included a subwoofer output and sells some matching stands for $29, too.
amazon.com - 6/12
Netgear Nighthawk EX8000
NETGEAR
amazon.com
$250.00
The Nighthawk’s huge size may rival that of a cereal box, but it holds six internal antennas, providing a strong signal and near-blanket coverage. It dedicates one of its three bands to communicating with the router, so there’s never any competition between the two. Netgear claims that the EX8000 mesh extender won’t reduce the existing speed of your router, and it also combines Wi-Fi coverage under one network name. Plus, its four ethernet ports allow for multiple devices to hook up to the wired connection.
amazon.com - 7/12
Eero Pro 6
eero
amazon.com
$599.00
The latest Eero mesh router can create a powerful mesh system, with each hub covering 2,000 square feet—so a three-pack can cover an impressive 6,000 square feet. It’s easy and intuitive to set up and use by following the instructions on the Eero app from your phone, which also shows you connected devices. With the ability to support over 75 devices, the Eero can fix the dead spots and buffering that your current network suffers from, which our tester confirmed.
“Every room in my 150-year-old house is separated by lath and horsehair-plaster walls (no open concept here). Because of this, Wi-Fi and cellular signals are weak or get blocked,” said our tester. “Before I had the Eero, my Ring cameras regularly got knocked offline, my teenager would complain about his Xbox freezing up mid-Fortnite battle, and the smart TV in our upstairs bedroom often lost its network connection. I plugged the Gateway unit directly into my modem on the first floor, then put a second Eero unit upstairs, and all of those issues went away. I’m saving the third unit for when I’m done renovating my summer kitchen into a guest house.”
amazon.com - 8/12
Anker USB-C 3 Capsule
Anker
amazon.com
$69.99
As more of our devices can be charged and powered via USB, Anker’s Capsule power strip allows us to cut back on the bulky cables and cords. While the two USB-A and one USB-C ports are front-facing for a clean, clutter-free look, this strip still provides access to three AC outlets that are positioned on the back. Plus, its high-speed USB-C port can charge an iPhone about two times faster than the original charger.
amazon.com - 9/12
Logitech K380
Logitech
amazon.com
$29.99
The Logitech K380 excels in home and remote offices alike. Its tapered profile boosts comfort and flexibility while you’re typing, and its 14-ounce weight and dimensions of 11 x 5 inches (half an inch wide at its thickest) make it portable and easy to stuff in a backpack. Bluetooth lets you quickly swap the connection between as many as three saved devices.
amazon.com - 10/12
Logitech MX Anywhere 3
Logitech
amazon.com
$74.99
The Anywhere 3’s calling card is its scrolling wheel. It’s machined from stainless steel and fast (1,000-lines-per-second fast) thanks to built-in electromagnets. Testers loved how they could zip to the top or bottom of a page with a flick of a finger, speeding up their workflow.
amazon.com - 11/12
Apple MacBook Air
Apple
amazon.com
$899.00
Thanks to Apple’s incredible M1 chip, the latest MacBook Air sets a new standard for laptop performance and battery life. Apps and programs open immediately, and there’s plenty of power for photo and video editing, even with a dozen browser windows open. You get a solid 8 to 10 hours from one full charge, and prices start at a thousand bucks for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. At that price, nothing does as much, as well, as the latest Air.
amazon.com - 12/12
HP Tango X
HP
amazon.com
$219.99
With the Tango, HP delivered a modern printer developed to work with digital devices. The Tango is smaller than most and has a fabric cover that lets you fold it up for storage in a book-like package that looks more attractive than any other printer. It’s made to print from your phone or other devices—there’s wireless connectivity, of course, but it also listens to voice commands. It prints about 12 pages per minute if they’re black and white, but this was really made to print out photos and other rich media from your phone—and will knock out a full-color image with good resolution in about a minute.
amazon.com
