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How to Spruce Up Your Home Office on a $2,500 Budget 

Hayden Field  |  August 11, 2020

If WFH life is your new normal, chances are you need some new office comforts to ensure you stay on your game. Here's a list of our top picks under $2,500.

Maybe you thought you’d be working from home for a few weeks, but then you blinked — and now, it’s been almost five months since COVID-19 prompted workplaces across the country to go fully remote. Although some employees are gearing up to return to the office, many others have been told to keep working from home until further notice (for some, that’s until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available). And even if you’re in the former camp, chances are your company will significantly expand its remote work policy. 

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All of that boils down to the need for a work-from-home setup that prioritizes comfort, focus and productivity. In this three-part series, HerMoney will explore how to transform your home office — whatever the size of your budget. Here’s our piece on setting up a home office for $1,100 or less, and our story on sprucing up your home office for just $200

Read on for the best WFH buys that add up to $2,500. 

Standing desk 

The Uplift V2 standing desk received top billing from multiple review sites (including Wirecutter and TechRadar), and we can see why: It’s got crossbar supports for stability, a significant height range to accommodate a wide range of users — those around 5’2” or as tall as 6’6”, according to reviews. It’s also customizable, with 19 different desktop styles and three color options for the control keypad. 

Chair 

There’s a reason why the Herman Miller Aeron chair, designed in 1992, is still widely viewed as the leading office chair for comfort and support. (It’s even got a permanent place in the Museum of Modern Art.) With a $1,395 price tag, it doesn’t come cheap — but it does come with a 30-day return policy and 12-year warranty. Buyers can select their preferences for arm adjustability, armpad, back support, tilt and more. 

Monitor 

If you’d rather go with a single screen than a double monitor setup, consider an ultrawide monitor. The high-resolution screens are used by creatives, professionals and gamers alike to display several windows at once, and although many can cost upwards of $1,000, LG offers a curved ultrawide model (the 34WN80C-B) for just over $505. You’ll be free to simultaneously pull up Slack, Google Docs and your social media feeds (we won’t tell). 

Laptop-to-Monitor Connection Cable 

This section is more about necessity than form or function, so it stays the same no matter your budget. Before purchasing a cable, it’s important to check the types of connection ports on your laptop and monitor. (WikiHow has an explainer.) Your monitor likely has a HDMI port, while your laptop could have a USB-C port (Mac laptops and some other brands), HDMI port (offered by some PCs) or another type of port. This $17.99 Uni cable connects USB-C to HDMI and should work with most Apple laptops, as well as some Microsoft and Dell products. AmazonBasics offers a $7.23 HDMI cable that should work if your PC has an HDMI port. 

Keyboard 

If you’re looking for an ergonomic keyboard that will keep work-from-home wrist at bay, Logitech’s Ergo K860 has got you covered. At $130, it’s set up for Windows or Mac, bluetooth or USB connectivity, and features include a wrist wrest, scooped keys, three different options for level of palm lift and more. 

Mouse 

The Logitech MX Master 3 mouse is one of the top-rated models for its precision, scrolling speed and overall efficiency. At $99.99, it works on any surface, according to Logitech (even glass). One full charge will last up to 70 days, while in a pinch, you can get three hours of use from a one-minute charge. 

Headphones 

Bose’s QuietComfort headphone series used to be one of the most-talked-about headphone models, but the company introduced even better call, sound and noise cancellation features with its successor: the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. They’re currently listed at $299.95 (compared to the usual price of $399.95), and they offer up to 20 hours of wireless battery life — perfect for drowning out the sounds of your neighbor’s lawn mower or your roommate’s Zoom meeting. 

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