Work from Home
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Working from home is just a way of life for millions of workers. While there’s no surefire method of knowing how long it will take for employees to permanently return to the office and students to get back in classrooms, working or distance learning from home comes with its own set of perks and challenges.
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To streamline the process for you, we put together a list of work-from-home essentials that will upgrade your workspace and (hopefully) make your life a tiny bit easier.
Ahead, you’ll find out picks of the must-have working-from-home items to upgrade your home office, below.
Staples
Staples Printer Paper
Paper is the lifeblood of office work, while Staples is the best place to get printer paper starting at $10.29 per ream. The retailer has paper in all shapes, sizes and colors, while it also comes in various qualities from reams to cartons.
In addition, Staples has premium ink and toner cartridges available starting at $37.09 online.
Branch
Branch Furniture Ergonomic Chair
Provided that you already have a desk, a proper office chair should be one of the most important pieces in your workroom setup. This Branch Furniture ergonomic chair is a moderately priced investment piece at $359. Designed in Italy, the adjustable chair provides exceptional support for different shapes and sizes. It has 3D armrests plus height, tilt and tilt tension, seat depth, a removable lumbar rest, a double-layered mesh backrest and high-density cushion that supports up to 300 pounds and eight hours of work. There’s also an option to add a mesh headrest to your order for an additional $50.
Bose
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones
Headphones are a necessity, especially if you have multiple people in or around your work area. Regardless of what the workday throws your way, it’s always nice to have a pair of noise-canceling headphones within arm’s reach. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are a great choice at a budget price. These headphones feature 24 hours of play time and quick-charge capabilities (15 minutes of charging gets you two hours-worth of power) and comfortable earmuffs for long work sessions.
Logitech
Logitech C920 Pro HD Webcam
Zoom and other video conferencing apps will be the norm for the foreseeable future, so why not invest in a webcam? An external camera can help you appear clearer onscreen in comparison to a built-in camera. Although webcams can range in price, you can find a decent option for under $60. Logitech’s C920 Pro webcam is one of the best camera options in its price point.
The camera features a dual mic to capture more realistic sound from a wider-angle range of angles, a 78-degree diagonal field of view to perfectly frame you and your space, adjustable autofocus and RightLight 2 technology that automatically adjusts to your lighting needs. The camera records in full HD at 1080p/30fps or 720p/30fps, and there’s a lens cover to protect your privacy when the webcam isn’t being used.
And if your work space happens to be far from your router, purchase a Wi-Fi extender to strengthen your Internet connection.
Lume Cube
Lume Cube Video Conference Lighting Kit
$ 59.99
$ 79.99
25% off
Ring lights and square-shape video conferencing lights can double as mood lighting for your space, and they’ll make you appear brighter onscreen. If you want an all-in-one package, try the Video Conferencing Lighting Kit from Lume Cube. The kit comes with a mini LED light with laptop monitor mount, a silicon white softening diffuser, USB adapter and charging cable.
Amazon
BESIGN LSX7 Laptop Stand
$19.99
$24.99
20% off
Laptop stands are designed to relieve strain on your neck, shoulders and back for a more ergonomic work experience. They also help with your posture and you can use them to raise your computer up a few inches to see the screen more clearly. The stand pictured above comes with three adjustable buttons that can raise screen height. The aluminum stand holds up to 9 pounds and is compatible with Apple MacBooks, Lenovo, Acer, Dell, Google Chromebook and other laptops between 10 and 15.6 inches in size.
Target
Threshold Valencia Table Lamp Brass
Studies have shown that lighting levels can affect your mood. When searching for a perfect desk lamp, be sure to note price, durability and overall function. Some lights have charging stations included so that you can power up your devices while illuminating in the room. For a no frills option, try the Valencia Desk Lamp by Threshold. The stylish lamp comes with an energy-efficient light bulb.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Sitting down on a plush white couch with a paper coffee cup of bone broth in hand, Charlie Puth buzzes with energy as he prepares for a day of helping to shape the young minds of aspiring musicians. Through his ongoing partnership with BIC and the Save The Music Foundation, the 32-year-old played teacher while hosting a Creativity Camp for teachers and students on August 7.
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Before helping guide attendees through stations like journal writing, beat making, album cover drawing and a live performance, the Grammy-nominated artist had a chance to share with ShopBillboard his must have music writing tools, favorite back-to-school supplies and thoughts on Taylor Swift name dropping him on her track “The Tortured Poets Department.”
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“I still am the person that writes out the lyrics by hand,” Puth says. “I feel like it’s more solidified when you write it in your own handwriting versus typing it out on the phone.”
His choice of writing utensil? BIC’s 4-Color Retractable Pen, which the “Attention” singer finds makes it easier to cross out his mistakes and write out his most standout lyrics on paper quickly.
Charlie Puth x BIC
Courtesy of BIC
Similar to Taylor Swift, Puth likes to incorporate different pen colors into his songwriting process, but rather than base the shade off the type of song he’s writing, color determines the quality of the lyric he’s come up with.
“Red is the color that I use the most,” he says. “Lately, I’ve been starting with the lyric before the melody and if the lyric comes out of my head really quickly, it’s urgent, I have to write it in red.”
If he thinks a lyric is just okay though, he’ll jot it down in blue ink.
Amazon
BIC 4-Color Original Retractable Ball Pens
$6.15
$7.99
23% off
$9.63
BIC’s color-changing pen features four colors: red, black, blue and green, which you can switch from shade-to-shade with just a simple click. The wide barrel design aims to sit comfortably in your hand, allowing you to have long writing sessions without worry of discomfort.
A solid pen isn’t the only thing that helps Puth have a successful music writing session, the “See You Again” singer also enjoys clearing his mind while bike riding — specifically on an electric bike.
“I can’t ever sit in the studio and just force a song out of me,” he says. “I have to go outside and I just bike around my neighborhood and then hear the song in my head and come back to a notepad full of red scribbles.”
Walmart
Gocio Adult Electric Bicycle
$499.99
$1,599.99
69% off
Walmart is offering a major deal on its bestselling ebike dropping the cost by 69% for an under $1,000 pick. The design is compact, built with a foldable design that can easily be stored away once you’re done using it. The electric bike comes with thickened tires that can transition from smooth to bumpy roads while the lithium-ion battery is removable.
With eager students waiting to meet the singer, the conversation easily drifted to back-to-school season and what he used to look forward to stocking up on.
Target
Elmer’s Washable School Glue
$1.79
$5.75
$7.95
28% off
$1.72
“I was one of the nerdy kids that liked glue,” Puth describes. “I love arts and crafts class. One of the main reasons why I’m really excited to be here with BIC is that any time that I started my scholastic day with art, music, anything that utilizes the right side of your brain, it just made everything else better throughout the day.”Elmer’s glue is one bottle of glue is washable and comes with a white texture that dries clear. It’s made with non-toxic material that can be used on paper, cloth and some wood and ceramic materials.
Target
BIC Refillable Mechanical Pencils
In addition to BIC’s 4-color pen, the singer really enjoys a classic mechanical pencil as “it’s just fun to press.”BIC’s 5-pack comes with a rubber grip for a more comfortable hold and has a built-in eraser that can be taken out when it’s time to refill the lead. You’ll also receive a tube filled with extra lead that’ll glide smoothly with each use.
Amazon
Five Star Spiral Notebook
$2.99
$4.93
$9.99
51% off
Puth also enjoyed doodling in class, which means you’ll need a durable notebook to fill with all of your notes and thoughts. Five Star’s notebook is a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon for subject notebooks with more than 30,000 purchased in the past month (so far).
As Puth looks to motivate aspiring artists, he himself received a push this year from Swift after she name-dropped him on her chart-topping album. Looking towards the future, he’s using it as affirmation while making new music.
“My goal as an artist now is to inspire other people to be artists” he says. “So if that means I should be an even bigger artist than I am now, maybe that means I’ll reach more people to inspire them to be bigger artists. So I’m perfectly fine with that notion.”
He’s also taking notes on how the “Fortnight” singer makes music and looking for ways to infuse it into his own writing process.
“I’ve always loved how her songs were journal entries” Puth notes. “I don’t think I’ve ever approached my music like that before. I was already starting that, but when she sung my name, I guess it reaffirmed that I was doing a good job. Doing what I’m already doing. So that’s what [the new music] is going to be like.”
For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard‘s roundups of the best gifts for musicians, vinyl record player accessories and gifts for singers.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Space is a luxury and for some of us that means we have to sacrifice adding a desk to our work […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. There aren’t too many day jobs that don’t require typing or clicking away on a computer, which makes having a solid […]
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