Best Home Office Accessories to Upgrade Your Workspace

A good desk and chair are the foundation of a home office. But once you have those in place, the right accessories can make a meaningful difference in how comfortable, focused, and productive you feel every day. Here are the accessories worth buying — and the ones that actually earn their desk space.

Monitor Arm

If there's one accessory that transforms a desk more than any other, it's a monitor arm. Mounting your monitor on an arm frees up the desk surface underneath it, lets you position the screen at the exact height and distance your eyes need, and makes it easy to tilt or swivel the display when sharing your screen with someone. A fixed monitor stand gives you one position. An arm gives you dozens.

Look for a single or dual arm rated for your monitor's weight. Brands like Ergotron and Fully make reliable options that hold their position without drooping over time.

Laptop Stand

If you work from a laptop — even occasionally — a laptop stand is non-negotiable. Using a laptop flat on a desk forces you to hunch forward and look down, which puts real strain on your neck and upper back over hours of use. Raising the screen to eye level fixes this immediately.

Pair it with an external keyboard and mouse so you're not reaching up to type. A simple aluminum stand runs under $30 and pays for itself in back pain avoided.

External Keyboard and Mouse

If you're using a laptop stand or have your desktop monitor positioned correctly, you'll need a separate keyboard and mouse to keep your wrists at a comfortable height. The keyboard that came with your computer is fine, but an external one — especially a compact, tenkeyless layout — gives you more flexibility to position it where your arms naturally fall.

For the mouse, look for something that fits your hand well and doesn't require a cramped grip. If you do a lot of scrolling or document work, a vertical mouse or trackball can reduce wrist strain significantly.

Desk Pad

A large desk pad (also called a desk mat) does more than protect the desk surface. It defines your workspace visually, gives your mouse a consistent glide surface regardless of where you move it, and makes the whole setup feel more intentional. They run $20–$60 and are one of the easiest ways to make a bare desk feel like a real workspace.

Cable Management

Few things make a desk feel chaotic like a tangle of cables. A basic cable management kit — cable clips, velcro ties, a cable tray that mounts under the desk — keeps everything tidy and makes it easy to add or remove devices without untangling a nest. If you're running a standing desk, a cable sleeve is especially useful for keeping the cords that travel up and down the frame from bunching or catching.

Monitor Light

A monitor light (also called a screen bar) sits on top of your monitor and illuminates your desk without shining into your eyes or causing glare on the screen. It's a better solution than a traditional desk lamp for most work setups — it takes up no desk space, doesn't create reflections, and gives you consistent, warm light for reading documents or taking notes. BenQ's ScreenBar is the most popular option.

Desk Drawer or Organizer

If your desk doesn't have built-in storage, a simple under-desk drawer or desktop organizer keeps the surface clear. The goal isn't aesthetics — it's reducing the number of small decisions you have to make throughout the day about where things are. Pens, chargers, notebooks, and other small items that end up scattered on the surface should have a consistent home off the surface.

Webcam

The built-in camera on most laptops is mediocre. If you're on video calls regularly — and most remote workers are — a dedicated webcam at eye level makes a noticeable difference in how you present. A 1080p webcam in the $60–$100 range is a reasonable upgrade. If you have strong ambient lighting, even a budget webcam will look dramatically better than a laptop camera looking up at your face.

Footrest

Often overlooked, a footrest makes a real ergonomic difference if your chair and desk height don't align perfectly with your body. If your feet don't rest flat on the floor when your desk and chair are at the right height for your arms, a footrest fills the gap. It reduces pressure on the backs of your thighs and improves posture throughout the day.

What to Skip

Not every "home office upgrade" is worth it. A few things commonly overhyped:

• Desk toys and fidget gadgets — pleasant for five minutes, then background clutter.
• Overly complex cable management systems — velcro ties and clips handle 90% of setups.
• Expensive chair mats — useful on hardwood to protect the floor, but often skipped on carpet where a chair rolls fine.

Focus on what removes friction from your actual workflow. The best accessories are the ones you stop noticing because they just work.

Build Your Setup at Task Table Furniture

We carry desks, chairs, and accessories designed for home offices that actually get used. Whether you're starting from scratch or upgrading one piece at a time, we can help.

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Related reads:
How to Set Up the Perfect Home Office
The Best Ergonomic Desk Setup for Working From Home
Home Office Ideas for Small Spaces