ZDNet Recommends: The best products for every office

August 14, 2020

executive guide

Remote working 101: Professional’s guide to the tools of the trade

Mastering remote work is all about finding the right tools to stay productive and connected. This guide will have you and your team synchronized and working in harmony, wherever you happen to be.

Whether you’re setting up your first dedicated home office, upgrading your remote work environment, or making your assigned cubicle or corner office more efficient, more productive or just plain safer, ZDNet’s team of work-from-home veterans have some solid recommendations on the best products and services.

Build a budget home office for $312

How can you switch from office cubicle to working from home at little or no cost? If you’ve already got a laptop and smartphone, it’s possible to equip a basic home office for about $300. We’ve found all the essential items to get you started.

Build a super-functional home office for $1,200

Have you been sent home to work? Have your kids been sent home as well? In a pandemic situation, it’s not practical to commandeer the kitchen table. Here, we outline a series of purchases that will help you set up a working office for about $1,200.

Best home office furniture

If you’re setting up a home office or you’ve decided to upgrade your current home office for full-time work, we have great suggestions for you. We’re not holding back on price in this list, but we’re not going crazy either. All our suggestions are meant for a more functional, more productive work experience.

Laptops with the best battery life

Laptops have become more essential than ever for remote access to work, school, and web-based apps. Maximizing battery life becomes an even greater priority to make sure we remain connected to the rest of the world without interruption. These dozen laptops can keep you online and working longer when you need to be unplugged.

Best webcams for remote-working video calls

The pandemic lockdown will leave a legacy of increased remote working, so it’s a good time to upgrade your webcam. Here are ten leading contenders.

Best desktops for design, graphics, video and photography

As Apple’s desktop Macs enter a period of uncertainty, PC manufacturers offer attractive alternatives for creative users.

Best robot vacuums for the office

Have a look at 2020’s best robot vacuums — all tried and tested in the office and home.

Best password managers for business

working from home

The future of business is remote

Most every organization has been thrust into the future of work. What will determine failure or success in this brave new world?

Everyone needs a password manager. It’s the only way to maintain unique, hard-to-guess credentials for every secure site you and your team access daily.

The best cheap web hosting services

You can buy a month’s worth of quality web hosting from a well-established service provider for less than the price of a Grande cappuccino. What’s the catch? You’ll have to dig a bit to make accurate long-term comparisons of the various offerings. That’s where our Buyer’s Guide can help.

Which high-end Chromebook is right for your business?

With the coronavirus pandemic making working from home more popular than ever, business-class Chromebooks are coming to the forefront.

Best laptops for design, graphics, video, and photography

Apple has traditionally dominated the creative markets, but there are now dozens of Windows PCs designed for content creation too. Here’s a selection of portable devices.

Free and cheap: Best cloud storage services

Free and cheap personal and small business cloud storage services are everywhere. But, which one is best for you? Let’s look at the top cloud storage options.

Best lighting products and solutions for your home office

Whether you need to revamp your office to make working from home easier or want to look better on those conference calls, we have you covered.

Best home office cooling solutions

ZDNet lists the best accessories for your office to stay cool while working from home.

Best coffee and tea makers

If you like the best coffee but want to make it at home, have a look at these coffee and tea makers.

Best laser printers for business

If you have a ton of pages to print in a hurry, you want a laser printer. We look at a variety of printers ranging from enterprise-level monsters to the sleek, high-performance, inexpensive models our editors rely on personally.

Best inkjet printers for business

Inkjet printers are still in demand in the business and home office environment. Here, we look at a wide variety of printers that will meet a wide range of needs.

Face masks for businesses and professionals

Here are some non-medical face masks you can wear back to work.

Best home gym fitness equipment

We hand-picked a bunch of exercise equipment for your quarantine home.

Best video conferencing software for business

Which video conferencing platform is right for your business? We’ve gathered details about 10 leading services, all capable of providing high-quality video with collaboration tools.

Best encryption software for business

From on-premise to hybrid environments and the cloud, we have you covered.

Best VPN services for your home office

VPNs aren’t essential only for securing your unencrypted Wi-Fi connections in coffee shops and airports. Every remote worker should consider a VPN to stay safe online. Here are your top choices and how to get set up.

Best email hosting services in 2020

Are you a small business or home office worker ready to graduate from free email offerings, present a professional address, and exert some control over your business communications? Then you’ll want to sign up with an email hosting provider.

Best office chairs in 2020

The very best office chairs for under $200 and $100, as well as the top office chairs for back pain, posture, gaming, and so on. Most of them are available to buy right now from Amazon.

Hardware dilemma: Desktop or laptop with docking station?

When you’re working from home, the best way to increase your productivity is to go big with the components you interact with the most: Display, keyboard, and mouse. Here are four options for making that workspace more productive.

Best antivirus software and apps in 2020

A roundup of the best software and apps for Windows and Mac computers, as well as iOS and Android devices, to keep yourself safe from malware and viruses.

Best Wi-Fi routers for your home office

These are ZDNet’s top picks for Wi-Fi routers suitable for home offices and remote working.

Best smart speakers in 2020

Want a speaker for your office that pumps out premium sound and offers Bluetooth streaming or voice control? Here are your best options from all the big players, including Sonos, Bose, Google, Apple, and Amazon.