The working from home thread: tips and advice

Any reclaimed office furniture places near you? Bonus of cheaper, and able to test them.

Usually they'll deliver to you also if you can't travel it home.

i need a new chair. i have looked at herman miller sayl and humanscale diffrient but I fear they actually aren't the best for a 6ft3 person :(

any thoughts around the £500-600 mark (or below!) mark? ideally not super ugly either..... good lumbar support and adjustable armrests is really key for me

Only 6 2 but got a Steelcase Please V2 and it is really comfy, great lumber support and adjustability, looks like an office chair though

Corrigo Diffusion, if you're spending that much. They are function over form, unlike aeron and it's ilk.

thanks both. not sure i actually want one with a headrest though

Corrigo chairs can be bought without headrest

only 6ft 1 but I bought a 2nd hand steelcase think w/ lumbar support and adjustable arms and its great!

My previous chair was basically a sack of potatoes though so maybe it's all relative...

Is it easy to connect two separate monitors to a laptop?

If you have hdmi + usb-c yes. If not you might need a usb-c-hub that can handle two monitors.

What laptop is it?

Can also depend on the laptop. MacBook Air only supports a single external screen, for example.

If your computer has usb-c then you can buy a hub.. they can run up to 3 screens.. via HDMI and VGA if needed. although I find the laptop screen and a larger monitor fine..

Awesome thanks. I have a large monitor but I seem to be staring at spreadsheets all day long. So want a screen for excel and a separate one for everything else.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-MOKiN-Converter-Compatible-MacBook-USB-C-Dual-HDMI/dp/B0815YD7RX/ref=asc_df_B0815YD7RX/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=399667013438&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=724033470751641094&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007106&hvtargid=pla-853447744226&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=85288345416&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=399667013438&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=724033470751641094&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007106&hvtargid=pla-853447744226

I'm going to be going into the office for one day a week (my choice) but not sure if I'll get a space or access to another monitor (WeWork space). Looking at a portable second monitor. Any that aren't shit or a million pounds?

I use a 15" Asus ZenScreen when in a co-working space, it was only ~£170. Roughly the same size as my ThinkPad X1C9 screen. Powered/driven by a single USB-C cable.

Screens in a WeWork are pretty easy to come by no? I'd go for the first day and just try and wing it.

(I got the Asus ZenScreen as I wanted consistency for when I decide to use different co-working spaces, some of which don't have monitors.)

(Specifically it was the 15.6" ASUS ZenScreen MB166C Portable Monitor, IPS, 1920x1080, 5ms, 250cd/m², 800:1, USB Type-C)

These are supposed to be reasonable
https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/16-lg-view-external-usb-c-ips-monitor-ps19998-ps100-off-25601600-resolution-350-nit-brightness-4099551

They're fine. Main issue I found was that a lot of the stands that come with them are shit with barely any adjustment. I use mine with a little, adjustable tablet stand which gives a better range

Screens in a WeWork are pretty easy to come by no? I'd go for the first day and just try and wing it.

I don't know what the office my company has is like. When I worked in one more permanently I had my own. But yes, I'll go in and scope it out first.

I'm in the market for a standing desk, but for space saving sake would like a drop leaf top, so it could do double duty as a dining table anyone seen any like that?

Four 28" monitors on the desks next to me. A new company has bought two fixed desks and they've got two monitors on each, they weren't in today. So tempted but held off as they weren't mine.

Golden rule: Never test drive a car you can’t afford. I think same goes for monitors.

Probably your best bet would be to get the frame and top separate.

Like Aggi says, get a good frame (loads recommended here) then add your own top. Some 24mm laminate ply could work

On the portable monitor front, the WeWork space I finally got access to (which is going to change on Monday to a smaller office.....), does not have monitors. So picked up a "Arzopa" number off Amazon for £115. Was going to get the ASUS but the 1080p version was nearly 200 notes. This one seems to work fine. Slightly bigger and actually nicer to use than my laptop screen. However, the folding cover/stand doesn't really work as a stand so got a little fold flat tablet stand to keep it up. Single USB C cable to do display and power, which is nice. Also grabbed a little keyboard and mouse set so I can work properly between the two screens.

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For the sake of your neck / back, may I suggest a stand that raised at least one of those by a foot.

Something like this:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08L4SYFSL

Link to keyboard? Looking for something cheap for my similar setup as I'd like a keyboard that isn't in front of just one of the screens.

(Ideally I'd like to find a not-too-expensive mechanical keyboard with silent keys [Cherry MX Red/Silent ideally] that's light [under 500g] and not too bulky.)