Home Office EDC: The 15 Best Desk Accessories

The global pandemic gave rise to a level of at-home jobs that we’ve never seen before. Whether by choice or by force, many employers have now adopted a work-from-home approach. And while that gives people a lot more freedom to work for companies they might not otherwise be able to and allows for a more relaxed approach, there are a number of downsides as well. For instance, you may not have a company’s office gear at your disposal, requiring you to outfit your own home workspace with equipment to make up for that.

Typically, that means that employees are now responsible for setting up their own desks and acquiring any gear they might need to ensure that space is effective, efficient, and pleasing. But it also means more customization than might otherwise be available. Of course, that also comes with the caveat that one is left to struggle on their own to find the right complement of desktop gear. But that is where we come in: we’ve put together a collection of the best pieces of desktop gear to get your office, workspace, or wherever else properly situated. These are the best desk accessories for your hard-earned money.

how we selected our picks

Like anything on our site, we aim to provide you with desk accessories that balance both form and function. Yet when it comes to your desktop space, this balance becomes even more important. Your desk area becomes an extension of your own personality and thus should be represented as such. Throughout the years, we’ve been able to get hands-on with tons of gear, which has helped inform our selections below. This category is also adjacent to one of our most prominent areas of expertise: EDC. And so, we’ve focused on beautifully designed products to put on display that also offer a ton of functionality.

bkr Glass Water Bottle

Best Water Bottle: Vacuum-insulated metal water bottles are great for keeping your fluids cold (or hot, if that’s what you prefer), but they do have a tendency to give a bit of a tinny taste to your drinks. This desk-friendly, dishwasher-safe version, however, is made with a glass interior that avoids the odd taste left by its metal brethren and is wrapped in a silicone sleeve for durability. It’s also available in a trio of sizes and four different colorways each, so you can customize it to your workspace while keeping hydrated.

Mazama Standard Mug

Best Coffee Mug: Coffee, as might seem obvious, is one of the most popular beverages in the world. In fact, it’s estimated that over 50% of Americans have a cup every morning. As such, a coffee mug is almost a compulsory desktop accessory. And few are as beautiful as the Mazama Standard Mug. Designed to both look great and provide an ergonomic grip, this cup is one of the most satisfying ways to deliver that caffeinated bean juice straight to your mouth.

Craighill Desk Knife

Best Desk Knife: Not everyone needs a knife for their job, but if you’re into design, architecture, crafting, or you just get packages delivered to your home, you might want to keep a blade handy. The drop-dead-gorgeous Craighill Desk Knife is not only an effective Japanese-inspired cutting tool with a razor-sharp edge, but it was made in the USA from solid steel and it even has the added bonus of 0.5″ reference markers for quick and easy measurements. Craighill also recently debuted an equally beautifully designed desk knife plinth (sold separately) to display your blade in all its glory.

Craighill Jack Puzzle

Best Desk Ornament: Sometimes, during the workday, you need to clear your head, find a quick distraction, or finagle your way into the realm of inspiration. However, with the fidget spinner trend dead and few other desktop-worthy oddities around, we’ve found ourselves turning to things that traipse the line between art and oddity — as does the Craighill Jack Puzzle. Beautiful enough to put on display, this USA-made, solid-brass, six-piece puzzle is a great mental workout for those times when you need it most.

Courant Mag:2 Essentials

Best MagSafe Charger: There are few things that interrupt your workflow more than needing to search high and low for a phone charger. That’s why it’s crucial to have a solution at the ready right on your desktop. Courant’s MAG:2 Essentials is not just functional but a stylish addition to your workspace, available in three colorways. Holding your phone in any direction at a slight tilt, which is great for meetings, the wireless charger attaches to your MagSafe device via magnets and also has a base that can simultaneously power your AirPods. At just $100, the unit is so handy that you’re going to want one at your bedside as well.

OrbitKey Nest

Best Desk Organizer: When building your desk layout, especially if it’s your primary space for work, organization is key. Keeping track of all the little things you’ll need throughout the day can be a challenge, and if you have to pack up and transport your desk to another surface or location altogether, it’s important to know where everything is. Orbitkey’s Nest is a fantastic organizational pouch, with customizable dividers on the foam-padded interior and a dual-use lid that can either hinge open or be lifted off entirely. As a bonus, the top of the lid doubles as a MagSafe charger for your devices.

Grovemade Leather Mouse Pad

Best Mousepad: Though not everyone works on a computer, most of us do on a daily basis. As such, a mousepad is a compulsory piece of gear to ensure your mouse has a functional surface on which to be placed. And while the Grovemade Leather option you see here is definitely stunning, well-made, and functional, it comes with a bonus: that little reservoir is perfect for stashing an everyday carry pen or touchscreen stylus.

Killspencer Desk Mat

Best Desk Mat: Like a mousepad, a desk mat is a near-compulsory piece of kit for your desktop, especially if you work on a laptop. Not only does it protect the surface of your desk from nicks and cuts, but it creates an organizational space for your computer, keyboard, and whatever else you keep at your desk. This Killspencer option is crafted from bull hide leather in your choice of three colorways and it’s available in two sizes, making it quite a versatile buy.

WD Black 5TB P10 Portable External Hard Drive

Best External Hard Drive: For work, gaming, and even just personal data storage, an external hard drive is a sound investment, as it means you’re not tied to a specific machine for your storage needs. However, some are better than others. Take, for instance, the WD Black P10 portable drive you see here. Optimized for gaming, it has lightning-fast transfer speeds, a whopping 5TB of storage (roughly 125 full current-gen games), and it’s still shockingly small and easy to stash and/or carry with you.

22studio Contour Fountain Pen

Best Desk Pen: Even if most of your work is performed on a computer or laptop, you’ll still need a writing utensil for anything you need to jot down quickly or any paperwork you need to manually fill out. 22Studio’s Contour Fountain Pen doesn’t just sport a post-modern design, housed in a concrete barrel that’s squared to feel nice in your hand and so that it won’t roll away when you put it down. It can also stand upright on your desk if you want to show it off. The stainless steel nib comes in two sizes and allows you to write cleanly on any type of paper.

Grovemade Wood Headphone Stand

Best Headphone Stand: If you’ve already spent the money on a quality pair of headphones, why not pair it with a headphone stand to keep them elevated and out of harm’s way? The one we’ve chosen for you here looks beautiful, whether or not it’s got your headphones on top. Grovemade crafts some of the finest desktop accessories in the game, and this unit is no exception. Available in walnut or maple options, the headphone stand sports a heritage-level design that’s come to fruition through the use of solid hardwood, premium leather, and stainless steel.

Gantri Gallery Task Light

Best Desk Lamp: Despite the fact that your computers and devices already illuminate the room with their own backlights, an actual desk lamp is crucial to preserving your eyeballs, establishing a mood, and of course, seeing more clearly. Designed by Andrew Ferrier for Gantri, this Gallery Task Light was made to be a “function-first light” with ample amounts of style, which is to be expected from the lighting brand. Fitting onto your desktop easily, the lamp is made from plant-based materials and uses museum-grade LED lights that dim or brighten to your liking. Better yet, it only takes up a 7.5-inch footprint so you can leave room for your other essentials.

Anker 675 USB Docking Station

Best Docking Station: Few brands have more impressive tech solutions for your desk than Anker. Case in point is this 12-in-1 USB docking station which doubles as a monitor stand made of aircraft-grade aluminum alloy. Boasting a 100-watt USB-C upstream port for your laptop, the system also comes equipped with 3 USB-A ports, 2 USB-C ports, a 4K HDMI port, an Ethernet port, a wireless charging pad, and slots for SD and micro SD cards. Slits on the back and both of the wide legs offer some cable organization while the 3.54-inch lift encourages better posture and creates ample space underneath for paperwork or your keyboard.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Wireless Headphones

Best Headphones: Bose was making noise-canceling headphones before anyone knew what they were. The audio brand recently debuted the Ultra version of its flagship QuietComfort wireless headphones, which replaced the NC 700 model and offered top-tier Bose Immersive Audio tech, 24 hours of battery life, and a more comfortable design. The unit also upgraded the chipset and mic for crisper phone call quality. Showcasing Bose’s in-house audio processing tech, the noise-cancellation in these headphones truly enhances your listening experience. And if you opt out of a headphone stand, you can also fold these up for easy storage (or travel).

Joey Roth Audio JRA 2.0 Aluminum Speakers

Best Desktop Speakers: If you’re not a headphones person, why not grab a quality set of desktop speakers? For designer-centric sound systems with audiophile-approved quality, Joey Roth Audio is the only game in town. Made from industrial-grade aluminum, cork, and Baltic birch, the JRA 2.0 Aluminum Speakers don’t take up a lot of space but pack a lot of sound. Using custom-made, proprietary divers and an analog signal path, these deceptively minimalist cones come with an external amplifier module and contain onboard Bluetooth connectivity as well.

The Best Laptop Stands for Improved Ergonomics

If you’d like to improve your posture while working at your computer, check out our dedicated guide to the best laptop stands you can buy.