One of the favorite series on this site — at least, as far as many of our staff are concerned — is “What’s on your desk?” where we look at the home workspace of some of the people here at The Verge. (For one thing, it’s reassuring to know that most of us share the same clutter syndrome, and that’s after cleaning the space up for the photos!)
We checked to see if any of the interesting stuff we have found in the home office setups of our staff — office chairs, string lights, drawing tablets, etc. — was on sale during this fall’s Amazon Prime Day event, and we came up with these.
A comfortable office chair
I just had to look up the name on Amazon: it’s the “HON Office Chair Black | Ignition 2.0 | Ergonomic | Adjustable Tilt, Swivel Wheels, Comfortable for Long Hours,” which should tell you basically everything you need to know about how good and fancy it is. I bought it in 2021 for $332, after a huge amount of research because I just couldn’t splash out on a properly high-end desk chair. I’ve had back problems forever, and this one has actually served me quite well — it’s starting to tatter a bit, and one of the arms just split open a few weeks ago, but I sit in this thing for too many hours a week, and I’m living to tell the tale.
Soothing green lights
Twinkly has the best selection of holiday string lights in sizes ranging from 26 to 158 feet and with options that include just color, color and white, or just white. The lights are bright, and the effects you can find and create in the Twinkly app are very impressive. But the app is fiddly, and these Wi-Fi lights suffer from connectivity issues.
I once read a study that green light can help reduce migraines, and while I wasn’t aware of that at the time of decorating, it’s certainly correlated with my own experience as a chronic sufferer. I have a dimly lit space to hide in when needed, and with all the color-addressable lighting available these days — the ceiling lights being Twinkly’s Strings — I can switch it up if I want a brighter environment. (Editor’s note: to see what she’s describing, check out the top photo in this article.)
Creative drawing tablet
I sit on the right when using my main two displays for work, while the left-hand “monitor” is actually a Huion Kamvas Pro 24 4K display drawing tablet. If I want to focus on creative stuff, I can just swivel around.
Echo Dot smart speaker
The fifth-gen Echo Dot touts a temperature sensor, better sound, and faster response time than the prior model. It can also act as an extender for your Eero Wi-Fi system. Read our review.
I have an Amazon Echo Dot smart speaker. We have several around the flat to control various smart home settings, but having one in my office also keeps me alerted to any deliveries. I even use it as a speaker output for my PC when I can’t be bothered to wear headphones.
A vertical mouse
I’ve got a Logitech MX Vertical ergonomic mouse. I’ve been a vertical mouse evangelist for years, and of all the ones I’ve tried, I like this one best. It’s not overly complicated, and it dramatically reduced my wrist pain.
Tracking webcam
The Link features a 0.5-inch Sony sensor mounted on a gimbal that can follow you around the room. It typically runs for $299.99, and it comes with numerous features that take advantage of the gimbal’s flexibility. Read our review.
I’ve also got the Insta360 Link webcam because I was tired of looking like a blurry potato on calls. This one is neat because it tracks your position, though sometimes it doesn’t always work the way it’s supposed to and my coworkers get to look at a close-up of my forehead.