After we published the Top 20 Toys for Freelancers, we received even more great suggestions and we couldn’t keep them to ourselves! So, here are 12 more ideas for the remote workers in your life.
To start us off, freelancing expert Robert O. had three great ideas:
1. Elephant Card
This idea ties to our previous suggestion of an HD webcam. The Elephant Card can be used to mount your smartphone to your monitor or laptop for use as a webcam. And it fits in your wallet!
2. Roost Laptop Stand
While we’re talking about products that hold other products, Robert also suggested the Roost Laptop Stand. It’s lightweight, portable, and has seven height settings! Whether the freelancer in your life needs to give their laptop a lift at the home office or while out and about, this might be the laptop stand for them.
3. Ergonomic Mouse
While the laptop stand can help get the screen to a height that’s less harsh on the neck, the MX Vertical Advanced Ergonomic Mouse takes workplace ergonomics to the next level. Worried about your writer friend getting carpal tunnel syndrome? This might be the gift for them.
On to our next batch of ideas, video producer Gilbert M. recommended four gifts for the video producer in your life:
4. Laptop for video editing and design
While either a PC or Mac will work, Gilbert says a Macbook is usually the best for video editing. He adds that a laptop comes in handy when traveling, “One can work wherever they are.” Personally, I haven’t owned a desktop in more than a decade so I tend to forget that some freelancers and remote workers are tethered to their home offices by an immovable computer. (Though teens were hauling their desktops into gaming cafes in the late 90s so anything is possible.)
5. DJI Pocket 2 Handheld 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer with 4K Camera
Unless you’re only editing prerecorded footage, you won’t get very far in your video production career without a good camera. Gilbert recommends the DJI Pocket 2 as a starting point for the budding videographer in your life.
6. Gimbal Stabilizer for DSLR Camera
For the video producer who has a DSLR camera, Gilbert recommends the DJI Ronin Camera Stabilizer. Proper stabilization during filming can make all the difference in the final product.
7. Drone
If you’re shopping for a filmmaker who wants to capture aerial footage without having to rent a helicopter, Gilbert recommends a drone. There are numerous models that shoot in high definition 4K for you to choose from.
Pivoting to the comments on our last list, we have five more ideas that can help improve the experience of anyone who works from home:
8. Slippers
Multiple people thought we were off our rocker for not including slippers in the original list. Comfortable footwear is a major perk of working from home. I can’t believe I didn’t think about this one the first time around given I have to replace my heavily utilized slippers twice per year.
9. Footrest
Community Engagement Specialist Avery suggested a desk footrest as a perfect complement to those comfy slippers. I agree with her suggestion as I have an adjustable footrest myself that lets me get my slippered feet in just the right position.
10. Mechanical keyboard
A mechanical keyboard was also suggested. Whether you know someone who misses the clickity-clack of the typewriters of eras gone by or they just want something that glows, a mechanical keyboard can be a useful and fun gift for just about anyone who works from home. (Unless they’re particularly averse to the clickity-clack, but then maybe it makes a great gag gift?)
11. Tea subscription
Now here’s a suggestion that can soothe the body and mind: tea! What better way to start the day, to warm up on a wintery morning, or to get an extra jolt of caffeine to get through the afternoon slump? And what’s better than one box of tea? A subscription! There are numerous tea subscription boxes available for the connoisseur in your life.
12. Candles
Another joy of working from home is the ability to curate the ambience of your workspace. If you have a work-from-home candle lover on your shopping list, candles or a candle subscription box can bring out all the warmth that is basically banned from office buildings. The last time I worked in an office, lighting candles at my desk would have been a big no-no.
So what did we miss this time? What gifts would you recommend for freelancers or people who work from home? Let us know in the comments.