Libraries are fine places to study in college (I quickly learned the difference between the beautiful one that was good for napping and the more austere building that was conducive to getting things done). But if you’d rather work from the comfort of your own home — be that an apartment, dorm room or your parents’ basement — outfitting your space appropriately can make you more comfortable and focused. This is the gear that’s worked for us over the years, with options to improve ergonomics, brighten up your desk and do justice to your focus music. We kept a college goer’s budget in mind, so upgrading your space won’t drain your bank account.
Engadget
If you do get a laptop stand, you’ll definitely want an external keyboard to go along with it. (It’s not going to be comfortable typing on your laptop while it’s docked in the stand.) We recommend a wireless model so you don’t have to worry about cords cluttering up your desk. Logitech’s line of Bluetooth keyboards is an Engadget favorite, and the K780 is one of the brand’s most versatile models. It’s a full-size keyboard complete with a numpad, but it still feels slim and compact. The keys are responsive and comfortable as well, and you can pair it with up to three devices. There’s even an integrated cradle if you wish to use it with a smartphone or iPad. — Nicole Lee, Former Commerce Writer
Roost
I’ve used an earlier model of the Roost stand for the past five years or so and it’s helped me avoid the Gollum hunch that long hours of laptop use can bring. It folds to a thin stick you can easily shove in a backpack and it weighs next to nothing (6.3 ounces to be precise). But it’s not just for travel, as the unfussy design looks nice as a permanent feature on a desk, too. It easily supports a 16-inch MacBook Pro and takes just a few seconds to set up. Plus, the four height settings adjust from a little bit of lift to a drive-in-movie-screen apex. Of course, when you use it, you’ll need an external mouse and keyboard, luckily we have recommendations for those, too. — Amy Skorheim, Reporter, Buying Advice
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Long study sessions often mean sitting for an extended amount of time, which can result in lower back pain. You could get a chair with better back support, but those can be expensive. Plus, if you’re living in a dorm, you probably don’t have much choice in furniture anyway. The next best option is to get a lumbar support pillow. I personally recommend the Purple Back Cushion because it has a cushy grid that’s malleable enough to mold to the contour of my spine. One of the features that sets it apart from other cushions is that it has hundreds of air channels, which means you won’t get a sweaty back after sitting in a stuffy dorm room all day long. It comes with a washable cushion cover and an integrated strap that helps you attach it to most chairs. — N.L.
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
The subtle design tweaks of ergonomic mice put your hand and wrist in a more comfortable position, with your palm facing more to the side rather than straight down. That may make a difference if you find yourself studying at a computer for long hours at a time. After trying out 21 different ergo mice, we named J-Tech Digital’s ergo mouse the best budget option. For under $30, it combines a sturdy build, programmable buttons and fun (but optional) LED lights. The vertical design and easy buttons are comfortable, the mouse glides smoothly and the cursor moves accurately. — A.S.
Engadget
Studying into the wee hours of the morning will be more difficult if you have bad lighting. Not only will you strain your eyes to see anything, but you may be more inclined to climb into bed as the sun sets and you get deeper into the night. A versatile desk lamp like this one from AFROG is essential because it will illuminate your whole work space easily, plus this particular model has five color modes and seven brightness levels, so you can customize it to your liking. The color modes will be crucial since they allow you to change the light’s temperature, so you don’t have to stick with harsh, white light the whole time if you don’t want to. We also like the built-in wireless charger on this model, which allows you to keep your phone topped up while you study. — N.L.
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
A pair of noise-cancelling headphones is great for blocking out unwanted noise during study sessions, be it from annoying siblings or a raucous roommate. You might be hesitant to get one because you think noise-cancelling headphones are expensive, and for the most part that’s correct. Fortunately, there are some budget options that aren’t terrible.
Take Sony’s WH-CH720N wireless cans, for example. Engadget’s Billy Steele noted that it offers decent range and good clarity, adept ANC, plus it has noise sensors that can detect environmental noise. You can also switch to ambient sound mode if you need to quickly hear the world around you. They also offer an impressive 35 hours of battery life.
These headphones may look a little more basic than the higher-end XM5s, but Sony didn’t compromise on comfort here thanks to adjustable sliders and soft oval-shaped earcups. They’re also much more affordable at $148 (and we’ve seen them for less), giving you a lot of bang for your buck. — N.L.
reMarkable
A lot of personal preference goes into note-taking. In class, you might like typing on a laptop to augment your recordings. When reading, you might prefer the memory-enhancing merits of pen-on-paper notes. Somewhere in between analog and digital lie E Ink tablets. They’re less distracting than a computer or standard tablet, since they have a more focused operating system and the screen itself is easier on your eyes. But unlike paper, you can store, copy, send and even search your notes for better organization and recall. The reMarkable 2 is our current top pick for an E Ink tablet because it’s sleek, has next-to-zero latency and lets you import PDFs using a variety of familiar methods (Google Drive and Dropbox among them). While it’s not cheap, and unlimited cloud storage requires a subscription, we still think it’s a better-than-paper alternative that’s mostly distraction-free. — A.S.
Engadget
For some of us, trying to work/study without music is like trying to sleep without a pillow — it’s possible, but not preferable. A good portable speaker can give the lo-fi downtempo beats the range they deserve, getting you ever closer to that flow state. And when study time is over, you can listen to whatever the heck you want. One of the speakers we recommend in our guide is JBL’s Flip 6, and I can confirm its room-filling sound sounds good standing up on end or flat on its side. The Bluetooth connection is easy to initiate and remains reliable over long distances (i.e. if you wander into the next room with your phone, the connection should hold). Plus it’s IPX7 waterproof, which means it can handle a dunk in a few feet of water for up to a half an hour (but really don’t let it sit that long — if your speaker falls in the pool, go ahead and pause what you’re doing to fish it out). — A.S.
