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The best gadgets for a home office
Whether you work from home or just want the latest equipment to help the kids get their coursework in, here are five must-have gadgets for your home office...
Having an office in the home is the norm for many people these days - whether you work from home occasionally or run your own business. Perhaps you just want to make sure there are no technical obstacles in the way of the kids getting on with their coursework! Either way, it can be daunting kitting out your own home office. Fear not, we've picked out the six must-have products to make your home office look stylish and work efficiently as possible.
Best laptop
Score: 84/100
When it comes to laptops, the more money the spend the faster your laptop will be and more storage space it will have. If money's no object, the Microsoft Surface Book 2 is a must have. However at an eye-watering £2,999 it will be out of reach for money.
If that's the case, the Acer Swift 5 catches the right balance between style and power in a laptop. It copes well with basic web browsing right up to processor-heavy tasks like photo and video editing.
Not only does this laptop weigh less than 1kg making it great to carry around with you, it's sleek magnesium alloy chassis means you'll be happy to show it off too.
However, despite its hefty price tag, there's no touchscreen and the battery won't win any prizes for lasting all day.
Price: £999
Available from: Acer.co.uk
Best printer
Epson ET-3750
Score: 85/100
The ideal printer if you want low running costs and you're not bothered about the speed of prints. The prints are great quality and the refilable ink tanks are easy to use too.
Price: £449.99
Available from: epson.co.uk
Best paper shredder
Fellowes Powershred 63Cb Cross Cut Shredder
Score: 88/100
This shredder may be pricey but it performs really well and has some great features. It is a good choice for a small home office or general household shredding.
Price: £159.94
Available from: johnlewis.com
Best 2-in-1
Score: 81/100
Stylish and with the flexibility of a tablet and laptop in one, the Dell XPS 15 2-in-1 is a powerful laptop that can handle anything that you can throw at it, from word processing and web surfing to streaming movies.
The touchscreen is by far the jewel in the crown, as it can show Ultra HD movies and TV shows. The best part? You can fold the screen over to turn it into a tablet or put it into tent mode for watching videos. The speakers were great too, with music sounding clear.
The version we tested costs an eye-watering £2,199. Although less powerful versions start from £1,699
Price: £2,199
Available from: Dell.co.uk
Best smartphone
Score: 92/100
The Apple iPhone Xs Max is a smartphone that very nearly has it all. It's really expensive and starts from an eye-watering £1,099, though!
It's great for working on the go or watching movies and TV shows thanks to the clear bright 6.5in screen and stereo speakers. The battery life is excellent and the camera has some great modes that can take photos that look highly professional. Admittedly, its large size may put some off, but the one-handed mode goes some way to helping you comfortably use it in one hand.
Price: £1,099
Available from: Apple.co.uk
Best home phone
BT 8600 Call Blocker
Score: 91/100
The BT 8600 is a great cordless home phone if you're plagued by nuisance calls. The popular Call Guardian software is effective at stopping unwanted callers, but it requires some patience as it is a little fiddly to set up and you'll also need to subscribe to caller ID from your telephone provider, which is an added extra cost. This compact home phone even has a block button, unlike its predesccor the BT 8500, so if you accidentally accept a call you can still block the number. The call quality is sharp and clear from the home phone, but we did find the buttons made clicky sounds and it can't be mounted to the wall.
Price: £59.98
Available from: bt.com
Carrie-Ann Skinner is a technology and smart home expert with over 16 years of experience reviewing the latest gadgets and gizmos.
She's tested everything from smartphones, tablets and laptops to headphones, speakers and smart home kit such as wi-fi security cameras and video doorbells, making her best placed to offer advice on the gadgets to buy, how to use them, and how to get better deals.
Carrie once headed up the tech testing team at the Good Housekeeping Institute, and during her nine-year tenure (2011 to 2020) put the latest consumer and home tech through its paces for hundreds of reviews, and wrote detailed advice on how to buy the best tech and get the most out of it.
Carrie is also the former Homes Editor at TechRadar, where she focussed on finding the best kit to automate the home, and she has written for Tech Advisor (when it was known as PC Advisor), Ideal Home and Sound Advice.
When not getting hands-on with new technology, Carrie can be found on Instagram offering up simple tech tips, uncovering the best hidden features in the most popular gadgets at @tech_ing_it_easy, and indulging her passion for baking.
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