Working from home in Ireland usually means a box room, a corner of the bedroom or the end of the kitchen table. You don't need much to make it comfortable, but a few pieces make a big difference to your back, your neck and your concentration. This checklist covers what we'd buy first, in the order most people need it, with real prices from our shop.
In a hurry? The pieces people ask about most are an ergonomic office chair, a folding desk, a standing desk converter, a laptop stand, a footrest under desk, a dual monitor stand or monitor arm, a desk organiser and a cable management kit. Prices below are "from" prices.
Furniture: chair, desk and something for your feet
Chair. A kitchen chair is fine for an hour, not for a working week. A good ergonomic office chair has an adjustable seat height and lumbar support for your lower back. The office chair with flip-up armrests and lumbar support starts at €71.99, and the mesh chair with adjustable headrest and lumbar support is €125.99. Not sure which suits you? Read our guide to the best office chair for working from home.
Desk. If you can, choose a desk that moves between sitting and standing. An electric height adjustable desk like the electric standing desk with memory control (from €169.99) rises at the press of a button. Keeping the desk you have? A standing desk converter such as the 2-tier converter with keyboard tray (from €129.99) sits on top and lifts your screen and keyboard. It is the simplest answer to the sit-stand desk question, and it takes no extra floor space.
Small space desk. No room for a full desk? A folding desk goes away at the end of the day. The HOMCOM fold-down wall desk is €89.99, and the folding desk on wheels (€109.99) needs no drilling, which suits renters. For more ideas, see small desks for small spaces and box room office ideas, or browse all small desks.
Lumbar support, seat cushion and footrest. Not ready for a new chair? A coccyx seat cushion (€39.99) or a 3D contoured memory foam cushion (€39.99) makes a hard chair more comfortable. If your feet don't sit flat, a footrest under desk helps: the adjustable footrest has 3 heights (€38.99), and the tilting massage footrest is €33.99.
Screen setup: get it to eye level
Looking down at a laptop all day is hard on your neck. A laptop stand lifts the screen closer to eye level. The InnovaGoods folding laptop stand is €16.69 and folds flat, and the foldable stand with a 360° rotating base is €20.64. Pair a stand with a separate keyboard and mouse.
If you use a monitor, a monitor arm frees up the desk surface. The single monitor arm (from €49.99) takes 17 to 32 inch screens up to 10 kg. For two screens, the dual monitor stand riser (from €70.99) has an adjustable length and angle and 3 shelves. We don't sell monitors, so use the one you already have.
Peripherals: keyboard, mouse, wrist rest and ports
Hours of typing and clicking add up. A separate wireless keyboard and mouse lets you position your hands and your screen separately. The AJAZZ AK820 PRO wireless keyboard is €89.99 (please note it has a US layout). An ergonomic mouse takes the twist out of your forearm: the vertical ergonomic mouse is €39.99, and the silent wireless ergonomic mouse clicks quietly on calls.
For a mouse pad with a wrist rest, the leather desk mat with padded wrist support is €165.45. It is a premium piece, so if you only want a simple pad, the leather mouse pad is €9.27.
Thin work laptops often lack ports. A USB-C hub adds them: the 4-port USB-C hub is €24.99. A docking station connects a monitor, ethernet and charging through one cable. The 7-in-1 USB-C docking station (€49.99) has 4K HDMI and 100W pass-through charging. Check that your laptop's USB-C port supports video before you plan on a monitor.
Calls: headset, webcam and lighting
You will spend a lot of the week on Teams or Zoom. An office headset with a mic makes you easier to hear: the Techancy TH5234 USB headset has a noise-cancelling mic and is €18.78. Add the 1080p webcam with microphone (€59.99), which is plug and play over USB.
Light from the front looks better on camera than a ceiling light behind you. A desk lamp such as the rechargeable LED desk lamp with pen holder is €30.91, and the USB COB LED strip light (€30.99) adds a soft glow behind a screen.
Tidy desk: organisers and cable management
A small desk gets cluttered fast. A desk organiser such as the bamboo organiser with 7 compartments and 2 drawers (€33.99) keeps pens and chargers off the work surface.
Loose cables are what make a desk look messy. A simple cable management kit is an under-desk tray, a cable box and a few clips. The 64 cm under-desk cable tray needs no drilling (€33.99), and the cable box hides a power strip (€31.99).
Staying warm
Box rooms are often the coldest room in the house. A small heater on a timer warms just the room you work in. Browse our heaters, which start at €89.99, and read our guide to choosing a heater for a home office this winter.
The home office checklist
| Item | Why | From | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ergonomic office chair | Lumbar support for a full day | €71.99 | Chairs |
| Standing desk converter | Sit-stand without a new desk | €129.99 | Converters |
| Folding desk | Packs away in a small room | €89.99 | Folding desks |
| Footrest under desk | Feet supported, less strain on your back | €33.99 | Footrests |
| Laptop stand | Screen at eye level | €16.69 | Laptop stands |
| Monitor arm or dual stand | Clear desk, screens at the right height | €49.99 | Monitor stands |
| Ergonomic mouse | Takes the twist out of your forearm | €39.99 | Mice and keyboards |
| USB-C hub or dock | More ports, one cable | €24.99 | Hubs |
| Headset and webcam | Clear on calls | €18.78 | Headsets |
| Desk lamp | Light for dark afternoons and calls | €30.91 | Lighting |
| Cable management kit | Tidy cables, tidy desk | €31.99 | Organisation |
| Heater | Warm the room you use | €89.99 | Heaters |
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to work from home?
At minimum, a comfortable chair, a desk at the right height, and a way to get your screen to eye level. After that, add a separate keyboard and mouse, a headset, and some light. The checklist above is in the order we would buy.
What is the best chair for back pain on a budget?
Look for adjustable lumbar support and seat height. Our office chair with lumbar support is €71.99. If you can't replace your chair yet, a seat cushion is a lower-cost step. We can't promise any product will cure back pain, so see a doctor if it persists.
Do I need a docking station?
Only if your laptop has few ports or you plug in a monitor, ethernet and charger every day. A docking station does it all through one USB-C cable. If you just need extra USB ports, a small hub is enough.
Standing desk or converter?
A converter costs less and suits rented homes, because it sits on the desk you already have. An electric desk moves the whole desktop, including paperwork and a lamp. Both are in our standing desk range.
Tracked delivery across Ireland, free on orders of €75 or more.