This Prime Day, ask yourself the question: Is working from home working for you? Don’t get me wrong, I like sitting around on the couch with the TV on while my work laptop flambés my thighs as much as the next person. However, if you don’t have much of a dedicated space to work in, you’ll likely struggle to dedicate yourself to doing much work.
Having a home office doesn’t mean converting a spare bedroom or requisitioning the dining table from nine to five. All you need is a little space somewhere to really set up shop. You’ll be amazed at how quickly things come together once you have the essentials down, at which point all you then need are a few items to un-sterilize your environment and remind yourself this is a home first and an office second.
That all might sound expensive but, as someone who works from home, I can tell you that Prime Day 2023 will ensure that for less than $500 you can turn that crappy work laptop into a fully-fledged workstation – and set the cornerstones down on designing the home office of your dreams.
Let’s start with the basics.
Prime Day 2023 office chair deals: balancing the budget with comfort
In the beginning, there was nothing. Then a voice said, “Well where do I sit?” Good point.
The first decision we make could be the most important of all. If you’re sat in the same place for much of the day, you need something comfortable and supportive. So, while that armless designer office chair you see in lifestyle photos might look incredible, it’s highly unlikely to feel as much after an hour or two of being stooped in it.
Prime Day has given us some fantastic computer chair deals to scour through, and I’ve done just that on your behalf. After searching far and wide for the ones that won't cost an arm and a leg (or the loss of feeling in either) I settled upon the following:
Budget spent (Min spend - Max spend): $69.99 - $106.87
Budget remaining (Min spend - Max spend): $430.01 - $393.13
Prime Day 2023 computer desk deals: Looking for a reliable lean on
Now that we have a place to sit, we need somewhere to sit. Even within our budget, there’s still plenty of room to maneuver, and lots of options out there to pick from. You’ll also need to take into account where your home office is.
If it’s in a corner, you might prefer an L-shaped desk to make the most of the space you have, if not then maybe a desk with shelves or drawers. However, if most of your work is digital, why not keep things minimalist and just aim for something light on the eyes and wallet. After taking a look at what’s on offer this Prime Day, I found the following excellent options to pick from:
Money spent (Min spend - Max spend): $158.98 - $246.85
Budget remaining (Min spend - Max spend): $341.02 - $253.15
Prime Day 2023 computer monitor deals: Monitors worth a second look
At this stage, you can surely feel our budget beginning to make itself apparent. Yet there’s still so much more we need. Don’t worry though, this wouldn’t have made it to publish if I failed in dramatic fashion. Next up is hunting down an external display, something you may think would wipe our budget out entirely having seen all of those high-refresh rate, ultra-sharp 4K monitors currently on sale.
However, we’re looking for something to expand our screens and help us stay productive. For that reason, high refresh rates, curved screens, and UHD displays aren’t essential. We need something functional that affords us more on-screen real estate to make our daily grind just that bit easier.
When it comes to added extras, we want to think about eye strain and comfort over RGB lighting and the following computer monitors should have things covered perfectly:
Money spent (Min spend - Max spend): 238.97 - 338.96
Budget remaining (Min spend - Max spend): 261.03 - 161.04
Prime Day 2023 docking station deals: The dock side of the room
This is the part where our purchases so far become a cohesive unit. A docking station is the heart and soul of any workstation, maximizing the potential of any device by opening up more versatility through expanded port selection and external display support.
They can also scale in price in ways that seem too hard to comprehend. Luckily, docking stations are seeing impressive discounts during Prime Day 2023 so there are plenty of great deals to pick from.
We aren’t going to be able to check out some of the top-tier models due to our budget, but these more affordable options will run what we already have, and what we plan to get later on perfectly well – with some even having plenty of room for expansion.
Money spent (Min spend - Max spend): $273.96 - $402.16
Budget remaining (Min spend - Max spend): $226.04 - $97.84
Prime Day 2023 mouse and keyboard combo deals: Clicking into place nicely
Finally, we’re going to need to put that docking station to some good use. Not only will it run our external display, but we should invest in a keyboard and mouse to really flesh out the desktop experience we’ve set up so far. The budget is tight, but thanks to an abundance of keyboard and mouse combo deals this Prime Day, I think we’re going to squeeze by just fine.
When choosing which mouse and keyboard to go with, keep comfort and purpose in mind. If you’re going to be typing for a large portion of your day, consider an ergonomic option. Else, if you’re more about wanting a keyboard with a distinct feel, why not take a look at a mechanical keyboard?
This is entirely up to you and a lot of what makes a mouse and keyboard “good” or “bad” comes down to personal preference. Try to know what you like before you buy, keep your budget in mind, and you’ll be golden. I recommend the following mouse and keyboard combos:
Money spent (Min spend - Max spend): $293.95 - $466.15
Budget remaining (Min spend - Max spend): $206.05 - $33.85
Prime Day 2023 laptop accessories deals: A victory lap
At this stage, we’re done. We made it, and with cash left over too. (Even if the most expensive items were picked from each category.) You now have the fundamentals of your very own work-from-home workstation.
While we can call it a day here, how about two final items to look at this Prime Day to put the finishing touches on things. The budget allows for it, so why not. Your first workstation creature comforts.
After all, this is the part where you can take your time and make things your own. I personally incorporated the following two items into my own workstation recently and couldn’t be happier with them. Here’s to hoping they do you the same.
Final tally:
Money spent (Min spend - Max spend): $321.13 - $493.33
Budget remaining (Min spend - Max spend): $178.87 - $6.67
Outlook
A work-from-home workstation, built from scratch for less than $500, is it possible? Incredibly so. You could even have enough cash left over in your budget to go for something a little more expensive than the things we’ve listed here. However, this is a grand start to a setup you can be proud of and feel comfortable working at.
Don’t forget to check out the rest of our Prime Day 2023 coverage as it happens, and follow along with our best Prime Day MacBook deals live blog to stay in the know about the latest and greatest deals on Apple products.
