5 office accessories that will improve your work day

I went on a mission to find cool office desk accessories that could brighten up the work day and get my creative juices flowing. Having a nice work environment is key to helping you be productive and can also help combat stress or anxiety throughout your work day. I tried and tested 5 office accessories that can help you improve your work day. 

Whether you are working from home or you have an office space, here are some helpful products and tips that can make your work day a little smoother.

Having the right light is important to reduce eye strain and prevent headaches while you’re working. Thankfully, our office space has a good amount of natural light, but sometimes additional illumination is necessary.

This LED lamp  has three different modes (warm daylight, soft white, and bright white), with each mode having five different levels of brightness. There is also a phone charging component at the base which is great for keeping my desk clear and cord free.

Overall this lamp was not bad! With the many different settings it’s easy to adapt the light to the time of day or to what task you are working on. It was also definitely an upgrade to the harsh overhead fluorescent lights. The only downside was that it was a liiiitle too short for my desk and I would have liked that it extended above my desktop.

My rating: 5/5

What better way to freshen up the office than with an essential oil diffuser? This diffuser was the perfect addition to the office – it was discreet and blended in perfectly with my other desk accessories. It was relatively quiet and I could barely notice that it was on.

The diffuser is small but it still distributed the scent nicely throughout the room. Another nice feature was the interval mode (10 minutes on, 20 minutes paused). It kept the room smelling fresh without being too overpowering.

I chose a light lemony, citrus scent – while it didn’t give me a magical boost of concentration or mental clarity (unfortunately), it really helped to make a pleasant work environment with a relaxing vibe. 

My rating: 5/5

Tip: When choosing a scent or air freshener for the office, choose one that is appealing to everyone. Too intense or overpowering smells can cause headaches and make it difficult to concentrate. Our favorite? Lavender or a soft lemongrass.

Whether you’re a tea drinker or a coffee enthusiast, it’s important to have a good quality thermos that you can take to work. Stanley is a brand well-known for durability and quality. A long time staple for the outdoorsman, the brand has since become a viral sensation.

I purchased the Stanley Neverleak thermos, and it passed the ultimate leak test. I put it in my bag, upside down, in my bike basket and proceeded to ride home (through a very bumpy street under construction I might add). And not one drop was spilled on my white, canvas tote bag.

Not only that, the thermos keeps hot drinks hot for up to 5 hours and iced drinks cold for up to 26 hours (which is honestly great for my iced coffee addiction). Plus, having a quality thermos encourages me to bring my coffee from home so I’m saving money and reducing plastic waste! Talk about a win-win!

My rating: 5/5

A monitor stand can help reduce neck strain by lifting your monitor to eye level. I purchased this one that actually came with three different pieces, but since I only have one monitor, I only assembled the two stands.

It was pretty simple to put together and coming from someone who is usually Ikea-inept, that’s saying a lot. With the monitor being slightly higher, I kept my head more tilted upwards, avoiding the dreaded “tech-neck”.  I could also put accessories I wasn’t using underneath the stands to keep my desk space clear. The only downside was that the material wasn’t the best quality and could be easily damaged if you aren’t careful.

My rating: 3/5

Staying hydrated while I’m working has always been a challenge. I got this cold brew tea infuser/fruit infusion bottle in the hopes that it would encourage me to drink more often.  There’s a small filter in the upper part of the bottle where you can put tea leaves, but since I’m not much of tea drinker I used it primarily for fruit infusions. The filter acts as a barrier keeping the fruit and herbs inside whenever you pour.

This bottle definitely exceeded my expectations. I LOVE the design, not only because it looks nice but because it was very easy to clean as well.  I also have never been so hydrated in my life. I easily drank three of these bottles throughout the day. Which is around 2.25 liters! I also felt like I was living my GOOP-iest life making different fruit infusions everyday – lemon-ginger, cucumber-mint, or raspberry-lime.

My rating: 10/5

We have tested these items as samples from Amazon, but all were independently selected by our editors in accordance with Online Operating Agreements and applicable laws.