With so many of us working at least part-time from home, it’s important to have a WFH space that works well for you. Enter smart home products – devices such as smart lights, smart plugs, smart speakers and wireless printers – which, with an effective Wi-Fi router, boost your productivity and efficiency, while also offering greater convenience and increased power and safety. Set up a smart home office and start controlling your devices with your voice or your phone, know your schedule with a reminder from a smart speaker, and set the lighting to help you focus, then program it to turn off automatically at the end of your work day.

Use Your Voice: Smart Speakers

A series of smart speakers and displays to help with setting up a smart home office, shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds.

Smart speakers are a clever addition to any home office. Use them to boost the audio quality of your hands-free calls and, when paired via Bluetooth to your computer, to enhance the sound for your video meeting. Though small, the Amazon Echo Pop packs a mighty punch. Place this compact speaker in the corner of your home office and play your favourite playlist to help you focus or set reminders to help prioritise your day using voice commands.

If you're looking for even more control over your workspace, a smart display like the Amazon Echo Hub can be your secret weapon. Maximise your home office productivity with its ability to control everything from your lights and music to your coffee machine and security cameras, all with a simple voice command or tap on the touchscreen. That means less time fiddling with switches and more time conquering your to-do list.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: How a Fitness Tracker and Other Smart Tech Could Improve Your Health

Get Switched on with Smart Power and Light

A GIF series of smart home products shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds. Products include things like powerboards, light strips and smart bulbs.

All home offices need power but with the addition of smart plugs you can do so much more. Use the TP Link Tapo 3 Outlet Smart WiFi Power Strip to control the multiple devices you need for work such as lights, lamps, air purifiers and fans with your voice through a smart speaker in the office or with an app on your smartphone remotely. Even better, you won’t get caught out with a low battery before an important meeting, since USB ports on the smart powerboard are ready to charge your devices. 

With smart lights, you can use smart devices to turn lights on or off in your home office at pre-programmed times, which is a great way to save power or make it look like someone’s home even when you’re away. For ultimate light adjustability, try a Philips Hue Smart Candle Bulb connected to the Philips Hue Bridge. This setup allows you to use your phone to adjust the brightness of the light to suit your work needs or change the colour to create your desired ambience. 

What to Try

Keep it Clean With Smart Cleaning Products

A series of robot vacuums to help with setting up a smart home office, shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds.

A clutter-free workspace can contribute to a clutter-free mind, helping you to focus on the work at hand. These smart cleaning companions are designed to seamlessly integrate into your smart home office, allowing you to schedule cleaning sessions, monitor progress and even control them remotely. Robot vacuums such as the Tapo RV30 take the hassle out of floor cleaning. Its powerful suction and smart navigation ensure a thorough clean, even under furniture. For a truly hands-free experience, the ECOVACS Deebot N20 ProPlus offers both vacuuming and mopping capabilities, leaving your floors sparkling clean. And if you need a helping hand with those hard-to-reach spots, the ECOVACS Deebot T30S comes with a handy handheld vacuum attachment.

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Simply Connected: Smart Printers

A series of wireless printers to help with setting up a smart home office, shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds.

There’s no need to connect a cable from your computer to your phone, or email an image or a doc from your mobile device to the computer, before printing anymore. Smart printers such as the Canon Pixma are affordable wireless choices that mean anyone on the Wi-Fi network can print their documents from anywhere in your home. But if you’re doing a lot of printing, not only does the Epson EcoTank have Wi-Fi Direct connectivity, it comes with enough ink in the box to print more than around 2,800 colour pages or 4,500 mono pages. 

What to Try

SEE ALSO: How to Create a Movement-Friendly Home Office Setup

Stay Connected With Mesh Wi-Fi

A series of mesh wi-fi systems to help with setting up a smart home office, shown on various brightly coloured backgrounds.

One of the most crucial things in a smart home office is your internet connection. Products like the Netgear Orbi and the TP-Link Deco ensure you’re getting fast and consistent Wi-Fi even if your modem is on the other side of the house to your office. Having reliable internet means a solid and stable connection for video meetings – no more dropping out, freezing or losing sound while giving a presentation!

What to Try

SEE ALSO: The Best Productivity Tools to Improve Your Workday

This article was originally published in August 2021 and has been updated.