Working from home. The concept was never truly embraced wholly until COVID-19 hit. Once the pandemic took hold, businesses were forced to rethink the working from home concept. Business after business that could easily accommodate working from home chose to allow it. Even businesses that couldn’t easily accommodate made changes that made working from home fit into their workflow.
But the challenges weren’t only felt on the business end of the spectrum. Working from home was also a challenge for employees themselves. For many employees, working from home was a whole new concept. Many were not prepared with a workspace that offered them the best productivity. Many were also blindsided by the physiological challenge it is in working from home.
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At the start, users worked at their kitchen tables, bedroom desk, patio chair and made do with what they had as a makeshift workspace. These makeshift workspaces also came with the challenges of home life. With very little space separating the worker from their family, distraction became a real thing, affecting productivity.
As 2020 passed and we’re firmly into 2021, many businesses are still supporting working from home. We have learned a lot about working from home and now know that a stable workspace with less distraction is paramount to making it work.
The team over at Vari knows all too well what it takes to have a great workspace and great tools that fit into that workspace that will give you the ability to succeed. We’ve teamed up with Vari to show you how you can set up your ideal working from home office using Vari products.
Editor’s Note: Vari has sponsored this article and video. We received select Vari products for this coverage. All of the thoughts and opinions are our own, and Vari was not given access before publication.
Video: How I Used Vari Products In My Space
Working From Home: Workspace Ideas By Vari
Vari Electric Standing Desk 60×30
The Vari Electric Standing Desk used to be called the ProDesk 60. We reviewed this desk back in 2018 and we scored it a very respectable 9.6 out of 10. Not much has changed with this desk. The dimensions remain the same and the reclaimed wood variant is our favorite finish.
A standing desk makes working from home more bearable because you get the option to sit or stand when you want. Sitting for too long at your desk has been shown to cause a myriad of health issues, so having a standing desk is more productive and healthy. This is what the Mayo Clinic has to say about prolonged sitting:
When you sit, you use less energy than you do when you stand or move. Research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. They include obesity and a cluster of conditions — increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels — that make up metabolic syndrome. Too much sitting overall and prolonged periods of sitting also seem to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Mayo Clinic
Assembling the Vari Electric Standing Desk only took approximately 20 minutes by myself. It is recommended you have someone help you because the top and legs are fairly heavy. Having extra help will likely cut the assembly time in half.
This particular desk is fantastic because of its length. I can easily fit my 27″ iMac and two 32″ 4K monitors on it without a problem. There is plenty of workspace on this desk, and the reclaimed wood finish looks spectacular. This particular desk costs US$650 and is worth all of that. We have awarded the Vari Electric Standing Desk an Editor’s Choice award.
Vari also other standing desks and tables that you can choose from. Each of them at a different price depending on size and style. Be sure to check out Vari’s selection of desks on the Vari website.
Vari Task Chair with Headrest
I’ve been using gaming chairs for my working from home office setup for many years now. I just never felt like office chairs really had the comfort I was looking for. So the Vari Task Chair with headrest surprised me. It has a lot of lumbar support, and the headrest is super comfortable. The company makes this same chair without the headrest, but I recommend getting the headrest option; it is worth it.
I will say, for me, the seat pan could be a bit deeper. While it is very comfortable with multiple ways to adjust, I would have liked the seat pan to be ever so slightly deeper. This office chair also supports up to 300lbs, which you don’t won’t find in cheap office chairs from Walmart. It’s also effortless to put together with just a few simple steps.
These are the product features for the Vari Task Chair with Headrest:
- Adjustable headrest, chair back, seat, armrests, and seatback tilt and tension
- Seat is height-adjustable from 17 5/8” to 22”
- Assembles in minutes with no tools required
- Weight capacity of up to 300 lb
- Casters work on carpeted or wood floors
- Tested to BIFMA X5.1 and meets or exceeds BIFMA’s durability standards for office furniture.
Vari has a few other seating options for your office, including guest or lobby seating that looks really dope. I would have like to have gotten one of their three-seat sofa’s. Which would have been perfect in my space across from my desk. Be sure to check out the seating section on Vari’s website.
Vari File Cabinet
Depending on what you do while working from home, you may need a file cabinet. I have to admit, I sorely needed a file cabinet as I kept all of my records in a milk crate behind my chair. Vari sent their 3-drawer standing File Cabinet, which is made of high-quality metal with a powder coat on it.
The cabinet has soft-close drawers, which means they close nicely and easily without slamming. It also comes with a lock and keys and really nice smooth locking casters. Of note, only the top drawer uses the locking mechanism. The build quality is top-notch, and, for now, all of my files fit nicely within it.
The two top drawers are very nice for things I need to get to quickly, files, papers, stamps, whatever. Vari also includes a sliding tray where you can store pens, pencils, SD Cards, business cards, that sort of thing. There is also a separator so that you can split one of the drawers.
Vari makes a few different file cabinets that all use the same design language and build materials. Be sure to check out the Vari website to find out more.
Vari Office Accessories
Rounding out the working from home office setup are a few Vari accessories that I found to be handy to have.
Vari Cable Management Tray (US$45): This tray mounts under the Vari Desk and neatly holds all of your cables so that they’re not hanging and dragging all over the floor. It takes some effort to organize and bundle your cables together, but it is well worth it.
Vari Power Strip 25 (US$45): With 7 outlets, this power strip should have enough ports to power everything on your desk. It also has one outlet that is further out to accommodate devices with power bricks. It fits nicely into the cable management tray and adds to the cable organization under your desk. The 45º angled plug helps to prevent blocking your second plug on your wall outlet.
LED Task Lamp+ Wireless Charger (US$95): Lamps have come a long way since LED lighting has gotten so good. This lamp is slim, takes very little desk space, and comes with a Qi wireless charging pad. This allows you to charge your iPhone, Android, AirPods, or compatible device on the charging pad. It’s convenient to sit at your desk and put your phone on the charging pad while having extra lighting. The lamp also features four different light color settings.
You can check out all of Vari’s accessories on their website as they make a variety of different options.
Wrap Up
Working from home is something many are probably going to be doing for a while longer. Many of us were not prepared for some of the challenges of working from home. Even businesses were caught with their pants down, trying to figure out the best way to accommodate their employees.
A clean and functional work environment is essential to being productive, and Vari makes some of the best products to help businesses and employees accomplish this.
I’ve tried several different standing desks and office chairs and these Vari products have been among the best I’ve used. If you need more information for personal use or an employer looking to do a company project, you can visit the Vari website or contact them at 1-800-207-2587.
