5 USB Gadgets For The Office That Are Actually Useful

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There are plenty of gadgets that you can use daily to improve your workflow or make your life easier. A lot of these gadgets aren't standalone, which means they need to be used in tandem with other devices like smartphones, laptops, etc — even the most useful USB gadgets need to be plugged into a port somewhere. And few places feature USB ports as commonly as the average office environment, where keyboards, mice, thumb drives, webcams, or other such generic accessories all make regular appearances. That also makes the office a great place to add other, more unique devices to make a difference in your day-to-day work life.

From tiny gizmos that keep your computer's screen awake to a quick caffeine dose during the late-night hours before an urgent deliverable, all sorts of really great USB gadgets can find a home in the office. Of course, that also includes home offices for all your remote workers out there. Along with being functional, we've also tried to make sure that most gadgets on this list are accompanied by affordable price tags. This way, you can buy multiple gadgets to aid you when working. So, boost your productivity when working while adding a touch of cool tech to your work desk with these gadgets.

One recurring characteristic of most office desks — apart from the fact that most have computers on them — is that they can accumulate a lot of dust if they're not cleaned at regular intervals. This dust may not be visible immediately, but if you look closely, or your desk has a white top, you can spot it pretty easily. Additionally, you may have some unnecessary stuff on your desk, like shredded paper, crumbs, or other small debris that has accumulated over time. The best way to get rid of all of this is to use something like the Fanttik Slim mini USB vacuum cleaner. It's pretty much the size of a screwdriver or a thick pen, but it's got enough suction to remove all sorts crud from your desk.

Multiple attachments come in the package with the vacuum for reaching small nooks and crannies. If you have a PC, you know how much dust can get into the cabinet and the fans. Use the relevant attachment to get into the cabinet and clean those sections. The brush attachment is beneficial for cleaning the gaps on a keyboard — since that's another place where a lot of grime is generally found. It works for about 15 minutes on a single charge, and can then be juiced up with a USB-C cable. When not at your desk, you can also use the Fanttik vacuum cleaner in your car or on the kitchen counter. 

Several new laptops are moving to ARM-based processors of late, which is great for several reasons, not least of which is thermal performance. However, if you've still got a computer running on older hardware, or even just a powerful gaming laptop with an Intel or AMD processor, you should probably look into introducing a laptop cooling fan to your office setup.

For those unaware — higher temperatures can drastically affect the performance of your computer. That's exactly why it's important to use external accessories like fans to keep the temperatures in check. The Havit laptop cooling pad makes it easy by providing a laptop stand with three strategically placed fans right beneath the top surface. Along with cooling your laptop's internals as soon as you place it on the stand, it also raises the laptop to an ergonomic position for easier typing. You can place up to a 17-inch laptop on the cooling pad, and there's also a built-in USB hub to extend the number of ports. If you don't have a desktop or workstation at the office, and you use a laptop instead — this is a must-have.

This one's more for people who work from home, but you can always install the Quntis monitor light bar on your office monitor as well. A light bar like this is majorly useful for those who work frequently in the dark. Once you mount it on top of your monitor, it throws light directly on the surface of your desk. This makes it easy to view other peripherals on your desk, like the keyboard and mouse — even if the ambient lights are turned off. Some people like working with the lights off, while others may be obligated to keep them switched off — especially if they have a roommate or partner who is trying to sleep.

A light bar also reduces glare from the monitor screen when compared to a standard desk lamp or night light. This protects your eyes in the long run. For $40, these seem like pretty helpful use cases that most people can take advantage of. If you work long shifts at your workplace, you can install the Quntis light bar on your office monitor as well. That said, using the light bar with the lights in the room turned on wouldn't make any difference. There are different intensities and color temperatures to choose from on the light, so you can customize it as per your requirements.

Coffee aficionados pretty much all need cup of coffee at some point in the day to stay focused at their desks. If you're at your workplace, you probably have a coffee dispenser in the pantry for a constant supply of caffeine. If you work from home, the coffee maker in your kitchen is probably not too far away either. While these are both viable solutions, nothing is more convenient than having your personal espresso machine right at your desk. Imagine craving a cup of coffee and pressing a button without moving from your chair! If that's what you're aiming for, the Outin Nano portable espresso machine will serve you extremely well.

This compact unit fits on your desk, in your car's bottle holder, or just about anywhere. You will have to use ground coffee or coffee pods along with water to brew the coffee. The water can achieve a temperature of 92 degrees Celsius or 198 degrees Fahrenheit in just about 3 minutes for better extraction. There's a 7,500 mAh battery built in, which lets you use the coffee machine for up to five hot shots of espresso, or up to 200 shots of plain hot water. It has a leak-proof insulated design that keeps the coffee warm for a long time. If you have multiple cups of coffee in a day and want a personal coffee machine that you can carry around with you all the time like a water bottle, the Outin Nano is an excellent purchase.

When working for long durations, your laptop or monitor screen may turn off a regular intervals — especially if there is no input for a while. This can get annoying if you're perusing a large document or simply reading the contents of a webpage. While you can change the sleep and screen off settings from the Control Panel on Windows or the Preferences page on macOS, some work laptops don't allow you to make these adjustments — so you're stuck with the default settings. Don't worry, though, as the Meatanty USB mouse jiggler can solve this problem. Plug it into your computer's USB port, and it mimics cursor movements to make the computer think that you're actually using the mouse.

There are three modes to choose from, depending on the extent of movement you want. The third mode allows you to use your actual mouse as it is, and doesn't interfere with its movement. It's also undetectable by the computer, so your office admin wouldn't be able to tell that you're using a device like this. It's also useful if you're part of an online meeting but aren't necessarily participating, and you want to ensure the screen doesn't turn off. Some organizations also track whether their employees are actively working or not based on their mouse movements. A mouse jiggler like this can turn out to be helpful in such situations, where you may be away for a few minutes, but the device keeps you online.