50 Types Of Office Equipment (Checklist)
Designing a fully functional and outfitted office space is all fun and games until you get to the point where you need to be more comprehensive and get the nitty-gritty supplies and other smaller items. If you are under the impression that you only need a new desk, chair, filing cabinet, shelves, and sofa to be ready for action; you really couldn’t be more wrong. You can’t just stop with the basic essentials.
You need to consider other important requirements such as office supplies, and whether the furniture you picked out is ergonomic, and you also need to take a look at the technological prerequisites such as getting high-functioning microphones, webcams, and the like.
If you are currently in the process of outfitting either a home or commercial office space, here’s a list of things that you will need. We’ve got every possible square inch or need covered so you don’t have to look any further.
Computers & Electronics
In this day and age, technology is everything and if you don’t have your office equipped with all of the mainstay technological requirements, you’re bound to miss out on full office functionality.
Obviously, you can’t get it running at all without the basics and a computer, be it a desktop or a laptop is right at the heart of it all. Here are some of the most basic electronics and computers to really check out when you’re outfitting an office space.
Desktop Computer
Here’s the thing, if there is only one thing that you could get for an office space, it would definitely have to be an actual computer. It’s literally the heart of every office space. Without a computer, there really isn’t any way for you to get some actual work done.
A laptop is so powerful yet handy at the same time. You can literally run a million-dollar company at the tip of your fingertips. Get this set up straight away and the rest will really just follow through accordingly.
Understandably, a desktop computer is a little more fixed compared to an actual laptop. However, despite its obvious issues with mobility, there’s still a certain appeal to having a desktop computer in your office space. The thing is, the desktop still stands superior in the business world. They cost less but they also offer far more computing power.
Buying a computer with at least 4 gigabytes (GB) of RAM will allow you to multi-task while running multiple software applications. A better choice would be 16 GB of RAM. An SSD or solid state drive is preferable for those who want faster loading times for the operating system and other programs.
Additionally, look for models with larger hard drives that can hold all of the data you need unless you plan on storing your information remotely in the online cloud.
Laptop
A laptop is something that you can take with you everywhere you go. If you’re the type who tends to go back and forth in your actual office space and in your home office, this is the device that you ought to go for. Any business, small and large, can literally run on just one laptop and that isn’t any type of exaggeration at all.
One thing about a home office is that it’s still your home. Having a laptop allows you to travel when it’s nice out or you just want a change of scenery from your home office. – How to Start a Home-based Graphic Design Business, Jim Smith
Laptops are also pretty great to have in handy if you tend to travel frequently for work. It can easily link up to any network or any other computer. You or any of your employees can easily meet up with clients, vendors, suppliers and you’re rest assured that you’re always equipped with a computer for presentation or for business processes.
Business laptops are often provide light-weight portability and high performance. Make sure the one you buy has a good amount of RAM so that applications can run smoothly.
Multiple Monitors
Now we don’t like delving into superlatives but it makes sense to say that having multiple monitors in your office space could turn out to be one of the most important additions you could ever have. If you aren’t the type who has acclimated to working with multiple monitors at a certain time, you are seriously missing out on a lot of opportunities to up your game in productivity and time management.
You get to have more work done. It will completely revolutionize your work ethic. It’s honestly jarring to know how most businesses still don’t equip their employees with second monitors when there’s so much that could be achieved this way. It all depends on the kind of setup you have.
Often, the main computer can be a laptop. Obviously, this has a bit of a downside since laptops have much smaller screens. This is where additional monitors with much larger screens can come in handy. On top of the fact that it can drastically increase productivity, it can also completely change your entire working environment and experience.
You may want to buy monitor arms that can provide better placement of monitors on your tabletop. Make sure the monitor arm you choose can support the amount of weight of your monitor.
Cell Phone or Mobile Phone
Handheld devices such as mobile phones don’t really offer up a lot of contributions in your office space as the screens can be pretty small and they have fairly limited computing power.
However, mobile phones have become so evolved that in most cases, they have replaced landlines and other communication devices. They’re an absolute requirement if you’re trying to get an actual office space functioning the right way.
Tablet
Tablets aren’t really all that great for a business environment. They can’t really contribute much when it comes to getting a lot of work done for you. They are, however, fabulous in the event that you would like to catch up on some reading online or some streaming.
You can send out emails easily and even play mobile games on them. Unless you have an actual keyboard paired with it though, it wouldn’t really be that much help for you and it doesn’t have any considerable computing power as well. Still, it’s pretty cool to have in the office as an additional device.
There are many manufacturers of tablets to choose from. Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and Amazon all have models that can provide great functionality.
Printer
Investing in a high-quality printer is a wise decision that will keep you going for years and years to come. It’s technically a gift that keeps on giving. If you go ahead and pick out a really great printer choice, you can be rest assured with the fact that your printer can really last you for years and years to come. It can turn out to be a really reliable workhorse.
There are so many different types of printers available in the market right now from the basic ones to the real fancy ones and if you need a little bit of advice, it would be to keep it all simple. A laser printer that prints in black is a great main one to have. It’s fairly cost-effective, works great in the long run, and its upkeep isn’t all that much to have to maintain.
You need this in the event that your colored printer breaks down. It’s a great backup to have and when it all comes down to it, most of the office documents you will be printing out won’t be in color anyway.
Label Printer
If you’re in the business of shipping products out, a label printer can definitely come in handy. This isn’t technically applicable to all businesses per se but if you happen to find yourself shipping packages out periodically, it would certainly help to have one handy in your office.
Photocopier
Small photocopiers aren’t really that much help in the office but if you happen to be in a business wherein you would need to photocopy a lot of documents in bulk, you might need one. It might cost a little bit more upfront on investing on a large and sturdy commercial grade machine just might work for you.
Scanner
These days, businesses in general digitize pretty much anything and everything under the sun. It’s because of this that you might want to go ahead and invest on a reliable and high quality scanner for your office space. Make it a point to look into your daily necessary tasks for your business.
If you seldom scan, some mobile scanner apps might suffice. But it’s important to know that the quality is still nothing compared to the real deal. It really all boils down to what your preferences and priorities are. At the end of the day, decide on what will make your work life so much easier and more convenient.
Paper Shredder
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If you are in the business of dealing with delicate and confidential paperwork that you would have to dispose of securely on a regular basis, then you might find yourself in the market for a paper shredder. If you aren’t, like most businesses out there, you might want to just go ahead and avail a shredder service when you clear your office documents out annually.
You can even do it a few times a year if your documents tend to pile up quite quickly. Shredding can be an extremely time consuming task and if you don’t have a lot of manpower in the office, it might be a bit counterproductive not to outsource that when every other business out there does.
There are downsides to getting a shredding service, though. You would need to have ample storage space to get your paperwork stored until such time that you can get them hauled out for shredding.
Be that as it may, you would just need to weigh out which option works for you best: to get a small personal shredder where you can dispose of small amounts of documents every once in a while; or to get it done in bulk through a shredding service.
Telephone
Here’s the thing, most of the office businesses these days can really run on a mobile phone. But the thing is, a lot of establishments such as homes and offices can come with a telephone hooked up. It usually comes along with the lease, too.
You should seriously consider your office setup. For one, do you have a lot of employees onsite who will actually pick up the phone in the first place or are most of them working remotely, totally defeating the need for a landline? It all depends on the type of business that you are trying to run at the end of the day.
If you are in the business of having a lot of calls coming in and out, then a landline is definitely a must. Mobile phones are great for communications and all that but when it all comes down to it, nothing can compete with the crispness and clarity that comes along with a landline. More than that, today’s landline services come with advanced add-ons such as switchboards, speakerphones, and even complicated IVRs.
Computer Accessories
Computer accessories can elevate your technological mind space and experience. Here are some of the basic accessories that you might want to consider bringing onboard in your office space setup:
Monitor Stands
Monitor stands are primary needed for those who use a multiple monitor setup. This setup is best for those who need several software applications open at the same time. Monitor stands are often configured to hold one, two, three or four monitors at once.
Proper body alignment is everything, especially if you happen to be working long hours. It can really take a toll on your back. This is the main reason why you would need to make sure that your monitors are slightly elevated.
This way, you’ll have every advantage of being able to look straight ahead. Angling your head downwards can strain your neck and might not be all that healthy for you in the long run. This is always a handy bit of information to keep in mind whenever you’re in the fence about whether you need a monitor stand or not.
Monitor stands aren’t an absolute must for everyone. Some monitors might already come with their own stands that will allow you to slightly elevate them.
A great suggestion is for you to try your monitor first as is and if you happen to have any issues or catch yourself looking slightly downwards, then you ought to buy a stand. There are tons cost effective monitor stands available in the market these days and you certainly don’t have to break the bank for a high quality one.
Laptop Stands
It’s fair to claim that laptops these days can be the end all be all game changers in the office space but the thing is, they can come with a drag: their monitors. It’s always a great experience to have your screen slightly elevated and that just isn’t the type of thing that laptops in general come along with.
This is where laptop stands can come in handy. They serve more or less the same purpose as with the monitor stands, the only difference is that they just work or pair up with laptops instead of with desktop computers.
Keyboard
Here’s the thing, most computers come with keyboards as is. It does, however, make all of the difference in the world to invest on a really great keyboard especially if you happen to do a lot of heavy typing in your typical office life. It all depends on what your preferences are.
Some people prefer the typewriter-like qualities of a mechanical keyboard whereas other people prefer the fluidity of flat keys similar to that of a Mac keyboard. Either way, a keyboard can change the way that you look at office work and heavy typing for good. It’s a great investment to consider for your office setup, whether you’re a heavy typist or not.
Mouse
Obviously, it goes without saying that a mouse is a must-have accessory for as far as computers are involved. It doesn’t matter if you’re working with a desktop or a laptop, the point of the matter is that a mouse will make your life easier, period. Sure, there are some computers that are touchscreen but they just can’t compare in efficiency compared to what a mouse can bring to the table.
Microphone
Microphones are important especially if you find yourself attending or facilitating meetings all the time. And although it’s true that a lot of computers come with mics that are already built in, the thing is that this isn’t always a guarantee that the sound will turn out to be great or of the highest possible quality. You can get a great headset mic or external mic for more clarity in your meetings and other audio or video recordings.
Webcam
Similar to microphones, a lot of computers also come with built in webcams as well; especially laptops. Although most of them will turn out to be decent enough already, you might want to invest on an external one if you are looking for something with higher resolution and clarity. It just provides better video overall.
Headset
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Headsets are important specifically if you happen to be taking in calls, streaming videos, attending and facilitating meetings, and so much more. They’re great as audio input and output devices and thankfully, you don’t have to spend so much money to get some of the high quality ones available in the market right now.
When looking for a high quality headset, make sure that you opt for one with a USB jack. They deliver far better audio compared to the outdated stereo jacks. Try to keep that in mind when you’re shopping around.
Speakers
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Modern computers do not have built-in speakers and instead come with an audio output port. PC computer speakers are often necessary for day to day work unless you have a laptop or monitor with built-in speakers or want to use headphones.
Router
A dedicated WIFI connection with its own router is a must if you’re planning to set up a proper office space. It ensures that your connection is secure and that you aren’t just piggybacking off of some free connection somewhere. This is particularly true if you happen to have multiple people in the same workplace.
You might need to hire a tech expert to set the network up for you. A little upfront cost will save you from a lot of grief in the long run. It just helps you have a great office environment especially when you aren’t lagged down by internet connection issues all of the time.
Mouse Pad
If you have a mouse, it just certainly makes sense to make sure that you have a nice mouse pad that will come along with it. It helps provide your mouse with a great surface to get it to work at optimal conditions.
Not all table surfaces work with an optimal mouse. A mouse pad can come in literally hundreds to thousands of designs and you can tie it in with the rest of your office’s aesthetics as well.
Surge Protectors
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Your office setup is bound to have a lot of stuff plugged in and you will have outlets all over the place. It’s an impending fire hazard if you don’t take care of it right from the get go. This is where surge protectors can come in handy.
They offer something so much more than just extra ports and outlets for your devices and accessories; they offer protection for your electronics in the event of power surges. If you’re all about taking care of and protecting your electronic investments, surge protectors are things that you definitely should not ever consider living without in the office.
Office Furniture
Minimalism is everything these days. The reality is that you can set up nothing more than a laptop, a desk, and a chair and call it a day and consider it as an office space. But the thing is, office furniture can really turn out to be so much more than that. Here are some things worth considering for you and your work space:
Desk
There are tons and tons of options available out there. We don’t think you will ever run out of office desks to choose from. Large desks are recommended as they offer bigger surface areas and they actually allow you to accommodate more monitors, making your office life so much more efficient.
However, if you aren’t that fond of large desks and you’d rather opt for single-computer desks, those can work too.
Standing Desk
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Prolonged office hours aren’t very healthy for the average human being. This is mainly because we aren’t meant to sit all the time. This is where a standing desk can come in handy.
You certainly don’t have to veer away from your productive hours just to keep your body moving or active. A standing desk can work perfectly for you that way. The best part about standing desks is that they’re movable and transitional.
You can adjust the height levels. Try alternating between sitting and standing on a per-hour basis just to keep the blood flow going.
Office Chairs
A lot of office aficionados will insist that this is the office furniture that you should be spending the most money on. The thing is, it makes all the difference in the world if you will be able to sit comfortably and ergonomically.
And great office chairs don’t come cheap. Some of the choice options you will come across with will be deciding on whether you’d like to go for form over function or vice versa. You might also go for a little bit of both. Visit our types of office chairs guide for more information.
Sofa
Although a sofa isn’t technically a necessity in the office setup, it’s definitely a nice add-on to have if you happen to have the money and the space for it. You don’t need anything large or extravagant.
At times, a nice and comfy 2-seater will more than suffice, depending on the kind of foot traffic you happen to be expecting all throughout the day. It’s comfortable and nice to have around and the best part of it all is that it can be a real focal point for your office space’s receiving area. See our gallery of sofa styles here.
Table
If you happen to hold a lot of in-person meetings in your office space, it might be great to invest on nice meeting tables and chairs while you’re at it. It can be pretty tough to meet clients with desks that are just meant for computers, to begin with. It can be a really great addition to what you have in mind for your office aesthetics.
Mini-Bar
Although this isn’t technically a necessity, a mini-bar might be something nice to have especially if you’re planning to entertain in your office.
This can come in handy if you’re expecting clients to come offer or if you just like to relax either on your own or with your employees at the end of the day or during the weekends. Although drinking in the office isn’t really something that’s openly done anymore, it certainly isn’t a taboo and it’s still a pretty nice touch.
Mini-Fridge
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Nothing beats the comforts of having a well-stocked mini-fridge in the office. A full-sized one wouldn’t hurt that much, either.
Cold beverages or even just a nice small space to keep snacks and food fresh in the office could contribute to a great working environment. This is a great investment to have especially if you happen to find yourself working during a long hot day.
Office Design
Aesthetics aren’t everything in the office but they certainly make a huge difference in terms of the visuals and the environment you’re trying to create. The smallest tweaks and differences could really up the ante in your office space and design.
Here are some factors for you to look into if you’re currently in the process of working out what your office design and layout is bound to look like:
Lighting
Lighting is everything. If you don’t have ample lighting, working can be a really difficult chore. A lot of the office spaces out there come with some type of ceiling lighting fixtures by default but this isn’t always the best type of lighting suitable for work hours and neither is it always ample enough to make it conducive for productivity.
To enhance the lighting options in your office, you can add on some desk lamps, floor lamps, table lamps, and other lighting fixtures for added illumination.
Ceiling
A popular ceiling setup for office spaces is something that’s called a drop ceiling. They’re great for the office because they can cover up otherwise exposed pipes or wires.
If there is anything unsightly in the office space that you happen to be working on, a drop ceiling is great for making the space a little more aesthetically pleasing. They can also help tremendously with acoustics, which is great if you happen to be in calls and meetings during the workday. Read more about home office ceiling lighting here.
Floor Lamps
Floor lamps are so much more than just providing extra light to an office space. They’re great for increasing the amount of ambient lighting as well.
When choosing a floor lamp, it’s important for you to pay attention to the style, the size, and the material it’s made of, among other things. Consider your furniture setup to decide on the best type of floor lamp that will work well with your specific office space.
Desk Lamps
Desk lamps are great for when you’re trying to see tasks on your desk without the extra strain on your eyes. This also limits the glare coming from your computer screens. This is also a type of lighting that can really work well with your office style and décor because they come in so many varieties and designs.
It can be difficult to figure out which desk lamp to go for since there are just so many options in the market to choose from. A great rule of thumb is to consider the style, the amount of desk space you have, what type of power source you need, and whether you’d want alternative power such as battery powered lamps or solar lamps.
Table Lamps
Table lamps typically come with adjustable arms that you can position directly over whatever it is you’re working on in your desk. Small lamps pair well with smaller desks whereas large lamps pair well with larger desks.
Flooring
There’s a reason why carpets work well with office spaces in general. They provide something more comfortable and something that your office chairs can get better traction on.
This is definitely worth considering if you happen to be in the process of laying out your office space design. You can go with something minimalist with bare walls but the most popular option out there is a mid-range carpet that you can easily cut up to custom fit your office floors. Read more about the best types of home office flooring here.
Wall Art
Although it may be true that we’re in the office to work hard, there really isn’t any reason why it can’t be aesthetically pleasing as well. Some wall art can dress your space up nicely. It’s nice to have an environment that easy on the eyes. You can dress this up even more with some plants, rugs, and other accessories that can really spruce the space up overall.
Office Productivity Tools
Here’s a checklist of useful tools to enhance productivity in the office.
Whiteboard
Whiteboards are great for sketching to-do lists and other things that you might want to see at a quick glance. Having your lists readily available can do wonders for your productivity. A whiteboard mounted on an office wall can definitely increase your productivity by a mile.
Coffee Maker
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For most people, they would go as far as saying that coffee can turn out to be the lifeblood that keeps the workplace humming and running.
A small coffee maker can turn things around and can be something that people in your office can look forward through all throughout the day, but most especially in the morning. It can certainly save you a lot of money by opting out of costly Starbucks drinks day in and day out.
Apple I-Tunes/Spotify Subscription
An Apple or Spotify subscription might seem like a small thing to have but it’s awesome for listening to during the long office hours. You might want to make sure that you invest on headphones as well so that you don’t end up annoying people with your music choices all throughout the day.
Office Storage
Offices aren’t all that easy to manage especially when it comes to the issue of clutter. One thing that you ought to really pay attention to is the amount of storage you’ll be having. This is a common downside of ill-planned office layouts.
There aren’t nearly enough places to put all the supplies and other accessories away in such a way wherein it doesn’t end up looking messy or cluttered. You need to make sure that you have more than enough storage in your office.
A well prepped office storage can make everything more seamless and easier to work in. Here are some helpful things to have in your office that can really get the storage challenge in perspective:
Bookcases
They aren’t necessary but they’re a great place to put your books, manuals, and other reading materials in. they don’t have to cost too much money either as bookcases can be DIY’d if you’re working with a tight budget.
Filing Cabinets
Legal and accounting documents can be a real headache to file and have to deal with. Some of them you would need to hold onto for a few years and not storing them properly can really ruin the aesthetics of your office.
A small filing cabinet can solve this issue for you. Some businesses don’t need that much filing storage whereas some might need a lot. Assess what your filing needs are and go off from there.
Shelving Units
You simply can’t have too many shelves in your office. More shelves would mean that you have more places to organize your office supplies and other elements you have in there. Floating shelves that don’t take up a lot of floor space are perfect as they don’t end up crowding the place up.
Paper Trays
Paper trays are useful to have on a desk especially if you have loose documents. They’re great if you want to keep those said documents in handy and fairly within reach without ever getting up from your desk.
A massive stack of random paperwork isn’t the most attractive thing to have on a desk. This is what paper trays are for. Get at least one and you’ll understand how well it can help you organize your desk.
Office Supplies
And of course, you have your basic list of office supplies. Here are some of the most important ones to get you up and running:
Business Cards
Most businesses have business cards especially those that are from way back in the day. You might not always have a need for them and if that happens to be the case, you can definitely opt out of them.
In this digital age though, it would be smart to have at least a digital business card that will keep all of your channels readily available for easier networking purposes.
Paper
If you need to print anything, paper is an obvious supply that you would need to have. Look into customized letterheads as well for some added branding.
Also, some notes are best written down on pen and paper. Businesses that are involved with insurance, banking, law and the like still use a lot of snail mail and if so, this is something that is definitely a requirement.
Notepads
Notepads, both physical and digital, can definitely come in handy especially if you have important information that you need to quickly jot down. It may be some contact information, a person’s name, or something that you need to fact check.
Binders
Binders are great for when you have documents that you need to organize and store. A great binder inventory that’s been labelled and filed in either chronological or alphabetical order will save you from a lot of grief if you ever find yourself challenged with having to find something somewhere down the road.
Envelopes
If you ever need to mail anything out, some envelopes will definitely come in handy. Also make sure that you have boxes for shipping as well. Packing material can also definitely come in handy for bigger parcels so make sure you have some as well.
Stamps/Postage
Oftentimes, you wouldn’t really need anything more than a roll of stamps. If you happen to be in the business of sending stacks of mail out daily, it might be smart for you to actually get a postage machine that you can just load up when you have to.
This way, you aren’t running out to the post office all the time. It can save you a lot of time and effort while you’re at it.
Pens
We get it, we’re currently in the digital age; but pens and pencils can’t be phased out just yet. You will come across a certain need for them every once in a while and if so, it would be smart to have a few of them handy.
Tape
There are many different types of adhesive tapes one can use in the office. Typically some sort of invisible tape and packing tape are needed in an office environment.
Scissors
Scissors are definitely a must-have for any office space. They can be useful for cutting paper up, opening boxes, and so much more. Imagine having to open a box up that’s sealed with a tape. It would be next to impossible to do so without a sharp object of some sort.
Paperclips
Pieces of paper and documents can be messy especially if you don’t happen to have anything that will be able to hold them together. Paperclips can really get things organized for you. It will make your life so much easier and it will also keep you from losing important documents while you’re at it. Every office desk definitely needs a good bowl of paperclips.
Holepunch
If you’re using binders to keep your documents sorted and together, you’re going to need a holepunch to keep them there. It’s an understated but important office supply to keep in your arsenal. A three-hole punch is typically highly recommended as they’re the most practical types.
Stapler & Staples
A stapler and staples are great to keep documents together for you. This is particularly true if you like to keep things tidy. After all, an office space is really just our little bit of organized chaos when you come to think of it. Staplers and staples are important to get all of this sorted out.
Printer Ink
If you have a printer, you need printer ink to get it to work. Make sure that your office is well-stocked so you never have to catch yourself in a bind of needing to print something and being unable to do so. Pay attention to the printer ink brand and type you have in storage. It needs to be compatible with the specific printer you are equipping your office with.
Batteries
Always make sure that you have a pack or two of AA and AAA batteries handy in your office. These batteries are needed to keep smaller devices running in your office such as your mouse, your presentation pointer, and so much more. Remotes also typically run on batteries as well.
There is definitely nothing worse than being knee-deep in office work and you end up with your mouse battery die on you. Having some batteries on hand can save you a lot of time. You don’t have to stop working because you can easily grab a pack and continue working.
Visit our tips for setting up a home office for remote work for more related content.
