20 Best Desk Accessories to Help You Inspire & Stay Focused

Nowadays, the best way to stay productive and focused during your work is to remain comfortable, healthy, and in a good mood. Many different tools, products, and accessories for your desk can significantly help you with that, but they aren’t an all-purpose solution that solves every problem you may have. For that reason, we want to help you find the best desk accessories that can help you stay focused and inspired while you work.

What Should You Consider When Choosing Desk Accessories?

You can consider various factors when you’re picking out your work desk accessories, but the choice comes down to your preference. The best desk accessories to consider are either those that benefit your work habits the most and those that can significantly help you. If you’re not sure what would be the correct option, you can contemplate whether the accessory helps you with your productivity, focus, stress, comfort, and other things.

For example, cleaning out the clutter in your workspace by buying a desk organizer or a file holder can increase your productivity and mood. Looking at a messy office can quickly dampen your focus, which can affect your regular workflow. On the other hand, some accessories can increase your work comfort, leading to better results.

You also want to consider gadgets and accessories that improve your work environment and increase your versatility. A stimulating workspace can decrease your stress during those inevitable tedious and anxious work sessions. It’s helpful for the occasions where just being mindful of work doesn’t completely erase your worries.

Although many desktop accessories work for both fixed-height desks and standing desks, the latter has some that can prove advantageous for your health. When you consider that the best way to stay focused and inspired while you work is by remaining active, an electric standing desk can solve that issue by letting you work while you stand.

If you’re worried about losing focus every time you need to take a break, consider getting a home standing desk and outfitting it with the best standing desk accessories. When you have everything you need at your desk, you can easily concentrate on your task at hand without the need to stop your work.

What Are Some Must-Have Desk Accessories You Should Get?

There are many different types of desktop accessories available, so choosing one can be quite tricky, as they can be helpful for many other productive desk setup ideas. Regardless, considering the benefits they provide, we made a list of the 20 best desk accessories you can get. You should prioritize the ones that best suit your desk at the moment, as each of them can help you focus better on your work and improve your health.

1. Monitor Riser

Monitor riser should be included in your list of the best desk accessories. When your monitor isn’t at the right viewing angle, you can end up straining your neck and shoulders. A monitor riser lets you position your monitor at an appropriate ergonomic height, preventing that stress and strain. The correct display height is where the top of the display is either the same as your eye level or just above it.  It’s especially beneficial for standing desks where you continuously shift between sitting and standing positions.

They usually come fully assembled, and some even include storage compartments for your input devices and other things. Unfortunately, some monitor risers can’t fit more than one display or laptop.

2. Monitor and Laptop Mounts

Monitor arms and mounts use a flexible ergonomic arm to support your monitors. It’s considerably helpful when you have multiple monitors, as you can easily find out the arrangement where they are more accessible and comfortable to view. They also free up valuable space on your table for your other desktop accessories as the monitors hover over your desk. The only demerit is that what you see is what you get, it doesn’t have any other feature apart from it, and you have to assemble it.

Laptop mounts serve a similar function as monitor arms and mounts, using the same flexible arm but incorporating a tray where the laptop sits. There are also some height-adjustable laptop stands, but they don’t have the same mobility as the arm mounts, and they occupy more space on your desk.

3. Desk Organizer

There are many designs for desk organizers, but they all serve the same function, managing clutter in your desk by providing a place for various things. It lets you store office utensils such as pens, pencils, staplers, scissors, and many other items while giving you quick access to them. You can look for an organizer that is better adapted to fit your work materials and other office desktop accessories. When you want to keep your workspace clean and tidy, the desk organizer is one of the best desk accessories you can get.

4. Letter and File Holders

Letter and file holders are desktop accessories that store mainly letter and A4 size paper and folders. Desktop file holders can come with a few compartments or a bottom tray that can fit a couple of essential utensils. If you need to save space on your desk, there are a couple of wall-mountable file holders, but these come with very little room for other things.

5. Calendar

Having a physical calendar can help you plan and schedule your days, letting you focus on the work at hand while keeping you accountable for upcoming tasks. Although you can use a digital calendar on your computer, a physical one is readily accessible and easier to change without bothering to turn on your computer. You can get a wall-mounted one if you need to save space.

6. Cell Phone Stands

Cell phone stands are desktop accessories that prop up your phone on your desk. There are many types of phone stands with various designs and purposes, but its essence is freeing your hands while still letting you use your phone when you need it. You can watch videos or participate in video conferences whenever you need while leaving your phone in a reachable safe place. It also enables you to use it one-handedly with ease.

7. Desk Lamp

It’s one of the best desk accessories for late-night working, but it’s practical at any time. It lets you light up the task at hand, allowing you to view it comfortably. For many offices, desk lamps are must-have desk accessories. LED desk lamps, in particular, have many benefits while providing you with many lighting options. They are also energy-efficient, don’t generate as much heat as other bulb desk lamps, and have a very long lifespan.

8. Cable Tray

Cable management is an essential part of every desk setup, regardless of design style. When your desk doesn’t come with a cable management option, you can get a cable tray, one of the best desk accessories, to organize your wires at your workspace. It gives you a place where you can put your power strip and keep your cords tied together. Using a cable tray lets you avoid having your cables hang all over the backside of your desk.

Standing desks benefit the most from these desktop accessories because of their height, where hanging untied cords look incredibly chaotic.

9. Desk Power Outlet

It provides you with convenient access to a power outlet on top of your desk that lets you charge any device you have at hand, allowing you to reduce your cable clutter. You can set up these desk power outlets in various ways, the most accessible one being a removable desk outlet, as it doesn’t require you to alter your desk. Built-in and pop-out outlets are much more discreet and efficient on desk space, but they need custom installation.

10. Multi-device Charging Station

Charging stations let you charge all your USB devices from a single power outlet. High-quality ones give you up to six separate inlets for your devices, saving a lot of valuable desk space. You should count the number of devices you have to get a charging device with an appropriate number of ports, sparing you some expense. It’s also important to take note of the cable type, as nowadays USB-C is more common.

11. Mousepad

Mousepads are must-have desk accessories that let you be more productive while working, as they give you more speed, precision, and comfort while moving the pointer around. Another benefit is that it safeguards your desk from scratches from continuous mouse movement. It also reduces the amount of grit your mouse collects as you use it, meaning you don’t need to clean it as often. Some mouse pads provide wrist support, reducing your discomfort and risk of injury, but limiting your range of motion as it gets in the way of your wrist.

12. Wrist Rest for Keyboard and Mouse

Wrist rest desktop accessories are meant to be used during brief rests from typing, letting the palm or the heel of your hand rest comfortably on the pad. Usually, a proper writing posture implies that your hands and wrist hover slightly above the keyboard, so you’re not actually in contact with the wrist rest. Wrist rests help people who lay their wrists on the desk as they type, letting them elevate their wrists and reduce strain.

13. Keyboard Protector

The keyboard protector is an accessory that you put on top of your computer or laptop keyboard to keep it clean from the environment, as it avoids dust entry. It’s easily washable and diminishes the noise that comes from typing on the keys. However, you need to look out for a model that is compatible with your ergonomic keyboard.

14. Noise-Cancelling Headphones

They reduce unwanted ambient sounds using active noise control, as they include a microphone that measures ambient noise and counteracts with an opposite signal that negates it. There aren’t many other work desk accessories that help you concentrate as much as these headphones.

15. Air Purifier

Air purifiers are the best desk accessories for improving the air quality around your workspace. The best ones you can get are those that use HEPA filters, a high-efficient one that traps dust and allergen particles. It doesn’t completely solve every allergy or pollution issue, as it’s meant to be used along with regular cleaning, mopping, dusting, and other things. It would be best if you avoided ionizers as they only make the airborne particles stick to walls.

16. Plants

Decorating your office with plants has many benefits for your health and productivity. They also invigorate your workspace and give it an alluring look. Many studies prove the advantages of having a plant at sight on your desk, as they significantly reduce stress and enhance your well-being and performance. They also serve as natural air filters, which can clean your air from some harmful pollutants. Plants also reduce background noise with their leaves as they absorb or reflect sounds.

17. Blue Light Glasses

Although blue light glasses aren’t technically desktop accessories, it’s still highly recommended for people who work long hours at a computer. Most blue light glasses block all UV lights and a high percentage of blue light while reducing eye strain. There aren’t many studies that confirm the long-term effects of using them, but it’s a fact that people who use these glasses feel less stress on their sight and have an easier time sleeping at night.

18. Stress Ball

They have many health benefits apart from helping with concentration. Squishy balls can reduce stress by repeating the pattern of squeezing and releasing your grip on it, which relaxes your muscles and alleviates your pent-up tension. They also can help to rehabilitate and strengthen your hand muscles after an injury.

19. Anti-fatigue Mat

Anti-Fatigue Mats are the best standing desk accessories you can get. It supports your pelvic and lumbar areas, relieving your back pain and improving your standing posture. They also soothe feet pain by massaging your instep and keep you energized and productive while working at your standing desk.

20. Mug Warmer

Last but not least, for people who drink warm beverages, this device is convenient. If you often forget to drink your hot coffee or tea while you wait for it to cool down a bit, you can use a mug warmer to prevent it from going lukewarm. It keeps your drink at an ideal temperature for a long time, making it a must-have desk accessory for forgetful people.