Everyone needs items to help with productivity and to boost their mood every once and a while, and the same can be said of freelancers. However, it can be difficult to find gifts for people who work at home.
I’ve been a freelancer working from home for a few years, and I’ve even purchased myself a lot of these products. Some of them are absolute musts, like #5, which I honestly couldn’t have a successful business without.
Whether you’re looking for gifts for women working from home or men, this list has got you covered. Plus, it includes items covering a wide range of budgets, so you don’t have to break the bank while giving the gift of happiness to the freelancer in your life.
No matter what type of freelancer you’re purchasing for, these gifts for people who work at home are sure to make them smile.
Here are the best gifts for people who work at home!
1. Nespresso Machine
Any coffee lover knows that this deserves a spot on this list of gifts for people who work at home. I recently splurged on the Nespresso Vertuo machine for Black Friday, and it’s arguably the best affordable coffee machine on the market.
Nespresso machines are obviously most well-known for making espresso, but it also makes all types of coffee flavours too. The pods are pretty affordable and can be purchased in sleeves with ten pods each on the Nespresso website, or Amazon.
Each Nespresso machine also comes with a test box of pods so the freelancer in your life can try about fifteen different flavours before putting an order in for more pods.
This will genuinely come in handy for anyone that works from home because they’ll feel like they have coffee from their favourite coffee shop, but it’s actually just from the kitchen.
Plus, a Nespresso purchase comes with a recyclable bag so all of the pods can be recycled instead of being thrown away.
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2. External Hard Drive
You may think that this product doesn’t belong in an article featuring the best gifts for remote workers, but I promise you that it does. Especially if the freelancer in your life is a graphic designer or is in another line of work that produces products that take up a lot of disk space (such as video), this will come in handy.
There are many different types of external hard drives out there, but the ones from the brand Seagate are arguably the best. The freelancer in your life most likely won’t need more than 1 TB, which can take a while to fill up properly.
What’s so great about external hard drives is that it helps you separate your work life and projects from your personal documents on your computer.
It can be challenging to have your personal files and photos from your past trips stored on the same computer as your final project files for your clients.
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3. Headphones
Headphones are one of the simplest work from home gifts, but they’re worth the purchase. The market is saturated with different headphone types now, but the best ones are noise-cancelling so that focusing is a lot more natural.
Arguably, the best headphones that I absolutely swear by are the Beats Studio Wireless. They’re a bit bulky and pricey, but they’ve lasted me four years so far, and when I have them on, I can’t hear anything else that’s happening in my apartment. That says a lot because I live in the most central part of my city!
A cheaper alternative to the Studio headphones is the Beats Solo Wireless, which also comes in a wide variety of colours and are noise-cancelling. However, they are on-ear headphones instead of over-ear, which can make a difference to a freelancer’s comfort levels.
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4. Comfortable Leather Desk Chair
No freelancer deserves to sit in a $20 chair that they’ve had since they were in college. That can be extremely uncomfortable and can cause back issues, making it even more challenging to work from home.
That’s why a nice, leather chair is genuinely one of the best work from home gifts. While there are many leather chair options, I absolutely recommend the one linked below from La-Z-Boy.
I purchased it last spring, and while it was a bit of a splurge, I can now finally sit at my desk for hours on end without being in any pain whatsoever. It’s also really nice leather, so I know that it’s going to last me a long time before I’ll ever have to buy a replacement.
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5. Tripod
If the freelancer in your life has to take a lot of photos or video for their job, such as a social media manager, videographer, or another type of content creator, consider getting them a tripod. This is one of the most essential gifts for people who work from home.
Believe it or not, but most freelancers will continue just to stack books or other objects around their house instead of purchasing a tripod to save money. I know, because I am one of those social media management freelancers!
Tripods are relatively affordable, can be portable, and can help someone get the best shot possible for their client—no more shaky hands with a gift like this.
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6. Space Heater
This is easily one of the best gifts for people who work from home. While it may seem a bit odd, a space heater can help a freelancer who has to spend long hours sitting at their desk.
What’s excellent about space heaters is that they aren’t that big so they won’t take up a lot of room — which is a bonus for freelancers who live in smaller apartments, as they don’t have a lot of room to begin with.
Even though a space heater is a better gift for the colder months of the year, it will definitely get its use. I use one that I like to put near my desk while I’m working and I use it a ton.
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7. Ring Light for Meetings
One of the greatest gifts for women working from home is a ring light — this could be a good gift for anyone, but many women do makeup, fashion or other videos while working at home.
Freelancers are always in consultation calls and other types of meetings with their clients throughout the day, and it can be hard always to appear presentable, especially if there are calls after the sun goes down.
The easiest way to look professional on calls no matter the time is to use a ring light. This can just be plugged in, and automatically you’ll look more presentable during your meetings.
There are many different ring lights that you can purchase. Some of them can be clipped right to the top of a computer, and other ones have to be plugged in and stood up next to your monitor. Both work great!
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8. Desk Fan
Nobody likes to be sweating while sitting at their desk, so one of the easiest gifts for people who work at home to cool off is a simple desk fan.
The keyword here is desk. Yes, there are huge fans out there, but a freelancer would prefer one that could set on the corner of their desk that isn’t too loud or distracting.
Fans come in handy no matter the time of year, and the quieter of a fan it is, the less distracting it would be if it was left on during client calls or meetings.
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9. Planner
Planners are one of the essential gifts for women working from home. Everyone loves to stay organised, and there’s just something about writing your schedule and to-do list out with paper and pen versus typing it up in a management tool like Asana or Trello.
While there are many different planner sizes, the best one is small to medium. A lot of freelancers do leave the house, contrary to popular belief. Therefore if it’s smaller, it’s a bit easier to travel with versus one that’s the size of a textbook.
Planners come in all sorts of styles. Some offer daily planning, while others are just monthly or weekly. I’ve personally found weekly to be the most successful in helping me stay on track with my freelance business deadlines.
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10. Kindle
Kindle Fire is one of the best gifts for remote workers. They’re affordable and offer an easy way for freelancers to download their favourite business books to read while they aren’t working.
The Kindle Fire is great because it’s also a tablet, meaning it can do a lot more than just download books. You can surf the internet, use social media (which can help social media managers!), and even use apps like Zoom or Skype for client calls if needed.
It’s also portable, and you can carry tons of books in your single tablet versus lugging around larger physical books, which can be a game-changer. Editor’s note: most people are tired of looking at a computer screen or smartphone all day! If that sounds like the person you’re buying for, click here for the Kindle Paperwhite.
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11. Cable Organiser
This may seem obvious, but a cable organiser is one of the greatest gifts for men working from home. Freelancers tend to have many cords around their desk, whether it’s for chargers or plugging in lamps or desktops, and it can be a bit overwhelming.
Cable organisers can be put in different places around or on your desk, and then you attach the cable right onto it. This can make your desk feel a lot less hectic, which could help you focus a lot better on your day-to-day tasks while sitting at your desk.
Plus, these cables can work anywhere else in the house too. Say goodbye to the messy set of cables near your bedside table with these.
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12. Calculator
Everyone knows how annoying it can be to unlock your phone to open up your calculator or locate the calculator app on your computer. That’s what makes a calculator one of the greatest gifts for people who work at home.
While they are affordable, they are also convenient. If you’re quickly trying to come up with rates for a project while you are on a client call, it’s a lot easier to reach for an actual calculator on your desk rather than be distracted on your phone.
Many fancy and scientific calculators exist out there, but all a freelancer needs is a fundamental and simplistic calculator to get the job done.
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13. Porta
ble Charger
Even though freelancers don’t often work in public spaces, sometimes they do. That’s why a portable charger is one of the excellent gifts for men working from home.
Freelancers always need to have their phone charged if a client contacts them, and sometimes if you are working in a place like a public coffee shop, it can be nearly impossible to find a plug that’s open on the wall. Portable chargers will come in handy in a situation like this.
This also doubles as a great gift that a freelancer can use in their everyday life, too. Almost everything is kept in our phones now, from our directions to our grocery lists. Keep your cellphone forever charged by having a portable charger to take with you.
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14. Laptop Stand
Not every freelancer can afford a desktop, especially if they are just beginning their freelance business. I even worked from my laptop for the first six months when I started my business.
While a laptop’s purpose is that you can pretty much sit with it anywhere, client calls and meetings are best taken while sitting at a desk. However, laptops are often awkwardly short, making freelancers appear a bit funny and unprofessional when answering video calls.
A laptop stand can solve this problem instantly. It elevates your laptop to a more comfortable position, so you don’t have to break your neck trying to look down at it.
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15. Microphone
Another one of the best work from home gifts is a microphone. This can have quite a few uses for the freelancer in your life, so it can prove helpful often.
First of all, it’s great for client calls and meetings which freelancers so often have throughout the week. It can make someone’s voice a lot stronger and clearer and gets rid of all of the background noise that your computer’s microphone might be awkwardly picking up.
It can also come in handy if a freelancer has a podcast or often makes videos to promote their business. Their audio will be brought to a whole new level, making them appear a lot more professional. This, in turn, could lead to a lot more potential client leads in the long run!
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5 Cheap Gifts for People Who Work at Home
Not every gift has to break the bank. These gifts are affordable yet will still show a freelancer that you care about them and their wellbeing.
16. Mug
You can’t go wrong with a nice mug for coffee or tea for any freelancer. Working from home means using mugs instead of to-go cups, so this can be an excellent opportunity to gift the freelancer in your life a unique cup.
Mugs are super affordable and can even be purchased in packs. I bought a set of clear mugs to use with my Nespresso just so that I could take some lovely photos to post on my business’s Instagram Stories of it in the morning.
Plus, nobody can ever have too many mugs. It’s the one gift that you know everyone will appreciate, no matter how many they already might own.
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17. Notebook
When sitting at their desks or on client calls and meetings, freelancers are always looking for somewhere to jot down notes and ideas. I know because I’ve been there. I’ve written on old receipts, cardboard boxes, you name it.
Notebooks are one of the best gifts for people who work at home because of how practical they are. They are also super affordable, and freelancers are definitely in need of them.
Surprise the freelancer in your life by purchasing them an excellent leather journal. It’s sure to put a smile on their face!
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18. Chair Pillow
While it may seem silly, a chair pillow can be an effortless gift to purchase for someone who works from home. Whether they have a nice office chair for their desk or not, it will make their days spent working a lot easier.
Pillows for your head or lower back are usually the best because they give you a lot of support that unfortunately, even the most expensive chair does not provide. This can make long hours at a desk a lot easier and give a bit of added comfort.
These pillows tend to be pretty affordable and can come in a variety of colours.
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19. Blue Light Glasses
Blue light glasses can genuinely change the life of anyone who works at home. Your eyes start to hurt the longer you stare at a computer screen, which can make it more challenging to get work done promptly.
They are pretty affordable and usually come in packs of two or three, so the freelancer in your life can choose the ones that best fit their personality and style choices. You can often even purchase ones that look similar to the eyeglasses you wear if you have a pair.
With blue light glasses, you’ll be able to stare at a screen longer and suffer fewer migraines. My life changed when I finally bought myself a pair. Plus, they just look like normal glasses, so if a freelancer wears them on a client call, nobody will know the difference.
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20. Essential Oil Diffuser
One of the simplest yet most effective work from home gifts is an essential oils diffuser. Being a freelancer can be stressful, and one of the easiest ways to release some anxiety and calm down is to use a diffuser.
These are usually relatively affordable and can double as an excellent gift for the home too. They can help a room smell a lot nicer and can overall brighten your favourite freelancer’s mood if they are dealing with a nightmare client.
What’s nice about essential oil diffusers is that they are also smaller and can therefore be put on a ledge by a window or the corner of a desk. They don’t take up much space at all.
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Now You Know What to Get Someone Who Works From Home
Any one of these gifts, even just a mug, will truly brighten a freelancer’s day. As long as you know who you are shopping for, you can’t go wrong with any of the gifts on this entire list. There’s no better way to show a freelancer that you care than by getting them a present that will help improve their day. Happy shopping!
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