I recently bought a new desk for my home office, so I needed to improve my desktop setup. So, I found five amazing, cool desktop gadgets that made me more productive in my home office while doing digital Bible study or other ministry work. Here’s my list below, with links to where I got them.
After you read about my favorite Desktop Gadgets, please comment below. What’s your favorite Desktop Gadget? Either share an alternative to one of these or a new gadget I’ve not included.
HUANUO HNSS7 Monitor Mount Stand Desktop Gadget
I own a large 32-inch 4K monitor, and the stand that came with it takes up a lot of desk space. Mounting this monitor to the HUANUO HNSS7 Mount Stand freed up some desk space.
Below my monitor, I placed a stand for my iPad, which connects to my MacBook Pro for a third monitor. Thanks to Apple Continuity and Universal Control features, I can control the iPad with my desktop mouse and keyboard.
The stand connects to the back edge of my desk with a clamp. You can also put a hole through the desktop and mount it that way, but installing with the clamp takes less time and effort and works as well.
When I posted this roundup, the stand cost $90 with a 10% coupon, making it $81 with free Amazon Prime Shipping.
What I really like…
- Holds a large, heavy monitor up to 26 lbs.
- Easy installation with a strong clamp.
- It comes with a USB cable to connect to a monitor hub.
- The cable runs through the arm of the stand.
- With slight adjustments, the arm easily raises and lowers.
- The display can rotate 90 degrees.
Problems…
- Instructions are confusing.
- Adjustments aren’t easy to make due to poor instructions causing many bad reviews on Amazon.
LG UltraGear QHD 32-inch Gaming Monitor
I love this monitor. It’s designed with gamers in mind, but for under $500, it competes with high-end professional monitors with a 32-inch Nano IPS display, which offers superior color accuracy and a wider color gamut than conventional IPS monitors. This Nano IPS technology brings a more vivid and lifelike color representation to the screen, making it an excellent choice for writing with crisp text, color-accurate photo and video editing, and design work.
The refresh rate of 165Hz reduces the time it takes for the monitor to refresh new images, reducing eye strain while working for long editing sessions. A 1ms response time makes it adept at minimizing ghosting and providing a clearer, blur-free visual experience.
The stand’s tilt/swivel/pivot/height adjustability provides maximum comfort for extended use. This makes it suitable for those long work sessions, allowing users to adjust the monitor to their most comfortable viewing angle.
What I really like…
- Excellent image quality and fast refresh rates.
- A large 32-inch screen makes it easy to read and see what you’re working on.
- Adjustable tilt/swivel/pivot/height adjustments.
- Decent price for what you get.
- HDMI and DVI ports.
- Simple switching if you use more than one device with the monitor.
- Picture-in-picture and 2-in-1 feature with included software.
Problems…
- No built-in speakers.
- No USB-C in the USB hub.
- The on-screen control menu is annoying.
- Included control software is not good on a Mac.
You can get the LG UntraGear QHD 32-inch Gaming Monitor at Amazon for under $500.
ADEELIA 2-in-1 Foldable Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand
I wanted a cheaper charging dock for the road and found this gem for $36 as of May 2023. It charges an iPhone and AirPods at the same time wirelessly. However, it also claims to work with Samsung, LG, Google, Sony, and ONEPLUS phones. I only tested it with my iPhone 14 Pro Max, and it works great on the road and at home.
The will fold up for travel. I put it in my computer bag and folded it up. It takes up very little space. It charges with a USB cable. I have a ton of those and didn’t use the included USB A to C cable.
When you fold it up, lay the charger flat or set it up so that it holds your phone up at multiple angles in both portrait and landscape.
You can get the Adeelia 2-in-1 Foldable Magnetic Wireless Charging Stand at Amazon for $35.99. There’s a $5 coupon right now, so hit the link above and pick one up for your desktop or mobile kit bag.
What I really like…
- Works with MagSafe and other magnetic charging devices like Android phones.
- Charge in portrait or landscape mode.
- Versatile charging modes with foldable design.
Problems…
- Moving from mode to mode by rotating the two charging pads is stiff.
Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface Desktop Gadget for Sound
Most people use their computer’s audio interface to play music, video, or edit. You may also have a mic built into the computer. However, you can get better-sounding audio with the Focusrite Scarlett Solo 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface.
They advertise it as “professional audio” but I wouldn’t go that far. However, for only $100, it sounds really good if you pair them with great speakers and a quality mic.
The company makes a bunch of these USB Audio Interfaces, but for one person, the Solo works best. It connects to my Mac via USB-C. On the back, you get two quarter-inch jacks to plug into a left and a right speaker. On the front, it has an XLR mic input, a quarter-inch input (for an instrument typically), and a quarter-inch output for headphones. The large volume knob controls the audio, not your computer.
The 48V button lets users switch between a 48-volt phantom power mic interface or non-phantom power. Check your mic to see if it needs the power. Another button labeled INST turns the front quarter-inch jack into an instrument interface. Otherwise, you can use a line-level input like a keyboard or external audio mixer via the quarter-inch jack.
Each front input has its own gain knob to get the right sound levels.
The device also comes with some excellent software bundled. Ableton Live, a 3-month subscription to Avid Pro Tools, a 3-month subscription to Splice Sounds library, and more.
Amazon sells the Focusrite Scarlett 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface for $99.99 as of the date of this post.
What I really like…
- The simple interface.
- A physical volume control ready to turn it up or all the way down without fumbling in software.
- Excellent sound outputs for two monitor speakers.
- USB-C.
- Small.
- The clipping indicator on each front input with colors indicates that you’re getting close to clipping (orange).
Problems…
- The sound going to the computer can be low.
- If you need to control the audio input from software, you can’t on a Mac.
Desktop Gadgets I Use With the Scarlett
I use the following accessories with my Scarlett Solo:
- WORLDS BEST CABLES Quad Balanced XLR – $27
- Hosa HSS-001.5 REAN Balanced Quarter-inch Cables – $7
- PreSonus Eris E3.5-3.5-inch Near Field Studio Monitor Pair – $99
- Shure SM58 Cardioid Dynamic Mic – $99
The Shure SM58 mics and the PreSonus speakers are excellent! They sound professional and don’t break the bank. I have had no problems whatsoever.
Bose QuietComfort 45 Bluetooth Headphones
The Bose QuietComfort 45 Bluetooth Headphones sound great and feel comfortable. You can probably find better headphones on Amazon, but not for the under $300 price point.
Do you hate Bluetooth headphones? Great! You can use the Bose QC45s with a wired connection too. In fact, I’ve connected mine to the Focusrite Solo 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface above with a 3.5mm to quarter-inch conversion cable, and they sound better than over Bluetooth.
I like the convenience of Bluetooth. When I’m listening to music, watching a movie, or editing audio/video, I prefer connecting these headphones. They fit well on my big ears, and I can wear them for a long time before taking a break.
The headphones offer noise-canceling sound. You can switch from canceling to aware mode to hear your environment if needed.
Connect to more than one source and listen over Bluetooth for hours. Bose advertises 22 hours, and I can’t dispute that because I’ve never worn out the battery before charging them.
Get them right now for $279 on Amazon.
What I really like…
- Great sound quality.
- Versatile with Bluetooth connection to 2 devices or a wired connection.
- Long battery life.
- Nice carrying case with all the cables you need.
Problems…
- I can’t think of any.
Note all links above to the product purchase pages are affiliate links.
I hope this gets to the correct place! The monitor stand is good, but I use a Mount-it triple monitor stand to mount 3 27″ monitors, and love the versatility!