The 7 Best Portable Gadgets for Productive Hybrid Work

If you’re looking for a lightweight, super-slim laptop that can easily be transported to and from the office, then the Lenovo Flex 5 makes a great choice. Weighing in at just 3.64 pounds and only 0.82 inches thick, you’ll hardly notice this 14-inch laptop as it’s ferried from A to B.

Powerful enough to be used for work and play, its 360-degree hinge design lets you use it your way; in standard laptop mode, tent mode for easy sharing, tablet mode with the Lenovo stylus pen, or in stand mode for screen watching.

The Lenovo Flex 5 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 4500 mobile processor and comes with 256GB of storage space. A 10-hour battery life means there’s plenty of opportunity to work during your commute or finish off that last piece of work on your way home. Plus, its full HD IPS touchscreen display makes working on this laptop feel intuitive and satisfying.

With a webcam privacy shutter and built-in fingerprint reader, there are no worries when it comes to keeping things nice and secure. And narrow bezels on all four sides provide a better viewing area to work with and reduce clutter around the screen. Add in an excellent all-around performance and great graphics, and you have an ideal choice for hybrid working.

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This 10.9-inch Apple iPad Air 5th Generation is a very slick-looking tablet with plenty of base features to recommend it for hybrid working. This 5th generation version of the iPad Air boasts super-fast Wi-Fi on all models and is 5G capable, so you should never experience any lag or connectivity issues.

It has a 12MP front-facing camera and 4K video recording, making it perfect for hosting or participating in meetings, and an anti-reflective coating on the screen keeps you and the other attendees looking sharp at all times. Touch ID integration keeps things secure while ensuring that user authentication is reliable and fast, and a Multi-Touch display lets you work with ease.

This iPad includes an Apple Pencil for easy note-taking, or to transform your tablet into a mobile canvas for you to work on. Apple’s M1 chip delivers a boost in performance for this generation of iPads and offers users an all-day battery life so that it can keep going for as long as you can.

With stereo landscape speakers built-in, up to 256GB of storage, and a variety of colors available too, the Apple iPad Air 5th Generation is a great choice of tablet for mobile working.

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Noise-canceling headphones are a great idea for mobile working, especially for anyone looking to keep in touch with their teams remotely, or for those all-important meetings. Active noise cancellation technology means everyone on the call can be clearly heard, ensures nothing important is missed and allows for more efficient working; reducing the need to ask people to repeat themselves!

These Bose noise-canceling headphones are some of the best that money can buy. Their built-in microphone makes clear calling a breeze, and lets you hear (and be heard) clearly, no matter where you may be. With 11 levels of active noise-cancellation, these headphones will reliably deliver clear and crisp sound at all times. And the voice pickup system will intuitively adapt to whatever environment you’re in, so that calls aren’t encumbered by unwanted background noise.

With integrated Alexa voice control as well, you have easy access to music, navigation, weather, and more with the simple touch of an earcup button. And speaking of earcups, these ones can be adjusted and tilted for the perfect fit, and are cushioned to provide you comfort, even after you’ve been wearing them for hours.

These Bose 700 wireless noise-canceling headphones will give you approximately 20 hours of battery life on a single charge. When it comes to noise-canceling headphones, you’d be hard-pressed to find better ones. A great choice, both in and out of the office.

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Wireless keyboards are a handy thing to have to facilitate an easy life when working in a hybrid capacity. Many are lightweight and portable, and slim enough to be slipped into a laptop bag for easy transportation. And the lack of need for fiddly wires and cables makes for a fuss-free setup at either end.

This multi-device wireless keyboard from Logitech is just the ticket for easy and productive hybrid working. It can connect up to three devices at any one time, and provides easy typing for your computer, tablet, and smartphone at the tap of a button. Connections can be wired or wireless, and there’s a sturdy groove at the top of the keyboard in which you can cradle your smartphone and tablet.

This universal keyboard has full-size concave keys and feels comfortable to the touch. Keystrokes are silent, and you’ll find a convenient Numpad plus all the usual shortcut keys here too. Just two AAA batteries will provide you with around 24 months of use, and the Bluetooth connection is nice and reliable too.

A great wireless keyboard to seamlessly connect your devices together, allowing you to switch between them quickly. Perfect for any office—remote or otherwise.

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A power bank is a useful and sensible thing to have for mobile or hybrid working. It allows you to keep your devices juiced up at all times, without worrying about where that next outlet will come from. This Anker portable charger allows you to do just that, doing for your smartphone what spinach did for Popeye.

Its 20,000mAh cell capacity can provide up to five full charges for your smartphone, ideal for mobile working, or for anyone who works on the road. Twin USB ports will allow you to recharge two devices at the same time, and a Trickle Charge function allows you to fast-charge low-output devices such as earphones.

You’ll need approximately 10.5 hours to fully charge this power bank, but that’s small potatoes when you consider this will provide power to your devices for days afterward. At the equivalent size of your smartphone, this is a no-bulk device that can easily be stored in a pocket, making it simple and convenient to use.

A no-brainer for anyone needing to work remotely, or for anyone wanting to make sure they can stay contactable during their commute.

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This silent and slim Logitech mouse is a dream for hybrid working. It weighs next to nothing and takes up virtually no space at all in a laptop bag, but is precise enough for day-to-day use. This quiet-click mouse produces approximately 90% less noise than other mice and has near-universal compatibility.

Powered by one single AA battery, you’ll enjoy around 18 months of use before having to replace this. Connect to your keyboard via Bluetooth or with the 2.4GHz USB receiver that’s included, for a fuss-free connection with no drop-off.

Smooth and ergonomic, this Pebble mouse is a joy to use. However, larger hands may struggle to find it comfortable during prolonged use. There are also no customization options, so don’t expect to switch over to gaming during your downtime.

With near-silent button clicks and scrolling, it’s a fantastic choice of mobile mouse to pop into your bag and go.

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One of the drawbacks to hybrid or remote working is that compromises are often made when it comes to your own comfort. As you’ll no doubt want to reduce your own carry load, you’ll probably just take the essentials only when traveling to the office or when mobile working. Consequently, when you set up your mobile workstation, things will be at the wrong height and you’ll sit slouched, and aggravate that bad back of yours. Well, no more!

This laptop stand from Leeboom is the perfect portable laptop riser, and can be folded up for easy transportation in a pocket or laptop bag. Compatible with pretty much any laptop, you can ensure things sit at just the right height, wherever you are. Made from aluminum, it is lightweight and weighs just 0.6 pounds. But it is strong enough to support a weight of up to 88 pounds.

Give your bad back a break with this super little laptop stand, and make sure you put your own comfort first.

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