💯 Cool tools on my desk

Peek at my productivity & creativity kit 💎

Walk into my home office and you’ll spot a dozen physical tools I rely on for productivity, creativity and well-being. Notebooks, pens, reading lights, timers…It’s a quirky mix of practical (and peculiar?) items. What tools do you rely on? Leave a comment to share a recommendation.👇

Glocusent Reading Light

I bought this $14 reading light for nighttime reading. It’s about the size of a Snickers Bar and clips easily onto any book. It has three simple buttons: on/off, adjust brightness, and pick color shade. I usually use the softest yellow for late-night reading. The built-in battery charge lasts for months.

There’s no need to buy or switch out batteries. To recharge, just temporarily pull off the top to reveal a USB connector that fits any USB hub or plug. It’s reminiscent of the old Flip video cameras. Remember those? Caveat: If you secure book pages with the light’s clip, every page turn requires a readjustment.

I also bought a $20 necklight version (below left) that I use for reading newspapers, magazines or anything the smaller clip light can’t as easily grip. (Note: Amazon’s July 16-17 Prime Day may lower prices for this & other items).

Necklight (left) and clip-on light

Alaska Bear Sleep Mask

If you don’t have blackout shades, this $10 sleep mask is a useful alternative. It’s soft, adjustable, and easy to wash. I rely on this whenever I want to close my eyes in an airport or anyplace else with visible distractions. I also have a pair of Loop earplugs to block out noise, but I haven’t found a significant difference between those and more generic disposable earplugs.

Ticktime Cube

I use this palm-sized cube to time work sessions. It reminds me not to spend 20 minutes on a single email if I’ve allocated 15 minutes to reply to several. I also use it to time student presentations and classroom activities when I’m teaching. It has a helpful stopwatch mode and a Pomodoro timer for 25-minute work sprints. This 2-minute promo video shows it in action.

I like picking the timer length by flipping it onto the side marked with that number. I can then tap the timer to double or triple the interval. Caveat: I paid $40. Sometimes its loud beeps have annoyed people nearby. I only recently discovered the silent alarm option. 😊

Time tracking: If you want to monitor the time you spend on various tasks, not just set a timer, consider Timeular’s time-tracking cube. ($69 + $90/year). Most time trackers require fidgeting with software. This nifty object lets you flip it over to indicate an activity change. I kept forgetting to adjust it, though, so mine’s been sitting in a drawer. Other options.

Eero Wi-Fi Router

We now have a reliable Internet connection throughout our Manhattan apartment, despite its seemingly impenetrable walls. That’s thanks to Eero, which took five minutes to set up.. There were no confusing settings to adjust. That was a relief after wrestling with the more expensive and complex routers like the Netgear Nighthawk. Eero lets you connect a series of these units if you need to extend coverage across a big home, for anywhere between $40 and $450.

Leuchtturm1917 notebook

Notebooks tend to feel either luxurious or functional. This $24.50 Leuchtturm has elements of both. I appreciate the thick dotted paper, sturdy binding and blank table of contents for organizing notes. It’s compact at 145 x 210 mm with 251 numbered pages and 8 perforated detachable sheets for sharing notes.

As writers I admire note - from Laura Vanderkam and Cal Newport to David Sedaris and Susan Orlean - a delightful notebook is a worthy splurge.

An inexpensive alternative: the Artfan Bullet Dotted Journal costs just $6 yet feels sturdy, with 128 sheets of dotted grid paper. It opens flat, with an inner pocket and an elastic closure.  

Pilot Frixion Clicker Erasable Gel Pen

This is the first pen I’ve used that erases without smudging. A pack of three is less than $5. I like using colors to distinguish between pros & cons (green + red), or to indicate facts and quotes. I use these on ordinary paper and also with a Rocketbook Smart Notebook ($27 to $38). Its plastic pages can be scanned with your phone, then erased with a cloth and reused. Another erasable writing tool I like: a $25 Boogie Board Memo Board (picture). I write my task list with a fingernail or stylus and erase it by touching a button.

Flexispot Electric Standing Desk

This purchase early in the pandemic allowed me to stand or sit comfortably at home, making a huge difference in comfort over thousands of hours of work. I can adjust its height quickly with the touch of a button.

Caveats: It requires setup, has to be plugged in to move up or down, and it costs $200, but it’s a terrific standing desk.

Alternative: I also recommend a $99 wooden stand I bought on Etsy to convert a bedroom table into a standing desk. It’s durable, portable, height-adjustable and easy to set up.

The Flexispot (left) is helpfully flexible. The Etsy alternative is moveable.

Oura Smart Ring

I bought this smart ring early in the pandemic to learn more about my sleep quality and fitness. I didn’t want a screen on my wrist. I’m still wearing it because it’s helped me analyze how my eating and exercise habits impact my rest. It provides other useful metrics too—how much I’m walking and working out— helping motivate me to stay active.

Read more: Here’s my original post on why I like my Oura and how I use it. Alternative: I haven’t yet tried Samsung’s new Galaxy ring, announced July 10. Caveat: a $6/month subscription is now required to access your complete Oura data, in addition to a $299 or $349 ring.

Shure MV7+ USB Microphone

If you make recordings, lead online meetings or workshops, or otherwise rely on sound for work, this $279 mic is worth a look. I use it for audio and video recordings as well as online classes I teach and Zoom meetings. It’s easy to plug into your laptop or you can connect it with an XLR cable to pro audio equipment. What’s new: The new MV7+ model has a more secure cable connector than the older MV7, which is otherwise similar and cheaper at $249.

Discover more cool tools

• I rely on the Vetted AI Chrome Extension and app to check product pricing and aggregated reviews. Consumer Reports and Wirecutter are also useful for independent product curation.

• What’s in my bag and

  Cool Tools Lab
  ’s
  Recomendo
  newsletter are great sources for discovering useful gadgets, tools and services.

• The Workspaces newsletter started the same week Wonder Tools did. Ryan Gilbert has highlighted 400+ cool desk setups since then.

What’s one of your most useful tools for productivity/creativity? 👇