The Verge’s Favorite Desk Accessories: Tech, Décor, and Cats.

Most of us have more to our desks than our laptops, monitors, and keyboards. Gamers will have a high-end microphone and/or camera, without forgetting their various consoles and keyboards; tech enthusiasts will have video setups, Stream Decks, and multiple monitors; and many of our desks are covered with a variety of things, from a bullet journal and favorite mug to a fun wind-up toy.

We asked the staff the edge what they keep on their desks. Here are some of the responses we got.

Years ago (more than I can remember), a freelance writer who was excellent at her craft and one of the nicest people I’ve ever met gave me a Christmas present: a wooden pencil holder from lever which had a quote on the side from HG Wells: “No passion in the world is equal to the passion of altering someone else’s draft.” I’ve kept it on my desk at home ever since because it’s a perfect place to keep my best pens, because it reminds me of my friend, and because he makes me laugh. As a publisher, I know how true that quote is. . – Barbara Krasnoff, Reviews Editor

Don’t laugh: I still use the OG Amazon Echo Spot from 2017. It has a cute and friendly watch face, but it doesn’t take up as much space as some other smart alarm clocks. It alternates between showing me the weather, time, and news, which are really the only things I need the clock on my desktop to show. Play my music library if I need a quick pick-me-up. And if I need something from Alexa, Alexa is at my beck and call.

I’m sure the comments section will point out that there is actually such and such another alarm clock you could be using instead that offers the same benefits, but shhh. I like my old Echo Spot. – Monica Chin, Senior Reviewer

Like many people, I struggle to get through the dark winter months in my home office. My in-laws gave me a full-spectrum light for my desk, designed to mimic sunlight and help with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), although since SAD lamps are not regulated by the FDA, I cannot vouch for their actual medical benefits. . But an added surprise is that my SAD lamp makes Zoom lighting incredibly flattering, like being bathed in the light of a swaying ring. – Helen Havlak, editor

I’ve written about this before, but my favorite desk accessory of all time is my wooden tweeter. I chose to get mine in honor of what I consider to be the greatest tweet of all time: Post Malone’s legendary “is meatball an fruit” tweet from 2018. It’s a fun conversation starter, sure, but it also reminds me every day how the edgeAudience Manager takes social media so seriously. – Kaitlin Hatton, Audience Director

I tried this for one of our Tik Tok VideosAnd it hasn’t let me down yet. I use it to hold my Razer Kraken Headphones and some extra cables. It’s small enough to stay out of the way, but big enough to hold more than the headset itself. It has a pretty strong grip and doesn’t give out, even when I’m going up and down my standing desk several times a day. It’s not the prettiest accessory you can put on your desk, but it’s very functional. –Kaitlin Hatton

As a smart home reviewer, I have a lot of smart speakers and displays in my home. But the only one that has a permanent place on my desk is the Google Nest Hub (1st generation, no camera). Ever since I got this smart display back in 2018, it’s been a staple there thanks to its matte screen that provides visible information without being distracting. I mainly use it as a watch: its full-screen clock face is easy to read out of the corner of my eye when I’m on a video call. It’s also useful as a Pomodoro-style timer: I can set a timer for 40 minutes with a voice command to get started with focused work. But perhaps my favorite feature is that I can connect it to a video door phone, so when someone comes to the front door, I can see and talk to the visitor without ever leaving my desk. – Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, reviewer

I also love the Pomodoro method and sometimes even remember to use it. My office contains a dozen devices that can set a 25-minute timer, but can also do a thousand other (distracting) things. Even the Pomodoro apps do too much.

This retro looking analog kitchen timer it has lived in my desk for five years. She is just a timer. It ticks as it counts and ends with a sickening mechanical chime, like the alarm clocks of yesteryear. No beeps, no bloops, no notifications, and no confusing it with anything else. It is perfect. – Nathan Edwards, Senior Reviews Editor

I received this as a birthday present from my partner this year after several months of arguing over our sleeping arrangements. Something about me dragging my devices’ charging cables around in bed is “dangerous” and “extremely inconvenient”… Anyway, after grudgingly acknowledging my bad charging habits, I have to admit that having this on my desk has had benefits outside of not clubbing myself in the middle of my sleep.

My iPhone, Apple Watch, and wireless headphones rarely run out of power, since I no longer fall asleep before plugging them in. small screen for Slack or Discord, and as a hub to remotely control the various smart devices in my home. It helps me separate the device from being my phone and instead helps me develop the habit of making it another tool to increase my productivity. – Jess Weatherbed, news writer

I have been working on installing a second desktop in my home and in the process now have two different desk mats that I love. Keeb-heads (keyboard enthusiasts) swear that a desk mat improves the sound of their mechanical keyboards, and while it may make a barely noticeable little difference, a desk mat is just a fun way to decorate and personalize your space, and they’re cooler than a standalone mouse pad.

Desk mats have become pretty ubiquitous, so if you like certain styles or themes (geometric, space, Pretty thing, Superheros, animated, gaming, etc.), you can probably find something you like. Some sites and small sellers include desk mats as part of limited group buys, so you can get something unique, but there are lots of great things on sale all the time on Amazon, Aliexpress, or sites that sell keyboards. Just keep in mind that for every great design, there are probably just as many ultra-cringey ones, some of whom venture into a strange obsession with orientalism. (Not everything has to have katakana On that folks!) So yeah, maybe avoid that, but find the right size and design for your space, preferably 3mm or thicker so it doesn’t feel cheap and thin. – Antonio G. Di Benedetto, trade writer

Listen, I work from home, and sure, there are other benefits, for example, I don’t have to go to work, but even as I write this, the cat has been sitting on my lap, after pacing behind my monitor repeatedly. she is purring you can think, But I’m a dog person and dogs are fine too, but they won’t climb on your desk unless you screw up somewhere. Also, in my experience, they are less likely to walk all over the keyboard and send weird Slack messages. I could tell you that the pets low blood pressure and can have other Health Benefitsbut who cares, honestly. get yourself a little friendand I promise it will make the job better and more fun. – Elizabeth Lopatto, Senior Reporter