For most people, a laptop is the center of their mobile workflow. Those who travel a lot will appreciate low weight and footprint utmost. However, those who have to perform complex tasks and multitasking may also need enough screen space and performance. For us, the MacBook Air is currently the best possible compromise between performance, size, weight and price for most mobile workers. Since a while, it is also available with 15″ display size, if you need the extra space! With the help of Parallels, you can even run Windows on it.
We present the best tools for a flexible workplace!
In order to get the most out of your everyday workflow and be as productive as possible, the best tools for mobile working are as important as the right IT-concept. This page introduces our favourite remote work tools and helpers in a compact overview. Our product links take you directly to the products, so that you can have a look on live prices and availability.
We Combine
FreedomSecurityFlexibilityEfficiencySustainabiity
Tablet
For some users, a tablet might already be sufficient as the only workspace device, in which case a Pro device should be used straight away. For everyone else, however, tablets still can be very useful as a second device – use the tablet for meetings on the go or creative work with a pen and leave the larger laptop at home more often – thanks to this smaller alternative. When you’re back at your desk, you can use the tablet as a second screen on your laptop and thus get more screen estate – or use it as a replacement for a graphics tablet! The iPad Air offers great value for money and pairs perfectly with our recommended MacBook Air thanks to Apple’s SideCar und Universal Control features. Oh and don’t forget – If you want to often work on the go, you should make sure that the model you choose supports mobile data and safe yourself the hassle of always switching to smartphone hotspots.
Recomandation
Smartphone
The smartphone is maybe the smallest but often most important companion of our flexible workday on the go. Therefore it e should not only be able to cover basic functions such as answering emails and making calls – A stable hotspot function for example allows you to use your laptop even without available WiFi. And a good smartphone camera nowadays satisfies almost anyone who is not a professional photographer to completely save on additional photo camera equipment – and thus a lot of weight and budget. Remember that all the functions are useless if the battery doesn’t play along – a reasonable runtime is therefore also an important requirement for a business device. We currently recommend the iPhone Pro models as a perfect addition to our Apple ecosystem. The Samsung Galaxy S-Series is a good Android alternative, if you are not too engaged with Apple.
Recomandation
Mouse and Keyboard
Even though some laptops have great touchpads and keyboards, we strongly recommend using external, wireless mice and keyboards for ergonomic reasons, in addition. With the MX Anywhere series, Logitech offers excellent mice that are also small enough to be transported frequently. Arteck has a very portable and reliable keyboard to match that can pair with multiple computing devices and switch via button-press.
Also something many people forget about, but for us is an important feature in the setup: pack a mouse pad in your bag! Depending on the table surface, this adds enormous value with very little investment and packaging footprint! Depending on your preference, there are hard and soft mouse pads – such as this SteelSeries fabric pad .
Recomandation
Headset
If you work a lot on the go, you’re very much dependent on a good headset. A decent sound quality, ideally also for music to relax after work and not only for speech, is the basic. But a good battery life and noise cancellation, so that you can concentrate well without disturbance in your meetings, are no less important. Connectivity also plays a role. Pay attention to how many devices you want to connect the headset and that the headset supports those several connections at the same time, without always going through a whole manual pairing setup. The AirPods Pro are of course very well suited inside the Apple ecosystem, but you can work a little flexible in your eco-system choice with the Jabra Elite series, for example . Both are ultra-mobile in-ear headsets and come with a mobile charging case for more endurance on the go.
Recomandation
Laptop & Tablet Stand
Stands for laptops and tablets may limit the mobility of your entire setup a little, by adding to your luggage footprint, but they provide a huge improvement in ergonomics. This is particularly beneficial for those who often work at less suitable tables in hotels etc. They are ideal in combination with the external mouse and keyboard setup, that we mentioned before. Even inexpensive models like the linked laptop stand or the foldable tablet stand are already useable and a good compromise between weight, comfort and price.
Recomandation
Kindle eBook Reader
The use of eBook readers is certainly debatable if you already use a smartphone with big screen or a tablet. If you want to save as much weight as possible and don’t read too much, you can of course read an eBook or two on your smartphone or tablet. However, the Amazon Kindle devices have the advantage of being much more ergonomic. The technology enables a more pleasant reading experience for the eyes with an ideal display size and little weight. In addition, the whole thing is quite robust and can be used even on the beach without any problems, where some people might prefer to leave their expensive tablets safely in the hotel.
Recomandation
Power Bank
No matter what electronic devices you use, the battery will eventually run out at some point. To ensure you don’t run out of power while you’re working on the go, you can use an external powerbank. Make sure it not only has enough capacity, but also the correct charging current for your devices. Laptops in particular often require significantly higher wattages to charge the battery. Anker, for example, offers a good power bank with 60 watts of charging power , which is enough for all smartphones, tablets and most smaller laptops, such as the MacBook Air.
Recomandation
External Storage
In our opinion, it’s best to get two external hard drives. Firstly, we recommend a fastand small SSD that is connected via fast USB-C standards and can store all of your productive data that doesn’t fit on your internal laptop drive. This is ideal, for example to put all your video-workflow on it. Samsung has proven itself here with the T series over the years.
Secondly, we recommend a classic external HDD as a cheap external storage device to keep a complete backup of your data, including multiple versions. Some people now rely completely on cloud copies, but we always recommend having your own full backup additionally. The WD Elements Portable 4TB is a good choice here.
Recomandation
USB hub / docking station / storage
ACASIS provides an USB hub that, in addition to many useful ports, also offers a slot for an internal SSD. For us, the device is the perfect combo of mobility, port variety and storage. With fast USB-C uplink, it delivers sufficient performance and up to 100 watts of charging current for your tablet / laptop if you connect a suitable wall charger to it.
Recomandation
Charger & Power Connection
Instead of carrying many separate original chargers, you can use a single multi-charger that provides enough power to charge several devices at the same time. With the power adapter from UGreen, for example, you can charge up to 3 devices with up to 100 watts.
Of course, you also have to remember that wall sockets are not the same around the world. With the linked travel adapter, you overcome this challenge and are well connected worldwide. If all of your devices charge via USB, you can of course also purchase an alternative USB power adapter such as the UGreen built in with a foreign plug.
Recomandation
Hardware token for multi-factor authentication
Everyone who works with sensitive data should secure their devices, applications and cloud-logins as well as possible. Multi-factor authentication for logging into those can be a big advantage here. The Yubikey 5 can be used on almost all devices via USB-C or NFC to double-secure your login with a hardware device, that you can store separately from your device.
Recomandation
Password storage
This kind of software should absolutely be included in your basic IT feature list. Passwords, no matter if you are dealing with customer data or your own private stuff, should always be stored securely. There are many providers out there to do so, but we think Strongbox , which is based on a KeePass database that you can store on whatever storage you like to, is surely one of the best choices, if you use Apple devices. There are also a number of providers who store the passwords for you in cloud databases and/or who are optimised for use with several colleagues in a team – but besides being much more expensive, of course you should also pay particular attention to trustworthiness and secure data centers, once you device to give your passwords to them.
Recomandation
VoIP applications
Another important piece of software is responsible for the phone connection to your customers. For example – If the majority to your customers are based in Germany, it is advisable to use a German VoIP provider when on the move, so they can reach you on a “local” number, which will be more cost-effective.
If you are good with simple but reliable features and only have a small team, Satellite is the best option for us when it comes to German VoIP apps – and you can even use their free version for up to 100 minutes per month. For a mere €5 you can get their flat rate. For more complex telephone requirements, we can also offer you a German business product (Starface) via our linked Starface partner. You should also note that VoIP services mostly do not offer SMS reception. If you need this, e.g. for SMS authentication when banking apps etc., then you should continue to have a local SIM card additionally.
Recomandation
VPN for secure surfing
If you travel a lot, you mostly have no control over the networks you use to access the internet. Therefore it is important to get a VPN software that encrypts your connections and hides them inside this unknown and often insecure networks. This is essential, especially when working in public places. We have had very good experiences with NordVPN on our travels, which can be used on all major operating system platforms.
Recomandation
Notebook
Despite all the modern technological possibilities, we still recommend that you always carry a small A6 notebook with you in the old-fashioned way. It is practical and often offers a better creative flow for making a few quick notes or reflecting on something.
Recomandation
Backpack
For convenient transport, a high-quality, ergonomic, and versatile backpack is highly recommended. If you travel frequently, it’s worth paying attention to the weight as well. Especially for carry-on luggage on flights, the backpack shouldn’t take up most of the weight allowance on its own. We’ve had great experiences with North Face backpacks if you’re looking for a touch of “outdoor style.” For something more understated and business-friendly, AlpakaGear offers exceptional quality products, some of which also come in water-resistant materials. If your backpack doesn’t include a waterproof cover, at least consider purchasing a universal model separately.
Recomandation
Dry Bag
In many parts of the world, you can quickly and unexpectedly get caught in heavy rain showers or while crossing in a boat, get a splash of sea water on yourself. It is therefore best to protect your essential equipment and documents additionally in a dry bag to keep everything safe.
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