I’ve worked remotely for 20 years. Here’s what’s always in my laptop bag

Laptop

MSI

First thing in my laptop bag is… my laptop! I’ve had an HP ProBook 450 G9 for a few years now, and I’m quite happy with it still. Inside there’s an Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, 1TB of storage, and a GeForce MX 570A graphics card. Nothing mind-blowing, but it does the job. Heck, I’ve even played World of Warcraft on this thing!

I can’t find this same hardware config available anymore, but if it died and I had to replace it with something similar, I’d go with this MSI Thin 15 laptop at Best Buy. It comes with an RTX 4050, so it’s even better than mine for extracurricular activities and creative work.

Get the MSI Thin 15 at Best Buy

Portable monitor

Arzopa

The second most important thing in my laptop bag is my portable monitor. I’ve written in other articles that I’m not able to do my work on a single screen—my productivity takes a huge hit—so I bought an Arzopa S1 Table portable monitor a while back. I carry it with me whenever I work remotely, and it comes in handy whenever I have enough space for it. I also use it at home as a third monitor, so that’s a nice bonus.

I couldn’t find the exact model I have available anymore, but this Arzopa A1 Gamut is almost the same thing: 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display, ultra-slim profile, with a built-in kickstand. It connects via either USB-C or Mini HDMI. Once I started using a portable monitor, I never went back.

Get the Arzopa A1 Gamut at Amazon

Mouse

Logitech

Next to my laptop and portable monitor, you’ll find my trusty Logitech M705 Marathon wireless mouse. It’s a no-frills mouse that has absorbed more abuse than I care to admit, and it continues to survive. It fits nicely in my hand, but it also comes in multiple sizes to fit your own palm size. It’s also rather affordable—especially for Logitech—and it has a hyper-fast scroll wheel and it lasts forever on a single pair of AA batteries. (Logitech claims up to 3 years and that’s been true for me.)

Get the Logitech M705 Marathon at Amazon

Power bank

Ugreen

I talk about power banks all day long, constantly recommending them because they’re so essential these days—so of course I carry one too. I use this Ugreen Nexode power bank every day with my laptop because it has a massive 25,000mAh capacity and delivers 145W of charging power. It has two USB-C ports and a USB-A port, so I can also use it to charge my phone, earbuds, or headphones at the same time. It even comes with a USB-C cable included, so that’s nice.

Get the Ugreen Nexode 25K at Amazon

Charger

Ugreen

Some time ago, I quit using the chunky power brick that came with my laptop and switched over to this Ugreen Nexode X GaN charger with 160W of total power delivery. It has three USB-C ports and one USB-A, so it’s great for my laptop (when charging alone) as well as all my other USB devices, which I can plug in simultaneously for fast charging.

Get the Ugreen Nexode X Charger at Amazon

USB-C charging cable

Ugreen

I know that the Ugreen power bank from earlier in this list comes with an included USB-C charging cable, but I also carry this super-cute Ugreen 240W USB-C cable with me. It can deliver 240W of power—not that my laptop will ever need that much, but I like knowing that it’s future-proofed, plus it’s nice to have a second cable for charging another device, whether that’s my phone, tablet, or something else. I also like the digital display that shows how much charging power it’s delivering.

Get the Ugreen 240W USB-C Cable at Amazon

USB-C hub

Anker

One thing I hate about my laptop is that it only has a single USB-C port. That means it can support my portable monitor or the power charger, but not both. That’s why this 7-in-1 Anker USB-C hub is such a game-changer for me. I plug it in and suddenly my laptop has access to so many extra ports, including a USB-C port for passthrough charging. With it, I can keep my laptop charged and connect a monitor, flash drive, SD/microSD cards, and a few other peripherals.

Get the 7-in-1 Anker USB-C Hub at Amazon

Headphones

JBL

I can’t leave home without my headphones. I have these JBL Tune 720BT over-ear headphones that are super comfy and still in perfect shape after years of use. The one thing they lack? Active noise cancellation. To be fair, I don’t need ANC because my remote work areas are pretty quiet—but if I were to upgrade, I’d pick either the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose QuietComfort. Both are a lot more expensive than my JBLs, but they also deliver excellent ANC that blocks out all distractions.

Get the JBL Tune 720BT at Amazon

Get the Sony WH-1000XM5 at Amazon

Get the Bose QuietComfort at Amazon

Kindle Paperwhite

Kindle

It comes as a surprise to anyone who knows anything about me, but my laptop bag always has my Kindle Paperwhite. I rarely leave home without it, especially when I know I’m going to be on a bus or have time to kill. Mine’s the 2021 version, and I have no plans to upgrade yet.

Get the Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon

Bluetooth tracker

Samsung

My laptop bag carries another tiny secret inside—a Bluetooth tracker. I’m an Android user, so I have the Samsung SmartTag2 hidden in one of the little pockets inside. It comes in handy because I’m always worrying that someone might snatch my bag when I get up to use the restroom. I’ve never actually had to use it to track down a stolen bag (knock on wood!), but my kid did forget his backpack on the subway once and the SmartTag2 tracker saved the day. Oh, that was an adventure…

Get the Samsung SmartTag2 at Amazon

Laptop backpack

Lenovo

Now’s when I admit that my laptop bag isn’t so much your typical bag as it is a full-blown backpack. But this form factor is so much more comfortable for me, especially since I tend to carry a lot more than I should. I’m also not the type to spend a ton on this type of stuff, and a nice little backpack is more economical than a fancy laptop bag. I couldn’t find my exact bag on Amazon, but this backpack from Lenovo is almost a carbon copy—it has a padded interior, a zippered pocket on the front, and an insert for my laptop. It’s as basic as it gets, but that’s everything I need.

Get the Lenovo Laptop Backpack at Amazon