I’ve been working from home for almost five years — and not just when I have a mid-afternoon dentist appointment. Every single morning, I get out of bed, make some coffee, and sit down at the double-monitor work desk I’ve set up in my apartment. More often than not, I’m still in my pajamas while I check my e-mail and start my first article.
“Oh, Maria. You’re so lucky,” people said. “You must have so much freedom. You must travel so much” Yeah, at first glance, it seemed that way. Except that I’m addicted to my second monitor, which is mounted to my wall, so I never left.
As a fully remote worker, I should have the freedom to Zoom from the backyard or write from a coffee shop — especially since I chose my laptop specifically for the portability factor. But after I got used to using a second screen (which seriously boosted my speed and productivity), I couldn’t go back. Every time I tried, my work felt clunky and slow. There were too many tabs. I could only do one thing at a time, and in my opinion, single-tasking is overrated.
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Then I got the opportunity to stay with a friend in Florida for two weeks. And, solely because I’d have to work there without my second screen, I was actually considering turning it down. Okay, I thought. This has gone too far, and that’s when I found the Lepow portable monitor on Amazon.
Emphasis on portable. This screen weighs less than 2 pounds and is only .3 inches thick. That said, it still offers 15.6 inches of vivid 1920 by 1080 display. Most importantly, it plugs straight into your laptop using a Mini HDMI, and the included faux-leather case folds up to create a stand, so you can prop it anywhere.
At $205, it was a moderate investment, but I pulled the trigger anyway — mostly because, as patriots and lawyers have said, you can’t put a price on freedom. In retrospect, it was an awesome decision.
Now, every time I leave the house, I slip this screen into my laptop bag along with my computer. Once I reach my destination, I just plug it in and it connects immediately. If you’re a gamer, the Type-C port makes it compatible with your Xbox One, Wii, or Nintendo Switch, and if you’re a workaholic, it helps you present your ideas to your coworkers or finish up that late-night project at home. You can even hook up your phone to watch videos on a bigger screen (which is where the dual speakers or the built-in audio port come in handy). It’s extremely versatile and well-designed.
And I’m not the only one who thinks so. The reviews on this thing are stellar: “Money well spent. Absolutely love this monitor, relatively light and has a cover to prevent from scratching. And very sharp picture,” one buyer raved. Another said, “The best work-related purchase I’ve ever made [...] This makes working on the go a breeze.”
In short, I no longer have to choose between productivity and the smell of freshly brewed coffee at Starbucks, and that’s a beautiful thing.
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