My Best Smart Home Device Picks for a Desk or Office in 2026

Smart home products aren't just useful in your kitchen and living room or for guarding your front door. They also pair really well with a home desk, whether you have a dedicated office or a free-for-all space where you keep the family computer.

Here are the devices that make the biggest difference on and around my desk, including smart lights, an all-purpose smart speaker and smart displays that can be used in many ways. Read on to find out how you can give your desk a high-tech new life.

A smart surge protector to protect all your other devices

Meross has extra cord length if you need to do more positioning with your power strip. Meross/CNET

A strong surge protector is the glue that holds all the other desk devices together -- and protects them from dangerous electrical surges. I have a full list of recommendations, but consider a smart surge protector like this Tapo model ($42) to make a bigger difference.

These smart power strips let you name each included plug and port based on what you plug into them, and control them remotely, including through common apps like Google Home or Apple Home. You can also turn them on or off with voice commands when they are properly labeled in the app, which is neat if you have connected lights (more on that later) or fans.

Tapo's version even allows you to track energy costs, which is a huge plus if you're worried your desk equipment is sapping too much power.