By now you are tired of hearing about the new normal, but the reality is the pandemic has forced both employers and employees to think about how they work. It means working from home (WFH) is unavoidable for many and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.

As such, investing in reliable hardware is a must, with the webcams found on most notebooks and generic earphones simply not cutting it any more for those who are in virtual meetings day in and day out.

With that in mind, this is what you should be looking for when it comes to buying a well-spaced and priced standalone webcam and headset.

FullHD is non-negotiable

Starting with the visual aspect, a standalone webcam is a must for anyone who does a lot of video conferencing. As far as resolution is concerned, 1080p is the gold standard, with the 720p cameras that most notebooks feature simply not providing the nuance and level of detail you may be wanting when conducting important meetings.

Sure, you could simply turn your camera off, but the ability to see the other person you are talking to clearly cannot be overlooked, especially when trying to make a good impression. Added to this, a higher resolution ensures a level of professionalism when conducting interviews, pitching to prospective clients, or doing some manner of content creation.

As far as options go, Logitech has half a dozen that are all expertly suited to be used either at the office cubicle or at home, attaching neatly to a monitor or perched on another surface at your desk.

All of the Logitech video conferencing webcams deliver 1080p visuals, with two of its premium Brio models, such as the Brio Ultra HD Business Webcam, going a step further for 4K HDR resolutions. Those truly wishing to create content from their office desks without setting up an expensive and cumbersome DSLR or mirrorless camera now have a sleek and simple alternative.

Many of these Logitech webcams also feature integrated mics, which certainly help with the audio aspect of things, but as we’ll explain now, if you are going to invest in a good webcam for your WFH setup, adding a standalone headset to the mix is the next step.

Coming in clearly

Now that the visuals are sorted, it is time to ensure that you are heard and hear others too. By choosing the right headset, you’ll longer be the person on the call asking, “can you hear me?”

To that end, a headset with a dedicated adjustable microphone arm is key. On this front the Zone Wireless (also available as Wired) headset excels, capturing everything you say during a video call while also featuring a nifty flip to mute function for the mic for those moments you don’t want to be heard.

Along with delivering what is expected, the Zone Wireless Plus model is also foldable, not only adding to its level of portability, but functionality in terms of use outside the WFH environment. Added to this is support for Microsoft Teams, which is becoming the go-to video conferencing platform for professionals.

This brings us to the important point that your standalone headset cannot be singularly focused and needs to facilitate use in a variety of scenarios to hold real value.

Also, should you be on the lookout for something a little sleeker than a headset, Logitech also boasts some wireless earphones in its lineup too with the Zone True Wireless earphones, that feature best in-class mics with active noise cancellation to ensure background sounds don’t interfere when you’re working on the move.

Match maker

The last aspect, and one that is not often considered when purchasing hardware for your WFH setup is software compatibility. With a myriad video conferencing platforms on the market, not to mention the fact that every business and person inside of it, has a preference, being able to switch seamlessly between platforms is a must.

Which is why hardware that comes certified can prove crucial, as you don’t want to be searching for obscure drivers or suffering from compatibility issues while trying to dial in.

On this front, Logitech has worked hard to ensure its video conferencing products run a wide gamut, with support for Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, Bluejeans and WebEx Teams present in most of its hardware. Where technical difficulties were something unavoidable in the past, choosing the right hardware with expert levels of certification can easily negotiate this.

To find out more about Logitech’s video conferencing products, as well as its other IT solutions, head here.