My desk setup, 2026 edition

I do this every year mostly so I can look back and see how little actually changes. Spoiler: one item is new, one is gone, and the rest is exactly where it was.

The desk

Still the same solid-oak top on adjustable legs. I stand for about a third of the day, mostly during calls. The surface has a coffee ring that I have decided is character.

The screen

A single 27-inch display at 5K. I tried two monitors for a year and went back; the second one was always the place where notifications lived. One screen means one thing at a time, which is the whole point.

Input

• Keyboard: a low-profile split board with a column-staggered layout. It took three weeks to get back to full speed and I would do it again.
• Mouse: none. A trackpad to the left of the keyboard, because the right hand is on the arrow cluster.
• Microphone: a dynamic mic on a boom arm. The best upgrade for other people’s experience of me.

Light

New this year: a small task lamp with a warm bulb, pointed at the wall behind the monitor. It is the only change I noticed every single day. The overhead light is now off by default.

Gone this year

The wireless charger. It was where my phone sat, face up, all day. Moving the phone to a drawer did more for my focus than any app.

Would I buy it again?

Item	Verdict
Desk	Yes
Display	Yes
Split keyboard	Yes, eventually
Task lamp	Immediately
Second monitor	No

Next year’s edition will probably say the same thing, and I am fine with that.