Is there a chance that giving someone a printer, a desk-cord organizer or a bag for electronic accessories could imply you don’t, you know, like that person?

Absolutely not! Nothing says “I love you” like a boring gadget gift.

Actually, not boring…essential. Essential to living our new hybrid lives, where some days we work in sweatpants in...

Is there a chance that giving someone a printer, a desk-cord organizer or a bag for electronic accessories could imply you don’t, you know, like that person?

Absolutely not! Nothing says “I love you” like a boring gadget gift.

Actually, not boring…essential. Essential to living our new hybrid lives, where some days we work in sweatpants in our home office and other days we work in professional pants in our office office. With so much shuttling, we have to make decisions about what is part of our permanent setups, and what we carry back and forth.

Here are some of our must-have hybrid-work gadgets, all of which we have tested and many that we’ve bought for ourselves. Bonus: Quite a few of these items are $50 or less.

The Wall Street Journal isn’t compensated by the brands or retailers for being listed in this guide.

Photo: Incase

InCase Nylon Accessory Organizer

Yes, officially, this is an “accessory organizer” but there’s really only one name for it: dongle bag. And in our new world, where we hop from home to office and back again, you don’t leave home without one. This InCase is one of our favorites. Mesh pouches are a perfect fit for AirPods, a travel mouse and other little adapters. Elastic loops hold your various charging cables. There’s even a stylus strap. $50; incase.com

Photo: Function 101

Function101 Cable Blocks

You may not be able to change people, but you can change how they organize their desk or nightstand cords. Place a Cable Block on a flat surface, string the cord through the little opening and everything stays in place. No more cord spaghetti. There’s no adhesive or fasteners needed—magnets inside make it easy to attach multiple cubes together, and their weight keeps the blocks from falling on the floor. $25 for a four-pack; function101.com

Apple’s switch from Intel to its own M1 Pro and M1 Max chips pays off big time in battery life. But how much extra juice do you really get with the new MacBook Pro laptops? Does it really last the 21 hours Apple claims? WSJ’s Joanna Stern tested it all. Photo illustration: Adele Morgan/The Wall Street Journal The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition

Apple MacBook Pro

When you give the newest MacBook Pro to someone you love, here’s what you’re saying: I’m excited about the future, but I also cherish the past. Also: You’re worth a lot to me. With full-size ports, a MagSafe charger and actual function keys (no more Touch Bar!) the laptops bring back the most missed MacBook features. They’re also future-proof, with new ProMotion screens—available in 14 and 16 inches—speedy Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max chips and longer battery life. Hopefully your loved one won’t be too bothered by the webcam notch. $1,999 and up; apple.com

Photo: MOFT

Moft MagSafe Wallet

Wallets are over—at least the George Costanza-like ones that hold more than a few cards. The pandemic accelerated the push from physical cards to digital ones, but chances are you still have a few holdouts, including a driver’s license and work ID. The Moft MagSafe holds as many as three cards and attaches to the MagSafe back of iPhone 12 or 13. In our testing, Moft’s case sticks more firmly than Apple’s own, which costs nearly twice as much. Plus, this one has a built-in snap stand. $30; moft.us

Photo: Anker

Anker Nano II Charging Brick

It wouldn’t be a boring gift guide without a USB-C wall charger—just hear this out: A little bit bigger than a ring box, the Nano II can fast-charge any recent iPhone or Android phone—so you can charge at least half your battery in a half-hour or possibly even less. And if you just got a new iPhone, remember, Apple no longer includes a charger in the box. The 65-watt Nano II ($55) can charge a 13-inch MacBook Pro at the same rate as Apple’s own charger, which is about three times the size. Starting at $34; anker.com

Photo illustration by Johnny Simon/WSJ, Images: Sonos, Apple, Gamebud, Beats Electronics, Piaggio Fast Forward

Keep reading for more great hybrid-work gift suggestions below, but don’t forget to also check out WSJ’s Best Tech Gifts 2021 for even more cool and crazy gadget gift ideas.

Attach a $29 Apple AirTag to your stuff and you can use your iPhone to locate it when it goes missing. WSJ’s Joanna Stern put the new gadget up against a drug-detection dog and other lost-item trackers, such as the Tile Pro, in a series of indoor and outdoor challenges. Photo illustration: Laura Porat for The Wall Street Journal The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition

Apple AirTags

Leaving the house again means one thing: losing stuff. Left your work ID in Conference Room B? Are the house keys at home or just at the bottom of the black hole that is your backpack? Attach Apple AirTags to your prized possessions then set them up with your iPhone. You’ll be able to see their whereabouts on a map in the Find My app. If you’re looking in closer proximity, you can sound an alarm or follow the turn-by-turn guidance. $29; apple.com

Photo: SanDisk

SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive Luxe Photo Backup

No matter what photo-storage service you choose, it’s always a good idea to have a backup to your backup. This little gum-stick-size drive—with an iPhone Lightning port on one end and a Mac/Android/iPad-compatible USB-C port on the other—makes that easy. Just fire up the iXpand app on your phone and within 10 minutes, 1,000 photos in their original resolution are backed up. Choose from 64 gigabytes, 128 GB or 256 GB of storage. (There’s also a version for Android phones.) $40 and up; westerndigital.com

Photo: Keychron

Keychron K3 Mechanical Keyboard

Mechanical keyboards are a more fun way to type: You can customize the keys’ “switch”—that is, their click-clackity feel and sound. But they’re typically bulky and expensive. Not this wireless Keychron model, with a lightweight aluminum frame and switches that are 40% slimmer than traditional ones. The whole keyboard weighs just over a pound, and the optional travel pouch ($25) keeps keys safe while you’re toting it between home and office. Our favorite switch option is brown. It’s satisfyingly tactile but still quiet, so you won’t annoy your officemates. $74; keychron.com

Printers are still the worst, but at least new ink-tank printers help you save money on ink. WSJ’s Joanna Stern survived testing 10 home printers from Epson, HP, Brother and Canon to tell you which are worth buying. The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition

Brother INKvestment or Epson EcoTank Printers

One of our best purchases of 2021? An ink-tank printer. Instead of buying pricey ink cartridges, these inkjet printers hold way more ink in…tanks. They can print thousands of pages before needing to be refilled. The only issue is that the great chip shortage has hit printer makers hard. Finding specific models right now can be tough. We recommend the Brother INKvestment and Epson EcoTank lines. If you can’t find your preferred model for sale on the company websites, you might be able to find them at retailers. $110 and up; brother.com and epson.com

Photo: Bose

Bose QC45 Over-Ear Headphones

Bose’s QuietComfort headphones are noise-canceling classics. This new model has better noise-blocking technology, improved voice isolation for calls, a switch to toggle an aware mode for letting in ambient sound and longer battery life (24 hours, up from 20). While they don’t have some of the more expensive Bose 700’s features, such as on-ear detection, the QC45s are lighter and more compact when folded, making them better suited for traveling to and from the office. $329; bose.com

Photo: Subminimal

Subminimal NanoFoamer Pocket Milk Frother

For those who refined their barista skills during the pandemic, this gadget will take your foam milk skills to the next level—even when you’re stuck drinking office coffee. The NanoFoamer creates what the company calls “microfoam,” which incorporates nicely with your espresso. It even works with nondairy milks. The wand is ideal for making latte art, which you can learn by taking the master class that comes with the purchase. Just keep some AA batteries handy, because it’s not rechargeable. $39, subminimal.com

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Write to Joanna Stern at joanna.stern@wsj.com and Nicole Nguyen at nicole.nguyen@wsj.com