6 ways to look and sound your best on your next Zoom chat—starting at $23
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It’s not easy to show face when you’ve been living makeup-free in your PJs for weeks on end. But there are ways to look your best, whether you’re having a Zoom game night, a friendly Skype session, FaceTime with the grandkids, or a Google Hangouts meeting.
And don’t forget about sounding your best. Let’s face it: Most built-in microphones and webcams aren’t great quality (read: you sound like you’re underwater).
We rounded up six products that’ll vastly improve your video chatting game.
Urb Space Xl Laptop Table to get your laptop at eye level
If your laptop is sitting on a desk, you’re most likely looking down at your webcam, meaning the people you’re video chatting with are looking up at you (probably not your best angle!). For the best view, you want to be eye-level with the webcam—so your laptop should be raised about six inches or so.
Enter the portable urb SPACE Xl Laptop Table Desk, designed with a special hinge that allows you to lift your laptop up to 30 degrees for a better viewing angle.
It’s ideal for laptops up to 17 inches, and reviewers love how customizable it is: “With the adjustable legs, it’s the perfect height no matter where I sit,” says a user.
Keyboard and Mouse for better posture
Since your laptop is now raised up on a table, you’ll want a separate keyboard and mouse so that you won’t have to lift your arms too high to type. This Bluetooth combo from Logitech features a comfortable and spacious layout and a number pad—a must if you work with spreadsheets.
The keyboard and mouse both work up to 32 feet away from your laptop, so you won’t have to deal with signal dropouts and lags. People love the cordless freedom: “Needed a simple mechanical keyboard for my work at home during Coronavirus Armageddon, but with fancy wireless to minimize clutter,” says a shopper. “This is perfect. I can’t even detect any latency versus my wired keyboard.”
TaoTronics LED Lamp to eliminate shadows
Shrouded in shadows on a call? It might be because you’re sitting in front of a white wall or there’s an open window behind you—your webcam will try to balance out the light by casting a shadow.
The more natural light, the better. But if you’re chatting at night or on a gloomy day, place a lamp like this one behind or next to your webcam, so the light shines on your face. Just remember that your laptop itself is a light source, so adjust your screen accordingly. You don’t want to look washed out and overly bright.
This LED light doubles as a wireless charger for your smartphone. It features seven levels of brightness, and tilts and rotates, too.
Sony Noise Canceling Headphones to clear the airwaves
A good pair of noise-canceling headphones can block out background noise (kids, dogs...) and allow your audio to come through loud and clear. This cushy wireless option from Sony features 35 hours of hands-free chatting on a charge, and it’s $70 off right now.
Reviewers can’t get enough: “Sound quality and noise-canceling are brilliant,” said a satisfied shopper. “I have never had to turn them up to full volume and can answer phone calls, too.”
JOBY GripTight ONE GorillaPod Stand for smartphone chats
Instead of bogging down your laptop during a video call (additional windows, tabs, apps open and running) use your smartphone instead. That way you can free up your laptop and take notes as you chat.
Perch your smartphone on something like the JOBY GripTight ONE GorillaPod Stand; you can adjust its legs to get a flattering camera angle. Simply sync your headphones and microphone to your smartphone and you’re all set.
You might just find other uses for it as well, like this reviewer: “I'm using it to turn an old iPhone into a security camera. Works great. Solid construction and the spring-loaded holder fits several phone sizes. Very stable.”
Lenovo 500 FHD for a webcam upgrade
Not looking your best? A subpar webcam could be to blame. Most built-in units aren’t great; take the newest MacBook Air, which has the same HD 720p webcam (1280 x 720) that Apple’s been using for years.
It’s time for an upgrade. This Lenovo 500 FHD Webcam (1920 x 1080) has double the clarity and sharpness of most standard webcams. Just plug it into your laptop, clip it on top of your old webcam, and you’re ready to go. Voilá—you’ve never looked better.
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