How to survive in a very cold office or workspace

How depressing it is to bundle up for work. Unless you’re a ski or glacier instructor, having to put on gloves, scarves or double stockings to sit at a desk is boring and pointless. How to focus on what needs to be done if at the same time your fingers freeze on the keyboard?

Many workspaces, usually those in older residential homes or buildings, are not well insulated or heated beyond a few stoves. And why talk about those who have continued to telecommute: not having to go outside when they are in third grade is very comfortable, but spending all day under a blanket drinking liters of boiling tea does not sound like the best working environment.

Based on articles we have already published and also on our experience of working in extremely cold places – like our own homes – we have compiled a list of very useful products to not end the day see you as a white walker of Game Of Thrones.

This garment, we promise, will be one of the best investments you can make for this winter and those to come. Designed for sports enthusiasts or daredevils who like to go out when the weather says “stay in bed”, it is also very useful for those of us who spend a good part of the day immobile in front of the computer. “They keep you warm and dry, and although it’s designed for winter sports scenarios, for urban living it’s a super good way to warm up and save energy. energy and heating,” said José Mena, mountaineer and president of andesmanual the main Andean broadcast online community in Latin America.

With it, your body temperature will stay more stable, and with a few warm layers on top, your arms and core will stay at a comfortable temperature. You can see more first layer options here.

Under a desk is where there should be less heat throughout the house or office. And there our sad feet must remain for long hours, motionless and numb, waiting for you to deign to walk with them, if only for a few minutes, and thus give them a little warmth. To protect them from freezing, there is no choice but to wear good winter socks.

The best fabric, according to the experts we interviewed, is merino wool, a natural material that is breathable – that is, it does not retain moisture – and has enormous thermal capacity. They are more expensive, but they will surely cost you less than removing that frostbite from your little finger.

Another option is synthetic materials, which are better prepared to maintain body heat than classic cotton.

No matter how hard you try, working on the computer in gloves feels more like a bizarre method of torture than an effective way to keep your hands warm. It becomes difficult to aim the keys, the handling of the mouse is complex and not to mention the trackpad: it is easier to sign a check with your nose than to move the pointer with gloves.

How to warm your hands, then? It is the part of the body that cools the fastest and the most difficult to heat. In order not to travel all the time to the nearest stove, a good solution is hand warmers, small devices —kind of mini waterless guateros— specially designed to raise the temperature of our palms and fingers. There are some with USB charging, like this one which has two temperature levels – the highest reaches 55° – and a cute cat shape.

If it’s very cold in your office or teleoffice, neither the first layer nor your thick socks will be enough to prevent this damn invisible force from entering your bones. There, in addition to a good woolen vest or a fleece sweater, it is convenient to use a cozy blanket.

You can put it on your legs, on your shoulders, on your head or all over your body, like an office jedi. “May the warmth be with you. Everything to avoid shivering when answering emails. Which cover to choose? Here we have made a complete guide with different materials and textures.

If you have an unused underblanket or an electric blanket you bought on sale, one way to get the most out of it is to use it while you work. You can put it on the back of your chair, on the seat or even under your feet: by adjusting the temperature or by activating it when you are colder, it will be a great help for you to produce comfortably.

This Scaldason model is no smaller than a blanket or a bed warmer, so it will be easier to use and only use the energy needed.

The cold is fought from the outside but also from the inside of the body. As liquors and spirits must be kept after working hours —a whiskey with an Excel spreadsheet does not mix—the best way to warm up is to drink hot drinks such as herbal teas, coffee or soups.

The most effective way to do this is to have a good thermos and a reliable thermal mug. The first is to have hot water — or whatever pre-prepared liquid you like to drink — always available. The second, to serve it and take it without haste or fear that it will get cold.

In our research on food thermoses, we have discovered several tricks to keep the contents warm longer: one of them is to first fill the thermos with hot water and leave it for between 5 and 10 minutes . This will help preheat the bowl so it will work better later on. The model we recommend keeps liquids hot for up to six hours and includes a mug in case you get too cold to wash yours.

Although it is an item of clothing, we include it as an accessory because not everyone can wear it: if, for example, you work in a law firm — although it is better to leave of a law firm without heating — you cannot receive your clients in slippers.

But others, especially those who telecommute, can have fun, at least while they are at their desk. Will any slipper do? No. After research, we offer you two options: one from Atakama Outdoors, which is even waterproof, ideal for going out to receive an office or, why not, going to buy a coffee around the corner; and another from Rupestre, less tight but in 100% wool and sheepskin, very, very warm.

Tiny, compact, light, quiet: electric heaters — or fan heaters — are of little or no use for heating homes or large rooms, but having them under the desk or near the chair can be beneficial.

They are not expensive, do not consume too much energy, do not pollute the environment and their use can be alternated depending on the temperature. A device that can really improve working hours.

*Prices for products in this item are updated as of June 12, 2023. Values ​​and availability may change.