Working from coffee shops has become my favorite way to stay productive. But if you’re planning to make a coffee shop your office, getting a few basics sorted first is essential. A single tech-related hiccup can ruin your productivity streak.
While there are plenty of laptop-friendly cafés, not all tables will be located close enough to a power outlet. I’m speaking from experience here. You should always prepare for the worst, and besides fully charging your laptop, it’s wise to bring a portable power bank with you.
There are many ways to charge your laptop without a charger, but a power bank is the most reliable way. It’s worth mentioning that not all power banks have the capacity to fully charge your device, but it’s still a good way to make sure you don’t run out of juice in the middle of your work session.
2
Use a VPN When Connecting to Public Wi-Fi
In the modern era, being paranoid can go a long way in protecting you from cybersecurity threats. Hackers often target public Wi-Fi networks to spy on unassuming coffee shop dwellers and steal their passwords or other personal information.
Always connect to public Wi-Fi with a VPN. This service encrypts your data, hides your IP address, and protects you from malware—pretty much everything you’ll need to stay safe when working out of a café.
Not sure which VPN is right for you? I recommend Mullvad VPN because it doesn’t require any personal data to register.
3
Consider a Mobile Hotspot
I like to use my own internet. Even though insisting on this doesn’t help offset the cost of all the coffees and croissants I have throughout the day, I truly believe it’s worth it. For starters, it completely eliminates the cybersecurity risk, but I also never have to worry about the quality of the public Wi-Fi.
Again, I’m drawing upon years of remote work experience. Applying Murphy’s law to working from coffee shops, you should always expect the connection to drop at the most inopportune moment, leaving you with only two choices: packing up your things and finding a new spot or arguing with the barista about how they should restart the router more often.
The best way to avoid this trouble is to rely on your own connection. At the very least, you should fire up a hotspot on your phone, though that’s not a permanent solution. Tethering will drain your battery quickly and leave you with another problem. Instead, I suggest you get a dedicated mobile hotspot or a dongle.
4
Bring a Headset
A quality headset should always be in your remote work arsenal. I’m not suggesting this because it will allow you to blast your favorite tunes (although that’s certainly a viable option). Rather, you never know when a surprise team meeting or a friendly Slack huddle can happen, so you really don’t want to use “I’m in a coffee shop” as an excuse.
Finding a good headset can be tough, so read through our rundown of the best Bluetooth headsets if you require help.
5
Connect Remotely to Your Main Computer
If you’re a freelancer or employed at a company that doesn’t use the cloud, working from a coffee shop can be a problem if you suddenly need to access software or a file that’s on a second computer.
For instance, I edit all the photos and screenshots for my articles on the main desktop computer because I don’t have Photoshop installed on my laptop. Despite my best efforts to plan ahead, there were still situations where I had to make quick edits while out of the office.
The solution was simple: I used NordVPN’s Meshent to connect my laptop to my main computer, allowing me to access Photoshop remotely. If you only need to access files, it’s much simpler to upload everything work-related to Google Drive or some other cloud-based storage service.
With these tips, your coffee shop spot will start looking (and behaving) a bit more like a regular office—and you’ll never have to argue with the barista about the Wi-Fi.
